- 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 31, 2008 - September 6, 2008
Total this week: 173
Sarah Palin’s Record On the Environment: A Closer Look
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 09. 6.08
Palin on the Environment, Beyond the Sound Bites
We’ve all heard the big ones by now: Sarah Palin doesn’t believe in global warming (as a result of human practices, at least), she’s suing the federal government to get polar bears removed from the endangered species list, and she vigorously supports opening the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve up for drilling.
But Palin’s stance on environmental issues is far more detailed than those simple, sound bite-friendly talking points. A recent Associated Press article delves into her repeated run-ins with environmentalists and federal marine scientists and breaks down her votes on a slew of environmental issues. Take a look at some of the Alaskan governor’s votes and stances:...
Used Mattress Design Competition: Making Mattresses Sustainable
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 09. 6.08
The Used Mattress Dilemma
What’s the eco-conscionable thing to do with a used mattress? Pawn it off on a (really) broke friend? Try to give it to Goodwill or list it for giveaway on the Free page on Craigslist? These options are tough, because the idea of sleeping on a used mattress just strikes most as creepy—it’s like wearing secondhand underwear. So you likely do what most of us do—haul it out to the curb and leave it by the trash for the garbage men. As a result, around 40 million mattresses get flipped into the landfills every year. And let’s face it—the options for eco friendly solutions seem pretty slim.
Enter Architecture for Humanity and Rubicon National Social Innovations: they’ve teamed up to launch the Discarded Dreams design competition bent on reusing that seemingly unrecyclable bedding.
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Wind Power Workshop, Presented by American Wind Energy Association and Sierra Club
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 09. 6.08
Wind power has arrived. In case you’ve been living in a cave powered by unsustainable energy for the last couple years, the wind power industry has been steadily growing and is perhaps most effective and viable forms of alternative energy on the market.
But you know all that. What you likely don’t know is exactly what the future of the ever-expanding, dynamic wind power industry holds. And if you want to find out, you just have to head on over to Delaware this week . . .
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China Plans Massive $3.5 Billion GM Crops Push
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 09. 6.08
Image from Klobetime
Driven by the increasingly pressing need to provide a stable food supply for its surging population (1.3 billion and growing), China has decided to engineer its own "Green Revolution" by embarking on a massive $3.5 billion GM crops R&D initiative, reports Science's Richard Stone. With this new biotechnology infrastructure in place, the Chinese hope to discover and patent their own genes "of great value" -- engaging in direct competition with the likes of Monsanto and ADM -- and to help their farms evolve "from high-input and extensive cultivation" to "high-tech and intensive cultivation."...
Sitting Ducks In The Gulf: Hurricane Intensity And The Risk Of Long-Term Impacts On Oil & Gas Prices
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 09. 6.08
A recent guest post from Rocky Mountain Institute points out how vulnerable the USA remains to hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico, citing hurricane Gustave as an example. This current post's graphic dramatically displays the risk. The more intense a future hurricane is, the greater the chance of in inland incursion (per the image) doing long term physical damage to refinery equipment and pipelines.
Via::USEIA, EIA Report on Hurricane Impacts on U.S. Energy ...
Graphic Of The Day: Eastern States Make Coal Syn-ers Of Us All
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 09. 6.08
Looking at the whole of the "Clean Coal" and "Energy Security" equation on a single political map - suppliers and customers shown in one context - helps explain why both US presidential candidates have openly supported "clean coal" or "synfuel," and why members of both major political parties barely mention climate change in convention speeches. The political risk is enormous. Via::USEIA, Figure 7. Coal Shipments from Coal Producing Regions to Coal Synfuel Plants, 2007...
Grading Green Schools: The College Sustainability Report Card 2009
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 09. 6.08
The College Sustainability Report Card 2009 is almost upon academia. It’s that dreaded time--when all those green-talking universities who haven’t put in the due legwork have to forge their parent’s signatures; when environmentally unfriendly colleges try to pencil in a line down the far right side of the ‘F.’ Yes, it’s time for the Sustainable Endowment Institute’s intense annual eco-evaluation of the universities and colleges of the U.S. and Canada. Does your college have what it takes to profess with the greenest of the green?...
Hello Kitty, Goodbye Disposable Solar Powered Cell Phone Charger
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 09. 6.08
Solar powered Hello Kitty chargers sound adorable, right? And the little one just has to have every piece of Hello Kitty merchandise there is—it’s part of the collector’s set! She needs them all! Even the overwhelmingly pointless, waste-producing products like this Hello Kitty Disposable Solar Powered Cell Phone Charger.
...
Sustainable Fish Now Served on Not-So Sustainable Flights
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 09. 6.08
Image courtesy of BBC Green
Sustainable Fish Served on Dutch KLM Airline
The Dutch airline KLM has invested in algal biofuel development, looks forward to participating in a European carbon bank program, and claims to fly 25 percent more efficiently than its competitors. And now, the unusually green-seeming airline is offering the option for those flying in Business Class to order hake farmed from a Marine Stewardship Council approved sustainable fishery in South Africa, as a pilot program lasting from September to November 2008.
Obviously, this isn’t the hardest hitting green initiative in KLM’s oeuvre—in fact, the prospect of making the eco-conscionable choice to dine on sustainable fish while the roar of jet fuel-burning engines provides the ambiance seems more than a little absurd. But before you cry Greenwashing!, consider the following...
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Utah Officials: Keeping Rainwater Is Illegal
by Kimberley D. Mok, Montreal, Canada on 09. 6.08
Biking Across America with WE ADD UP - Day 36: Talcum Powder
by Carson Poe and Eric Plosky, Boston, MA on 09. 6.08
Sunday Streets: Thousands of San Franciscans Gather on the City's Busy Waterfront
by Alex Smith, San Francisco, California on 09. 6.08
Last Sunday morning thousands of San Franciscans converged on a four and a half mile strip of waterfront roadway. No, they weren't protesting. Instead they were celebrating the first ever Sunday Streets, an initiative dreamed up by Mayor Gavin Newsom. The event closed a roadway running from Chinatown to Bayview, both areas of the city with minimal open space. Along the strip people stopped to hop in on a yoga class, learn salsa dancing, and even jump rope. ...
This Week in the Huffington Post
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 6.08
Fossil Fuels Are the Bottled Water of Energy: We already know the numerous reasons why bottled water is bad, including the energy and water it takes to manufacture, ship and discard the product, as well as the fact that tap water must meet more stringent water quality standards. But here's the interesting thing: fossil fuels are essentially bottled energy. And just as the green alternative to bottled water is tap water, the logical alternative to fossil fuels is renewable energy. ::Andy Posner
The Next Wonder Drug? Just Ask Mother Nature I talk with scientific researchers every day, and can't help but notice a growing trend: what was once relegated to the realm of naturopaths, witchdoctors and alternative practitioners, is now becoming mainstream science. Drug hunters --- scientists looking for the next breakthrough drug -- are turning to Mother Nature for inspiration and solutions. ::Karin Kloosterman...
Greenland Wants To Bottle Iceberg Water
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 09. 6.08
photo dsearls @ flickr
It's no secret that TreeHugger isn't fond of single-use bottles of water - there seems no trapping of modern life easier to let go of, when municipalities spend oodles to make most tap water clean, and reusable bottles come in every size and color - there are even some cool ones aimed at getting kids off the one-use bottle!
Icebergs become 'high-end' bottled water
But we all seem a bit slow to get the picture - growth for the global soft drink and bottled water market is still growing around 4% annually. In fact, in Fiji (source of the famous, er, infamous Fiji bottled waterj) marketers are asking the government for financial assistance in an increasingly competitive market. And on the other side of the globe in Greenland, a consultant named Dorthe Lund Kaack told the Danish Berlinske Tidende newspaper that next spring Greenland Home Rule government would begin bottling water from an island spring, and thereafter drilling it out of icebergs floating near the coast, for export to fancy water markets (Los Angeles, Tokyo said the article). The government stressed that production of this 3 to 10,000-year old water was "sustainable." Hit the jump for more ironic water facts about Fiji....
The TH Interview: Back to School Special
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 09. 6.08
If you can believe it, there was a time when colleges and universities didn’t have people looking after eco issues. Energy and water meters went unwatched, pesticides floated freely across quads, organics were laughed out of the cafeteria, and recycle bins were used strictly as gravity bongs. But no more, my mortarboarded friends. Today, schools are grade grubbing on green report cards and The Princeton Review is rating colleges on their green stats. Here is a roundup of the sustainability spearheads from five major universities (Stanford, University of Maryland, Arizona State, Sacramento State, and Ohio State) each giving their elevator speech in what has become a very competitive race. Also check out How to Go Green: Back to School Listen to the podcast of this interview via iTunes, or just click here to listen, right-click to download....
Earth First! Fanatics Wail Wildly for Trees in Wacky Video
by Meaghan O'Neill, Newport, R.I. on 09. 6.08
The TH Interview: Gidon Bromberg, Friends of the Earth - Middle East (Part One)
by Jesse Fox, Tel Aviv, Israel on 09. 6.08
In the early 1990’s, says Gidon Bromberg, everyone was convinced that peace was just around the corner in the Middle East.
Bromberg, then a young lawyer working for an environmental NGO in Tel Aviv, was frustrated that environmental issues were not being discussed as part of the peace process. Worse still, massive development plans were being drawn up by investors and developers, with little or no thought given to their impacts on the region’s ecology.
However, as Bromberg would later find out, the surge of investor interest in the region in those days also had a flip side – funds suddenly became available to environmental groups as well. In 1994, Bromberg founded “EcoPeace,” the Middle East’s first regional organization dedicated to peace and sustainability.
Today, Gidon Bromberg is the Director of the Israeli office of Friends of the Earth – Middle East (FoEME), which absorbed EcoPeace in 1999. FoEME remains to this day the only regional organization promoting environmental cooperation among Israelis, Palestinians and Jordanians.
This week, TreeHugger paid a visit to the “Green Building” – an office building in the heart of Tel Aviv which is home to several of Israel’s most prominent environmental groups – for a conversation with Bromberg about the links between peace and sustainability in the Middle East.
In the first part of this two part interview, Bromberg talks about FoEME's work, the challenges of cross-border cooperation and the Middle East water crisis....
Nature and Stop Kingsnorth Interview James Hansen about His Clash with Big Coal
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 09. 5.08
Our Oceans Are Dying and We're At Fault
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 09. 5.08
Image source: Getty Images
A very interesting Los Angeles Times article on the state of the oceans sounds like something out of a horror movie - fishermen come in contact with a spongy weed, only to break out into a painful rash that won't go away and literally peels your skin off. Get a drop in your mouth and your tongue swells so much you can't eat for a week. Scientists in labs can't be in the same room with it, the smell is so pungent. Only the problem is that this is for real and happening more and more often in coastal areas around the world. We are putting too much food into the oceans, scientists say, and now the oceans are reverting back to primeval seas of millions and even billions of years ago.
Previous assumptions that the ocean would eventually break down anything we threw at it (oil spills, dumping garbage, not to mention stormwater runoff) are no longer holding true. Its the primitive life-forms - the algae, bacteria and jellyfish that are better able to handle our garbage and in fact thrive in this toxic soup. The article is a fascinating, no-holds-punch look at the current state of the oceans and also what it means for us....
Seen in New York: MTA Touts Green Credentials
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09. 5.08
Who knew the New York City subway was so green? (Well, greener than I thought it was, anyway.) According to a poster I chanced upon last night at a subway station:
- 63 percent of NYC Transit's refuse was recycled in 2007.
- 8,931 tons—about 50 percent of the refuse collected from the MTA's 468 subway stations—gets recycled
- 49,419 tons of metal, glass, plastic, and paper from train yards, bus depots, and facilities is recycled through other resource-recovery programs.
- 1,497 retired subway cars serve as marine life habitats in five states as part of the National Artificial Reef Plan.
Sustainable Schoolyard Exhibit at US Botanic Garden
by Eliza Barclay, Washington, D.C. on 09. 5.08
Last week we had the pleasure of checking out the One Planet--Ours! Sustainability for the 22nd Century installation at the United States Botanic Garden just a stones throw from the Capitol in Washington, DC. Despite the odd name (isn't sustainability for the 21st century hard enough?) the federally-funded exhibit offered a dazzling array of inspiring eco demonstration projects, including the kinds of energy technologies the current administration and government has done so little to support.
One of the many cool exhibits was Sustainable Schoolyards, sponsored by Friends of Smart Growth and Sustainable Communities, which showcased outdoor classroom concepts and ecological teaching tools suitable for almost any schoolyard.
The Sustainable Schoolyard exhibit demonstrated how solar power, water conservation, edible gardens, wildlife habitat, green building, and waste recycling can be used to teach science, math, art, and many other subjects. Designed by Bay Tree Design, Inc. of Berkeley, CA, the ecological classroom is based on the success of schools around the country including Berkeley's own Edible Schoolyard....
Eco Friendly Toilet Seat and Bidet from Brondell to Preserve Trees, European Custom
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 09. 5.08
We Need a “New Operating System” for the Modern World! Yale Univ’s Dean of Environmental Studies Says
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09. 5.08
photo: Gilbert Rodriguez
In a practical sense, to make the type of changes in theory and practice which many TreeHugger readers would probably like to see happen to make the world a more ecologically sustainable place, we may have to compartmentalize a bit. Overturning the whole system may prove difficult, but at least according to Yale University’s Gus Speth that is the type of change needed.
Orion Magazine currently has an interview with Speth which I think is important to read, but here are some excerpts to give you to set the tone:
...
Cancer Fighting Tips, Carrot Ginger Soup and a Petition for the Next President
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 09. 5.08
:: Avoid these common household products to steer clear of cancer.
:: Sooth your tummy--and your taste buds--with Kelly's Carrot Soup with Ginger and Lemon.
:: Sign a petition asking the next elected U.S. President to grow a food garden at the White House....
Texas Coal Wars Opens Next Week
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 09. 5.08
Image source: Fighting Goliath Film
Fighting Goliath: Texas Coal Wars, documents how a group of citizens stood up to the proposed development of 19-coal-fired power plants in central and east Texas. Mayors, ranchers, CEOs, community groups, legislators, lawyers and citizens, who might otherwise have had nothing in common, all joined together for different reasons but one purpose: to stop the states' fast-track approval of coal-plant construction. The group eventually came to include over 36 cities and local government offices across the state.
Robert Redford narrates the movie and says that he got involved because he was so inspired by the movie. Both the idea that these different interests could still come together for the environment and also that we can move towards renewable energy supplies. Redford hopes the movie inspires other communities to band together, both for battling coal or working for environmental justice in their area. The film has already opened in Texas and will be shown in Utah and Nevada next week, where several coal plants are also planned for construction....
Boston's Blackout, The Hypnos and Big Ice Breaks Free
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 09. 5.08
Boston turns off their lights in an effort to save cash and energy.
Citroën plans to unveil their Hypnos, a new diesel-electric hybrid crossover concept car.
An ice chunk the size of Manhattan breaks free in Canada's northern Arctic.
The Green Routine offers eight easy tips for an eco-friendly garden.
A new study reports that one in three public schools are are built within 400 meters of a major highway--causing a spike in respiratory illnesses.
Most Huggable is a regular roundup of some of Hugg's top green news stories. Why not submit your own green news?...
Ce n'est pas Réchauffement Global (This Is Not Global Warming)--With Apologies To Magritte
by Earthwatch Institute on 09. 5.08
Treehuggers no doubt remember Knut. He’s the polar bear cub who would likely have died after being rejected by his mother, save that he became a media sensation when his Berlin zookeepers decided not to let Nature take its course. While some animal activists objected, the public at large seems to have responded in unison: “How could anyone let anything this cute die?”
You’ve no doubt also seen equally captivating pictures of many of Knut’s’ wild cousins—images that distill all of the scientific complexities of global warming and melting sea ice into a single powerful concept: this magnificent animal is going to drown in front of your eyes—this is global warming, and it’s your fault.
...
Green School Fundraising with Carbon Offsets
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 09. 5.08
While there may be no doubt that school fundraising of all angles is a standard of the educational system in America and beyond, there’s one product that you just may never heard of being used to help raise funds for schools; carbon offsets.
With a new program called Brighter Schools put out by the folks at Brighter Planet, schools receive 20% of the cash raised from any purchase of carbon offsets through the program by students, teachers, friends and allies of their school. There’s even a way for schools to track their overall impact as a team reducing their carbon footprint through the website.
...
Creative Recycling: Tin Cans into Flatware
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 5.08
Unusable misprinted tin cans are rolled into handles for flatware and serving pieces. Gina at Epicurious says they are "sure to dish up conversation, as well as the salad."
She also notes that "the metal is left untreated, so while they can go in the dishwasher, it is advised that you hand wash and dry them immediately to prevent rusting. And while the pieces are not sharp, they are rough and are not recommended for families with small children." Hmmm, maybe not such a good idea. Available at Vivaterra after you sign a waiver.
More Table Settings on TreeHugger:
Carry Your Own Cutlery
Three Utensils in One: "Spork" from Light My Fire
...
Sea Levels Still Will Rise Because of Global Warming: Just Not as Much as We Thought
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09. 5.08
In the past couple of weeks I’ve felt a bit like the bringer of climate change doom here at TreeHugger. Well, here’s something to balance all that out, at least slightly. From Yahoo News/Reuters:
Worst Case: 6.6 Feet Sea Level Rise by 2100
It appears that previous predictions about sea levels rising by 20 feet or more by the end of the this century overstated the case a bit. Tad Pfeffer of the University of Colorado, along with scientists from the University of Montana the University of California at San Diego now say that a “realistic worst-case scenario” for sea level rise is about 6.6 feet (about 2 meters). The same scientists say that about 2.6 feet (80 centimeters) is more likely.
...
“Lawnmower” Tidal Turbines Could Produce Electricity at Half the Price
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09. 5.08
By some estimates, the UK could generate 5-15 gigawatts of electricity using tidal turbines. Photo: Franny Dynamite.
About six weeks ago we reported on the world’s first commercial-scale tidal turbine, SeaGen, beginning the first stage of its operations. SeaGen, like most other tidal turbines works a bit like a wind turbine tuned on its side, spinning as water moves past the blades and generating electricity.
However, a new tidal turbine design unveiled yesterday by engineers from Oxford University, which The Guardian describes as being a “lawnmower” design (probably not the best image, even if accurate in form), looks to change the shape of wave power:
...
Biking Across America with WE ADD UP - Day 31: Bon Appetit!
by Carson Poe and Eric Plosky, Boston, MA on 09. 5.08
Zoica Matei Creates Trans-Seasonal Fashion
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 09. 5.08
Image source: Zoica Matei
We've talked about this idea before, but Zoica Matei is making slow-fashion and trans-seasonal fashion her banner. The clothing is designed with healthy, organic materials, but there is also an emphasis on keeping clothing longer and not changing out wardrobes with the changing of the seasons. She creates timeless pieces that are more than just t-shirts with sayings, but rather clothing and outfits that can be worn every day. Items are designed to be worn to work or running errands or going out to dinner, thus giving them more functionality and a longer lifespan.
Originally from Romania, Matei began designing at a young age but ended up getting an environmental degree. After moving to the US, she earned a degree in fashion and then merged her two passions. All clothing is made in the US and sweatshop free. Whites are dyed using hydrogen peroxide instead of bleach and other colors use natural colors for dyes....
Ivory Gull Wins Most Polluted Bird on the Planet Award
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 09. 5.08
Image source: Bird Holidays
If the ivory gull could, it would tell that polar bear, 'I wouldn't eat that if I were you' - eating carcasses of other animals is what got the ivory gull in this predicament in the first place. The ivory gull, which lives in the Arctic, was recently found to have the highest concentrations of PCBs and DDT when its eggs were tested. The more interesting point is that both of these chemicals are banned in many countries, though DDT is still used to control disease vectors in some countries. How did this bird get top prize? Well, the prevailing winds sweep these chemicals from around the globe and concentrate them in a swirling mass in the Arctic. From here, the chemicals accumulate in the fatty tissues of birds, fish and other animals. Ivory gulls are top predators, meaning they eat fish and scavenge dead seals and polar bears. Any chemicals that are in these animals are then passed onto the gulls, so basically the gulls are eating DDT and PCBs for dinner every night.
...
“Drill Baby Drill” Screams Punctuate McCain’s Energy Policy in Acceptance Speech
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09. 5.08
Horse and Buggy + Wind Turbine = Indiana Amish Begin Embracing Renewable Energy
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09. 5.08
photo: Cindy Seigle
The intersection of spirituality and environmental awareness seems to be getting more crowded. Over the summer there were a couple stories of Hindu temples, both in India and the United States, installing various forms of renewable energy. Pope Benedict XVI professed a slightly greener version of the faith at a speech in Australia (BBC News). Apparently, the Dalai Lama is down with solar (Greentech Media). Now the Amish are getting in on the act. The News-Sentinel gives us the details:
It’s Not the Electricity but Connection to the Grid
Though most people probably associate the Amish with living outside of modern life, this isn’t entirely correct. While initially (like in the 1920s...) there was hesitation to adopt electricity, it wasn’t so much the electricity itself that was the issue but the connection to the grid and therefore the outside world. Low-voltage electricity is perfectly permissible and will rising diesel prices, the cost of fueling generators is causing some people to look to renewables. ...
A Reader Responds to Project Better Place Getting Wired
by Karin Kloosterman, Tel Aviv on 09. 5.08
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again –– Israel’s electric car scheme Project Better Place –– needs some serious rethinking. Shai Agassi, who founded the company (pictured above), proposes new infrastructure for the swappable batteries, leased and paid for much in the same way as the cellular phone industry: you pay for use and not the device. Israel and Denmark are buying.
In August Wired magazine featured Agassi on the cover (you can it read here). The story extols the virtues of the new paradigm in electric cars that Agassi is offering. I’ve blogged my reservations about Project Better Place here on TreeHugger before and also on The Huffington Post; most recently on my own blog Green Prophet. It’s happened a few times, where I’ve received some sort of email from a PR company representing Project Better Place, or an investor in the company, who says that I don’t have all the facts. I’ve offered they do a guest post on TreeHugger to set the record straight. No takers.
...
San Francisco Set To Vote on Greener Public Power
by Alex Smith, San Francisco, California on 09. 5.08
Public Power Makes It's Way Onto the City's Ballot
The boxing gloves are out in San Francisco in a fight pitting Mayor Gavin Newsom and Pacific Gas and Electric against a broad base of citizens, supervisors and politicians. At the center of the fight is Proposition H, a proposal that would put the city's power grid back in the hands of San Franciscans. The proposition will enable a feasibility study of publicly owned power and will also set green mandates for the new grid system. With the switch, public power proponents plan to derive the city's electricity from 50 percent renewables by 2017 and one hundred percent by 2040. PG&E, the for-profit power company that currently manages the grid, is not going down easily.
Public power has long been a San Francisco battle, finding its way on the city's November 4th ballot eleven times since the 1920s. Though it has also been voted down all eleven times, leaders of the movement think this time may be different.
Read more about public power in San Francisco below the fold....
Microbes in Dirt Provide Electricity for African Villagers
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09. 5.08
A makeshift microbial fuel cell: a bucket, waste water and a graphite sheet. Photo: Lebônê
Providing electricity to people in countries where either the grid is not reliable, or nonexistent and unlikely ever to be built, can make a huge difference in people’s quality of life in very practical ways. We’ve written before about companies such as D.Light Design which have solar-powered replacements for kerosene lanterns , and efforts to bring small-scale solar panels to off-grid villages in Laos. Hand cranked cell phone chargers, radios and flashlights are other proven options that have received attention.
Microbial Fuel Cells Provide Enough Power for Small Devices
One option which is being investigated in a pilot project by Cambridge, Massachusetts company Lebônê Solutions is using microbial fuel cells to provide electricity to villagers in Tanzania. While the power produced by microbial fuel cells isn’t great, it does provide enough electricity for the small DC powered devices that the villagers want to run, Lebônê co-founder Hugo Van Vuuren told Technology Review. Compared to other renewable energy options such as solar panels or small-scale wind turbines they are also less expensive to produce and easier to set up....
Greenbird's Bid for Fastest Wind-Powered Vehicle Rained Off
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 09. 5.08
Wind-powered Record Attempt Cancelled
The frustrating thing about trying to work with, rather than against, Mother Nature is that, well, sometimes Mother Nature just doesn’t want to play along. No sooner had April posted on Greenbird, the record attempt sponsored by TreeHugger favorites Ecotricity to become the fastest land-yacht in the world, that we hear the disappointing news that the attempt has been cancelled. Apparently it just wouldn’t stop raining:...
Planet in Focus Environmental Film Festival Announces 2008 Dates
by Jenna Watson, Barcelona on 09. 5.08
Image from Blue Gold Courtesy of Planet in Focus Film Festival
We attended last year so we are excited to see that the announcement of the ninth edition of the Planet in Focus International Environmental Film & Video Festival. It will run October 22 through October 26 in Toronto with over 80 (of over 450 entries) of the world's premiere films and videos on a wide range of environmental themes and subjects by Canadian and international filmmakers.
This year’s Spotlight Program - Food: The Big Picture - features thought-provoking films from around the world examining a wide range of issues on this topic. It will highlight the local and global concerns about food production, food security, food policy, its cultivation, manufacture, handling, distribution and, ultimately, the direct connection between the state of the environment with what, and how, we eat. The festival will also host panels and discussions in an exploration of the global food crisis as well as recent developments within Canada....
Jargon Watch: Scorpacciata
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 5.08
scorpacciata [score-POTCH-chee-yatta]
n. eating a particular ingredient in copious amounts in peak local season.
Can it be turned into an adjective, like "If this tomato season doesn't end soon I'm gonna be scorpacciatic." ::Apartment Therapy...
Mexican Food Company Switching to Biodegradable Packaging
by Eliza Barclay, Washington, D.C. on 09. 5.08
Grupo Bimbo, Mexico's largest producer of baked goods, announced this week it will be replacing its plastic packaging with a new biodegradable plastic in all main supermarkets and retail outlets in Mexico City.
The new plastic packaging is oxo-biodegradable and contains an additive made by the British company Symphony Technologies. Oxo-biodegradation is a two-stage process where the breakdown and release of carbon dioxide, water and biomass is accelerated. Instead of taking years to biodegrade, the plastic breaks down within a few months
on land or in water leaving no fragments or harmful residues, according to Symphony.
Grupo Bimbo, which produces more than 5,000 bakery products, from loaves and pastries to cookies, chocolates and sweet and salted snacks, hopes that the biodegradable plastic will help to offset its contribution to the 10 million cubic meters of waste generated every month in Mexico. ...
Ponoko ID: If You Can Think Of It, They Can Design and Make It
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 5.08
We show a lot of what we call "downloadable designs" on TreeHugger; as we said on our Absolut World website, "With digital designs we decide what we want from the best in the world, not what Mr. Store Manager picks out." That is why we completely fell in love with Ponoko, an "online space for a community of creators and consumers to use a global network of digital manufacturing hardware to co-create, make and trade individualized product ideas on demand."
They have put together a catalogue of designs that are available now, but have added a new feature that may change the way designers work and shoppers shop: Ponoko ID. ...
FrogLight LED Bulb Goes in Standard Socket
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 5.08
Of course, one of the benefits of LEDs is that they last so long that they can be built right into the fixtures or even the fabric of the building. But people own lamps already, and Frog Design "realized the easiest way to create acceptance was to deliver the technology in an already widely accepted form. The form of a standard light bulb was then the obvious choice. It would not ask consumers to change their form of power, their light socket or replace the lampshade attached to the bulb."
So they built the LEDs into the traditional incandescent lightbulb form. "To create the biggest impact on society, this design had to keep the barriers to acceptance as low as practical—which in part meant no super-sexy, fluid designs that would only be found in high-end design stores. Any unnecessary styling would cause a rift in its mainstream acceptance." They say that it is dimmable, with great colour balance and will last 30 years. Frog Design is "currently in talks about how to bring it to market and make it available to consumers." ::Frog Design via ::Yanko
More LED in TreeHugger:
Big LED Breakthrough at Purdue University Could Change the World
LED Street Lights are Coming
Luxim Plasma Light Bulb Kicks Some Serious LED Butt...
Sydney Becomes Australia's First Carbon-Neutral Government Body
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 09. 5.08
Photograph by Warren McLaren
Last month the City of Sydney declared that it had become Australia’s first carbon neutral government. It is important to note that whilst the total area of this southern metropolis is said to be equal to the size of London and nearly twice that of New York, at 4,000 square kilometres, the claim to carbon neutrality really only applies to the local government area called "Sydney." That spans the central business district and surrounding suburbs, and is about 26 square kilometres. But still, it's not a bad claim to fame.
The city council looked at their emissions as a result of fuel for their fleet of cars and trucks and running City of Sydney events (9% of total), energy emissions from the likes of street lighting and City owned properties (72%) and then all other emissions such as those caused by the City's operations, including contractors and business travel - taxis, flights, etc (19%) For the financial year of 06-7 this gave them a total of over 48,500 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. ...
Survey: Do You Eco-drive/ Hypermile?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 5.08
We call it hypermiling; others call it eco-driving, which sounds like a contradiction in terms to me, but whatever, it does save fuel- lots of it. Ford recently did a test where they trained 48 drivers in eco-driving techniques (smoother braking and accelerating, monitoring RPMs and moderate speed) and they boosted fuel economy by 24%. (credit: Tyler Hamilton)
...
Smack in the Middle of My Backyard: Golf Courses on Google Earth
by greenz.jp, Tokyo, Japan on 09. 5.08
One reason I moved to my current town was the proximity to green hills and mountains, and the promise of hiking adventures (and fresh air). Only about one hour from central Tokyo, I live in a town with some 80,000 people, and I like it a lot. However, when I downloaded Google Earth, I was in for a surprise.
It is one thing to see the road signs and an occasional golfer walk by (most take the special membership-only golf-course buses from the train station). Suddenly, on Google Earth, there was my house (yellow X marks the spot) surrounded by golf courses (red circles)!
The NIMBY phenomenon could not have been brought home more clearly. Not In My Backyard? This is one of the many towns where Tokyo's businessmen come to play their 18 holes. Have you had a similar experience using Google Earth? Share your pain in the comment section....
Bike-Sharing Goes Global: 5 Programs You Should Know About
by Andrew Posner, Providence, Rhode Island on 09. 5.08
What is Bike-Sharing?
If you at all familiar with the Zip Car model of car-sharing, then you should already undersand how bike-sharing works. Essentially, in a bike-share program bicycles are made available at special kiosks or racks that are strategically placed around a city. Users can access the bikes 24 hours a day, either by inserting a credit card or by paying an annual fee for a membership card. The bikes can then be returned at any of the stations in the city. While the details of the program vary by city, the basic concept has caught on and spread like wildfire. In fact, there was even a bike-sharing program in place at this year's Democratic National Convention!
Bike-Sharing Goes GLobal
Especially as gas prices rise and the concept of livable cities becomes more popular, cities around the world have begun to embrace bike-sharing as a way to improve quality of life, meet greenhouse gas reduction targets, increase tourism, and so on. Paris, Barcelona, Washington, D.C., Montrealand Mexico City have all implemented such programs, while New York City, Portland and others are in the planning stages....
Eco-Club Wars: Dancers (Literally) Light Up Rotterdam's WATT, London's Club4Climate
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 09. 5.08
Guerrilla Gardening Sunflowers Rise Up
by Bonnie Alter, London on 09. 5.08
On May 1, International Sunflower Guerrilla Day, eco-warriors around Europe planted sunflowers in celebration of the first day of summer and nature's fertility. Guerrilla gardening is a slightly subversive way of making ugly, neglected bits of public space beautiful by planting seeds and plants in the dark of night and waiting for them to grow. Here is the result of the midnight efforts of one brave group of gardeners.
London's guerrilla gardeners planted sunflowers across the Thames River from the Houses of Parliament. They found an abandoned rose garden, cleared away the weeds and rubble and threw hundreds of sunflower seeds there. Four months later, despite the gloomiest August in the UK since records began--105.5 hours of sunshine, against an average for the month of 165 hours--a field of splendid tall sunflowers have appeared. They bloom in defiant optimism, thanks to the tolerance or neglect of the municipal garden keepers. A great reason to participate in your neighbourhood; or start a group yourself. :: Guerrilla Gardening
More on Guerrilla Gardening
:: International sunflower Guerrilla Day
:: A Handbook for Guerrilla Gardening...
Phoenix Becomes Nation's Solar City
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 09. 4.08
Image source: National Renewable Energy Laboratory
The Greening Greater Phoenix Initiative, launched today, is encouraging more green businesses such as solar and clean technology, green building, renewable energy and other green industry organizations. The program is a joint initiative by Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC) and SolarCity to encourage green businesses to locate in Phoenix and make Maricopa County the greenest in the US. The City of Phoenix, City of Scottsdale and the City of Surprise (who's on first? no really, their name is Surprise) are all joining in the initiative by adopting renewable energy and green building standards city-wide.
As part of the program, SolarCity will be hosting 6 seminars in Phoenix, Scottsdale and Surprise on September 20 and 27, which will be open to the public. Representatives will be on hand to talk about solar installations, particularly on residential buildings, as well as government rebates and cost savings. In addition, as part of the kickoff there is a 2008 GreenSummit Conference, September 5-6 in the Phoenix Convention Center....
An Eco-Memo, Strawberries Romanoff and How to Reduce a Lap Dog's Carbon Paw-print
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 09. 4.08
:: Go guerilla on colleagues who don't recycle.
:: Savor the end of summer's berry bounty in Emeril's Strawberries Romanoff.
:: Even a tiny toy poodle can have a big carbon paw-print. Learn how to reduce it!...
McMansion Treehouse: Gigantic Two-story Kids Playhouse Spells the Death of the Small Footprint
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 09. 4.08
Sexy Tramps Greet Duck Stamp Callers
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 09. 4.08
Duck Stamp in Sex Scandal
Paul Walsh of the Minneapolis Star Tribune appears to have broken a story that will lead to a lot of chuckles and some exasperation. Hunters who have purchased the self-adhesive $15 Federal Duck Stamp and use the number printed on the card to order more stamps are greeted by a sexy voice advising them that they can "talk only to the girls who turn you on" for $1.99 per minute. The root of the error: the Federal Duck Stamp program phone number 1-800-STAMP24 was turned into the toll-free number for a sex-line, 1-800-TRAMP24, when the prefix 782 was mis-printed as 872....
Noooo Edinburgh, Don't Lift Ban on Changing Windows in Historic Structures
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 4.08
Hill House, Scotland, Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Can you imagine this in vinyl?
John recently wrote that "Rising fuel costs and environmental concerns have forced councillors to consider lifting a ban on double glazed windows in Edinburgh's most historic buildings. Hundreds of residents in and around the New Town are currently prevented from replacing their draughty old windows, because of fears that double glazing would change the appearance of their properties."
Don't do it, Edinburgh! Donovan Rypkema lists a couple of reasons:
- The vast majority of heat loss in homes is through the attic or uninsulated walls, not windows.
- Adding just 3 1/2 inches of fiberglass insulation in the attic has three times the R factor impact as replacing a single pane window with no storm window with the most energy efficient window.
- Properly repaired historic windows have an R factor nearly indistinguishable from new, so-called, "weatherized" windows.
- Regardless of the manufacturers’ "lifetime warranties", thirty percent of the windows being replaced each year are less than 10 years old.
- One Indiana study showed that the payback period through energy savings by replacing historic wood windows is 400 years.
- These houses were built hundreds of years ago, meaning those windows were built from hardwood timber from old growth forests. Environmentalists go nuts about cutting trees in old growth forests, but what’s the difference? Destroying those windows represents the destruction of the same scarce resource.
What is Black Soap?
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 09. 4.08
Image source: author
Black Soap, also known as African Black Soap (Anago Soap, Alata Simena,or Ose Dudu), has long been used to heal problem skin. Its good for thinning fine lines, evening out dark spots, eczema, razor bumps and eliminating blemishes. It is also used to lightly exfoliate and give you healthier looking skin. The soap can also be used on your body or hair or for oily skin, dry skin, skin rashes, scalp irritations, body odors and is good for sensitive skin. There are many other claims to the benefits of black soap, which may be proven/disproven by the user.
Black soap is made from the ash of locally harvested plants and barks such a plantain, cocoa pods, palm tree leaves, and shea tree bark. First the leaves and bark are sun-dried and then roasted in a kettle or pot at an even, constant temperature, which is important to ensure color, texture and smell. Then water and various oils - palm oil, coconut oil, palm kernel oil (including shea butter and cocoa pod powder) - are added to the mixture and stirred for at least a day. After that, the "soap" is left to set for two weeks to cure. Oftentimes the soap is made by women and is fair-traded, though not always....
Biking Across America with WE ADD UP - Day 30: Alone
by Carson Poe and Eric Plosky, Boston, MA on 09. 4.08
Boston Taxi Fleet to Be All Hybrid by 2015
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09. 4.08
photo: Pablo Pecora
New York City’s taxi fleet has been slowly converting to hybrids for some time, and earlier this year Mayor Bloomberg indicated that livery cabs should green-up their act as well. Now another Northeast city is getting in on the act: Boston Mayor Thomas Menino has announced that 2015 the city’s entire taxi fleet would have to be converted to hybrid vehicles.
Hybrids to be Phased In
According to the mayor’s office:...
4,500 Square Kilometers of Canadian Arctic Protected, Three New National Wildlife Areas Established
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09. 4.08
Northern Fulmar photo: Wikipedia
Earlier in the summer it was announced that Canada would be protecting a large chunk of Ontario’s boreal forests from further development. Today brings word that nearly 4,500 square kilometers (1,740 square miles) of Arctic wilderness in Nunavut Territory will also be protected (ENS).
Three sites located on Baffin Island—Niginganiq (Isabella Bay), Qaqulluit (Cape Searle) and Akpait (Reid Bay)—will be given the status of National Wildlife Area. This means that the natural features of the area will be protected from disturbance and activities considered harmful to species living there or the habitat as a whole will be prohibited.
...
Book Review: Flight of the Hummingbird
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 09. 4.08
Image source: Getty Files
Feeling overwhelmed about the state of the planet? Read this book. Feeling like you could be doing more but don't know what to do? Read this book. Feeling like everyone is pointing and laughing because you're an eco-geek who is into recycling, composting and reusing plastic silverware? Read this book.
Flight of the Hummingbird: A Parable for the Environment, is the tale of a forest that is on fire and how the different forest animals respond to the challenge. It is often the smallest and least likely in the crowd who can make the biggest difference. The subtitle of this book should have been, 'Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.' Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas is the illustrator and each of the drawings are so appropriate and fit in beautifully with the story. ...
Mother Jones Takes on Toxic Tuna
by Jeff Nield, Vancouver, British Columbia on 09. 4.08
Photo: PA via The Sydney Morning Herald
We've been hearing about excessive mercury levels in tuna for years and the Sept/Oct 2008 issue of Mother Jones explains their take on Why Mercury Tuna Is Still Legal. Stephanie Mencimer outlines several examples where the tuna industry has influenced FDA decisions to leave tuna off the consumer watch lists for mercury toxicity.
Tuna is big business, Mencimer write,
Americans eat nearly three pounds of canned tuna per capita every year, making it the nation's second most popular seafood (behind shrimp). The government promotes it via school lunch programs, wic (the federal food program for poor women and children), and even in the fda and US Department of Agriculture dietary recommendations. It's a staple of low-carb diets. Bodybuilders binge on it. Low in fat, high in protein, canned tuna contains lots of omega-3 fatty acids that are thought to protect against heart disease and boost brain development early in life. Some tuna cans come stamped with the American Heart Association seal of approval....
Eating Locally: Backyard Chickens
by Jeff Nield, Vancouver, British Columbia on 09. 4.08
Urban Chickens livin' large. Photo by be_collective via www.backyardchickens.com
Raising chickens in the city makes sense. What even we dubbed as a weird eco habit back in '05 has turned into a movement across North America. Looking at how conventional chickens are raised - in battery cages with arsenic compounds in their feed - should convince any omelet loving eco-urbanite to adopt a couple of birds to produce breakfast in the backyard.
...
24,300 MW: US Could Lead World in Installed Wind Capacity by End of 2008
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09. 4.08
photo: Thomas Merton
You’ve got to hand it to AWEA (the US wind industry trade association, in case you didn't know), they certainly do a good job of pumping up wind power. A bit over a month ago they announced that the US wind industry passed a milestone in terms of electricity generated from wind power over a year ahead of time, making the US the world’s number one wind power producer, and promised more details to come. Well, those details have arrived.
US Bests Germany For Wind Power Generation
In a press release, AWEA has announced that the United States now has 20,152 MW of installed wind power capacity and, while Germany currenly bests that by about 3,000 MW, the US actually generates more power from its capacity because of stronger wind speeds—though still doesn't say exactly how much electricity is actually generated. Furthermore, by the end of 2008 an additional 4,300 MW is expected to come online; at which point the US could best Germany in terms of power output as well as installed capacity.
...
Warming Seas Make Strongest Storms Stronger, Scientists Confirm
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 09. 4.08
Image source: Getty Images
Yesterday we reported how the warming seas are linked to the massive sea ice loss we've seen this year (possibly making 2008 the meltiest year on record). Well those warm seas are also changing things in the middle of the planet by making the strongest storms stronger. Data now shows that in the last 25 years, hurricanes, typhoons and cyclones have become more frequent in the tropics. Did we mention that 11 of the warmest years on record since 1850 have also occurred in the last 12 years? Hmm.
Scientists still debate whether the warming oceans also means more frequent storms - you need water temperatures of at least 80°F to make hurricanes, thus the warmer waters, the more storms. Professor James Elsner of Florida State University say that smaller, Category 1 storms don't show a signal or trend in the data, but as the winds increase there is a definite trend towards the warming oceans impacting the strength of the storms. The scientists also note that this trend is more apparent in the North Atlantic and Indian Oceans, but is absent in the South Pacific. This is because those water are already warmer than other areas of the Tropics and thus are not as affected by warming seas....
Coke's New Green Vending Machines: "Like Taking 218,000 Cars Off the Road For Two Weeks"
by Alex Pasternack, New York, NY on 09. 4.08
Greenpeace victory
NGOs are known for getting on the case of big corporations, but it's not everyday that they get their way. At the Sydney Olympics, Greenpace came down hard on Coca Cola for its vending machines, which keep its drinks cool from Mumbai to Missouri. Greenpeace saw giant refrigerators that relied on HFCs -- greenhouse gases which can be 11,700 times more harmful than carbon dioxide (CO2) -- and used excessive, often unnecessary amounts of energy. Coke saw a great opportunity to cut its biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions. Before long, the company and the NGO sat down together to develop a solution.
Coca-Cola's new eKOfresh coolers combine HFC-free insulation and refrigerants with an energy-saving system that improves energy-efficiency by up to 35% over a conventional soda machine. Coke had introduced versions of the machine at the Athens Olympic Games in 2004 and again at the Winter Games in Torino, but at last month's Beijing Games the company brought the unit -- 5,600 of them -- to every Olympic venue. Compared with standard coolers and vending machines, the coolers emit approximately 4,000 fewer metric tons of greenhouse gases (GHGs), which the company says is like "taking more than 19,000 cars off the road for two weeks."
Given China's growing number of cars, along with other pollution sources -- and Coke's growing market share in China , bolstered by its offer this week to buy Huiyuan, the country's largest juice maker -- the machines couldn't come at a better time for the environment....
The Energy Ball: Another Innovative Option in Home Wind Turbines
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09. 4.08
images: Home Energy
Though their definitely seems to be some doubt as to the ultimate effectiveness of small-scale wind turbines, particularly in urban environments, that hasn’t stopped new development of home-based and roof-mounted wind turbines. While Phillipe Starck’s wind turbine is little more than eye candy at this point, the Windspire is one option which you can purchase. Here's another innovate option that you actually buy.
The Silent Spherical Wind Turbine
Designed by Swedish company Home Energy (website only in Swedish), the Energy Ball breaks from most wind turbine design by using a spherical structure. Home Energy says that by using such a design significantly higher aerodynamic efficiency can be achieved, as compared to traditional designs. What's more the Energy Ball is claimed to be “completely silent”....
Gustav Highlights Energy Vulnerabilities
by Rocky Mountain Institute on 09. 4.08
Though less fierce than expected, Hurricane Gustav highlighted once again the vulnerabilities presented by our centralized energy systems.
Within the Gulf of Mexico, 98 percent of the oil and natural gas production facilities were shut down, ahead of the storm. More than 10 refineries were also closed, while numerous others were running at a reduced rate. Combined, this halted at least 18 percent of the U.S. capacity to turn crude oil into gasoline and other petroleum products.
...Renewable Energy’s Poor Cousin Getting Richer? International Geothermal Power Partnership Formed
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09. 4.08
Nesjavellir geothermal power plant in Iceland, photo: Wikipedia.
The summer has seen a good deal of new investment in geothermal power (so much in fact that a roundup of these new developments seemed in order) with both the US and Australian governments announcing that they would be investing more money into researching advanced geothermal energy technologies. Considering the vast, mostly untapped, potential of this renewable energy resource this investment certainly is warranted. So too is some collaboration with a nation which knows a thing or two about making the most of its geothermal power.
Three Nation Collaboration on Geothermal Power
Announced last week, the United States and Australia have entered into a partnership with Iceland to form the International Partnership for Geothermal Technology (IPGT). Under this agreement, the DOE will be working with Australia’s Ministry of Resources, Energy and Tourism and Iceland’s Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism to “identify and encourage research, development and deployment projects critical to widespread deployment of EGS (Enhanced Geothermal Systems) and deep drilling technologies, exchange best practices and support education and training programs." ...
Want A Better Way To Power Your Car? It's A Breeze
by Lester Brown, Washington, D.C on 09. 4.08
Legendary Texas oilman T. Boone Pickens is half right. We do need to harness this country's wind resources for a homegrown source of electricity, as he has been urging this summer in expensive television ads. And we do need to reduce the $700 billion we may soon be paying annually for imported oil. But part two of Pickens's plan--to move natural gas out of electricity production and use it to fuel cars instead--just doesn't make sense.
As I note in an article in Sunday’s Outlook section of the Washington Post, which we have posted on the Earth Policy Institute website, we should use wind-generated electricity directly to power cars.
...
Quote of the Day: Arrol Gellner on the Future of Cars and Planning
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 4.08
Source
Arrol Gellner is an architect and syndicated columnist writing about design and planning. He notes that our planning and design is now based on the needs of the automobile, but that things can (and probably will) change..
"...Cars in their present form are no more a permanent fixture of our built environment than were the oxcart, the chariot, or the horse and buggy. We happen to live in the historical apogee of the internal-combustion automobile, but even the smallest degree of historical perspective makes plain that it's merely a temporary visitor -- and an increasingly troublesome one -- on planet Earth." ::Boston.com
More on planning and cars in TreeHugger:
Eco-Towns: Three Models of Green Urban Planning
How to Build a Green, Car-free Community: Vauban
...
Edinburgh Scotland To Lift Ban On Energy Efficient Windows In Historic Buildings
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 09. 4.08
It's bad enough that people are casting a fluorescent pall with their CFLs. Historic building owners in Scotland may soon be able to install double-glazed windows. What is this world coming to, anyway? [joking] Climate change awareness and high energy bills are the logical answers. Rising fuel costs and environmental concerns have forced councillors to consider lifting a ban on double glazed windows in Edinburgh's most historic buildings. Hundreds of residents in and around the New Town are currently prevented from replacing their draughty old windows, because of fears that double glazing would change the appearance of their properties.A lot more changes to local zoning codes are coming, all around the world. The tipping point is still a long way off, following which most local units of government will do comprehensive reviews of zoning, relative to energy efficiency. But the day is coming. Via::The Scotsman,, City U-turn over double glazing ban in the frame Image credit::Carberry Tower...
U.S. House Speaker Pelosi Makes Historic Visit To Hiroshima
by greenz.jp, Tokyo, Japan on 09. 4.08
Speakers of Parliament, including U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, from G8 countries visited Hiroshima, Japan and laid flowers Tuesday at a memorial to the Hiroshima atomic bomb victims in 1945. It is difficult to discuss the horrific effects of the atomic bombs, including the environmental terror that they inflict, but Japanese victims of the attack are glad that the elected leaders paid respect to the site. Akihiro Takahashi, who has served as the chief of the museum in Hiroshima, said he wanted to know what the G8 speakers, particularly Pelosi, thought about his presentation:
"She is the number three person in line to press the nuclear button," he later told reporters. "For us atomic bombing victims, all nuclear weapons are evil. I really wanted to know how much they understood after seeing the museum and hearing my story," he said. More than 140,000 people were killed in the attack on Hiroshima, either instantly or in the days and weeks ahead from radiation or horrific burns.Morningstar - Dow Jones & Co: US House Speaker Pelosi Makes Historic Hiroshima Visit...
New Study: BPA May Make You Stupid and Depressed
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 4.08
cute african green monkeys
Coincidentally with the release of the National Toxicology Program report, a new study reports that researchers from the Yale School of Medicine and Guelph University exposed African Green monkeys on the Island of St. Kitts to low levels of Bisphenol A for a month. They found that even low doses of BPA slow down the synapses in the brain.
"It dramatically impairs the formation of synapses in the regions of the brain important to learning," biomedical science professor Neil MacLusky [of the University of Guelph] said. "These findings are worrisome because BPA is one of the most widely-used chemicals in the world." ::CTV
According to Medical News Today, This synaptic loss may cause memory/learning impairments and depression, according to study results published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
...
The Alternative Energy Comedy Show
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 09. 4.08
Final Report on Bisphenol A: It May Harm Kids
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 4.08
The chemical industry and skeptics jumped for joy and accused us of being scare-mongers a few weeks ago when the FDA said that BPA (Bisphenol A) was safe for babies, but now the final report from the Department of Health and Human Services' National Toxicology Program begs to differ.
"The possibility that BPA may affect human development cannot be dismissed,'' said John Bucher, associate director of the toxicology group, in a statement in Bloomberg. "We see developmental changes occurring in some animal studies at BPA exposure levels similar to those experienced by humans.'' ...
Biomimicry Course: Learn About The Amazing Potential of Design Inspired by Nature
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 09. 4.08
If you were excited by the incredible Sahara Forest Project proposal that we told you about earlier this week, then here is your chance to find out more. Schumacher College, situated in the beautiful countryside of south west England, is running a course in October called Biomimicry: New directions in sustainable design. The week long course is being led by four experts in the field of biomimicry, one of whom is Michael Pawlyn of Exploration Architecture, one third of the Sahara Forest Project team. ...
Survey: Do You Have a Libertarian Streak?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 4.08
There is nothing like a post on bicycle helmets to stir up a lot of comments, but I was surprised by the libertarian streak in the comments, where readers may not object to helmets but do object to seat belt and helmet laws, saying things like "maybe the debate over whether or not helmets help save lives is over, but the debate over whether or not adults should be forced to use them at the point of a gun (that's what all laws do) is another story entirely. An adult should never, under any circumstance, be forced by law to wear a helmet while on their own bicycle or motorcycle." and "I would fight tooth and nail against a law requiring helmets be worn while riding, but I would still think an adult riding in traffic without a helmet was bloody stupid."
...
Olympus Greens Packaging and Invites Global Warming Witnesses
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 09. 4.08
We might like to think that the shift to digital photography is less wasteful that the film medium from days of yore. And whilst there may be an element of truth in this assumption, the photoigraphic industry is still prone to issues of packaging waste. So it was pleasing the hear that Olympus Imaging America is setting out to reduce their impact in this regard.
Olympus America reckon they’ll eliminate 83 tons of plastic in a year, just by changing the format of the packaging for the audio products and xD-Picture Card packaging. In the later they’ll lose 80% of plastic currently employed, by moving to paperboard, which will be printed soy and vegetable inks. (The media release we received doesn’t indicate if that paperboard will have a recycled content or be Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified.)
...
ScanGauge II - Product Review
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 09. 4.08
We wrote about ScanGauge earlier this year, in the context of an offer of insurance rate reductions for those who install one to monitor motor vehicle mileage. Adam Stern over at TerraPass blog explains how the intersection of car-embedded PCs and changing driving habits can create an opportunity to get reduced insurance rates.Reader comments on the post were not all positive. I became curious about the human/machine interface and whether the "big brother is watching" concerns could be counterbalanced with real gains in efficiency. Challenged by the prospect of my offer to test whether a teen driver would change driving habits in response to instant numeric feedback, Adam offered to lend me a ScanGauge. Here's my review:...
Finger in the Dike - 2 Billion a Year to Protect the Netherlands
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 09. 4.08
Historical flood levels for village of Wieringerwerf
To protect itself from rising water levels, brought on by climate change, the Netherlands may need to spend almost 2 billion euros ($2.9 billion USD) annually for the extending and fortifying its system of dikes. Such are the findings of the Delta commission which was established after the 1953 floods that killed close to 2,000 people and flooded over 150,000 hectares of land.
The Netherlands translates as the ‘low countries’ reflecting that two thirds of the nation is at, or below, sea level. Which is kind of a hassle when sea levels are projected to rise 1.3 metres (4 ft +) this century. (Although some now believe 4 metres (13ft) is possible.) And especially so when, as Reuters reports, the area likely to be flooded by rising sea levels provides about 65% of the Dutch national income (or 1.8 trillion euros) and is home to 9 million people....
Etsy Handmade Kids Challenge
by Bonnie Alter, London on 09. 4.08
Etsy is holding a contest to pick web readers' favourite choices of handmade children's items in seven different categories: furniture, toys, eco-friendly, art, home decor, clothes and accessories. All are made for children by independent designers. Etsy is that wonderful website that features all things handmade to buy and sell by artists and artisans. Everyone can vote for their favourite items and win a chance to go on an Etsy shopping spree--now that's a fun prize.
Yours truly is the judge for the eco-friendly category (no hints on my choice). And what a delightful selection there is. We have already written about Sam, the mischievous stuffed toy for little boys. A big fat lion made out of vintage fabrics will be a jungle friend for your little one. With autumn coming all too soon, there is a sweet selection of hats for the girls. The forest green hat out of felted wool with a flower stitched on is a real cutie. As is the hairband made with eco-spun felt and a vintage button. But keep an eye out for the other categories too: a vintage chair with a handwoven seat and a charming little rocking chair with painted flowers. Vote before September 8, 2008. :: Etsy
More on Etsy
:: Etsy Debuts Handmade Challenge
:: Etsy Gets Trashioned
:: How to Green Your Baby...
HP Bags Wal-Mart's Reduced Packaging Award With Laptop In A Bag
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 09. 4.08
It's at least a bit ironic that Wal-Mart drove HP to come up with some seemingly significant packaging reductions for its Pavilion dv6929. After all, Wal-Mart IS still the place where you can leave the store with a 1-to-1 plastic bag-to-purchase ratio.
Consumer packaging reduction of 97 percent
Still, reduced packaging is a beloved theme here at TreeHugger, and both HP and Wal-Mart deserve a little respect. Wal-Mart offered the Home Entertainment Design Challenge - HP responded by cutting conventional packaging on the dv6929 an unbelievable 97 percent. Gone are the styrofoam inserts and enveloping cardboard. What's left are couple of plastic bags as the throwaway items, and the computer itself nestled in a reusable bag from 100 percent recycled fabric. Perhaps even cooler is the fact that HP can put three of the computers in one shipping box, which translates to a lot fewer pallets and fewer truck miles - HP says the supply chain packaging reduction is 65 percent due to the fact that it uses so-called SmartWay transport (photo of the laptops in their shipping box after the jump)....
London Design Festival 2008 Green Events Round-Up
by Petz Scholtus, Barcelona, Spain on 09. 4.08
image: [re]design workshop LDF 2007
A year has passed since the 2007 London Design Festival and we are getting ready for this year’s creative events, imaginative exhibitions and installations taking place between September 13th to the 23rd across London. To make sure you don’t miss out on any green events, here a basic round-up guide with all the sustainability related events at London Design festival 2008. ...
A Flotilla of Artists Sail down the Hudson River-Swoon and her Switchback Seas
by Bonnie Hulkower, New York, New York on 09. 3.08
photo by Angela Coppola
You know that summer is over in New York City when the gallery openings kick up speed. Thursday evenings, Chelsea streets become cluttered again with wine sipping gallery hopping enthusiasts. One of these art openings in particular caught my eye. “Swoon and Swimming Cities of Switchback Sea” will open this Sunday, September 7th, at Deitch’s Studio in Long Island City, Queens.
I’ve always been a fan of Swoon’s street art. What is striking about the Swimming Cities exhibit is that the artwork in question is actually a fleet of seven performance art rafts decorated and bound together with found urban decayed materials collected by Swoon and her crew. The boats have been making a three week journey down the Hudson River from Troy to Manhattan, sailing around the tip of New York City to finally dock in Long Island City this weekend. On Tuesday, I noticed on the website that the fleet was temporarily docked and performing at 70th Street and the East River, so I went to check them out....
We're Filling the Empire State Building (4 times) with 8 Billion Hangers Each Year
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 09. 3.08
Image source: Getty Images
Yep, thats right. 8 Billion. Each. Year. According to Green Progress, over 8-10 billion plastic and wire hangers are sold each year, with only 15% ever being recycled. While clothes hangers, both metal and plastic are pretty small, 8 billion each year begins to add up. Fortunately, there are alternatives to hangers and plenty of ways to reuse them and keep them out of landfills.
Why aren't they easily recycled? Well most plastic hangers are made from Polystyrene [6] and Polycarbonate [7], but they can also come from 5 other types of plastic. When these hangers all get rolling on a conveyer belt, its hard to separate them out because they tend to smash into pieces - gumming up the works, and then its really hard to identify them by their plastic. Wire hangers just turn into a giant rats nest, so most municipalities ban them. What a mess!...
Another Endangered Species Gets Shafted
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 09. 3.08
Image from mape_s
Remember: Just because you claim to be upholding the mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (presumably to preserve and manage said "fish and wildlife") doesn't mean you actually have to follow through with it -- at least if you're the Bush administration. In another sad, but predictable, turn of events, the federal agency tasked with protecting our wildlife has decided to cut by nearly half the habitat for the endangered peninsular bighorn sheep, as the LAT's Leslie Carson reports.
And, as befits an administration totally bent on secrecy and obfuscation, it has tentatively set the end of September as the deadline for approving the (probably) hastily drawn plan. Not surprisingly, it looks as though a few special interest groups, including some mining and tribal organizations, might have had some say in the decision. The bighorn had finally begun to show signs of recovery after 10 years of protection, say scientists....
Real Simple's Top Compact Fluorescent Bulbs
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09. 3.08
We all know that compact fluorescent bulbs will save you money and energy, but they continue to get a bad rap for the unflattering light they throw—despite the leaps and bounds the CFL industry has made in quality. Here to the rescue are the editors of Real Simple, who tested 30 of the spiral-shape bulbs to bring you the creme de la creme.
Click below the fold for four of the magazine's picks.
...
Recycled Typewriter Creatures by Jeremy Mayer
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09. 3.08
Photo credit: Jeremy Meyer
Tahoe City, Calif.-based artist Jeremy Mayer's mechanical, steampunk-esque creatures are the subject of Wired.com's latest slide show. Assembled from vintage typewriter parts without welding, soldering, or gluing, his recycled sculptures range from lithe, 18-inch-long mecha-crickets to seven-foot-tall aluminum skeletons that weigh between 60 to 100 pounds.
A full-size human figure takes Mayer around 40 typewriters and 1,000 hours to piece together. "That's how the typewriter was made in the first place," Mayer tells Wired.com. "The shape resembles the human body and forms of nature."...
100% Recyclable Refuge: The reCover Disaster Relief Shelter
by Kimberley D. Mok, Montreal, Canada on 09. 3.08
Image: Matthew Malone
With the devastating myriad of natural disasters now becoming more and more commonplace, is it possible to design a more effective relief response that won’t echo the shamefully negligent FEMA trailer fiasco? Though it looks a little flimsy and a little too much like a second-year design studio project, designers Matthew Malone, Amanda Goldberg, Jennifer Metcalf and Grant Meacham most probably had good intentions in mind when they came up with the intriguing, accordion-shaped reCover Shelter, which they claim can hold a family of four for up to a month and can be set up in a matter of minutes. Made of polypropylene (the same translucent, semi-rigid material as the tops of Tic-Tac containers), it means that there are no harmful leaching or out-gassing, and is completely recyclable – a nice touch. ...
Tree Free School Notebooks a Stylish Back-to-School Buy
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 09. 3.08
With kids across America heading back to school there’s no better time to take a look at a unique line of notebooks that just may make a difference while helping them realize the importance of considering their paper usage on a daily basis as The Banana Paper Company has put out these spiral notebooks with the eco-conscious child in mind....
A Greener London, Rich and Creamy Polenta and How to Find Biodiesel
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 09. 3.08
:: Hop the pond to a greener London with help from our Green City Guide series.
:: Jump-start your vegetarian diet with Emeril's mouthwatering recipe for Creamy Polenta.
:: Have you converted your car to biodiesel? Here's where to find the fuel....
Me to We Tees Promote International Development
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 09. 3.08
Image source: Me to We
There are lots of eco-tees out there today, we'll admit it. The tees designed by Me to We clothing have improved on the design of most eco-tees in that they fit better because they are cut longer and larger than your standard organic tee. They fit a little lower on the waistline so you don't have to worry about sporting a muffin-top while trying to wear your conscience on your sleeve. The tees are all manufactured in Canada, sweat-shop free, and made with organic cotton, bamboo and recycled polyester. The designs are simple, with eco-messages, but still trendy.
Right now if you buy 3, you get one free. You can also find scarves, pants, hoodies, polos and long-sleeve tees, though by far the tshirts have the greatest variety of designs. Most of the tees have simple slogans like "Be the Change" or a cute tree tee with a needle and thread on the back of the shirt. ...
Wheat Straw Paper, 5 Things to do With Herbs and France's TV Ban
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 09. 3.08
:: Eco-Libris asks, can wheat straw replace trees as a source of paper?
:: Eat Drink Better suggests five tasty things to do with your homegrown herbs.
:: France bans TV-watching for children under three years old.
:: A website helps Portland, Oregon residents find green apartment rentals.
:: Ford Motors mixes their EcoBoost technology with ethanol to achieve better fuel efficiency.
Most Huggable is a regular roundup of some of Hugg's top green news stories. Why not submit your own green news?...
Uncovering Energy Elephants in the Room? Hydrogen, Nuclear, Clean Coal
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09. 3.08
Coal train photo: Mike Quick
Here’s one which has already elicited some heated discussion over at Renewable Energy World which is really worth considering, even if we all won’t agree on some of the points the author makes. Thomas Blakeslee believes that some severe groupthink has hobbled honest discussions about the viability of some US Department of Energy projects, asserting that “more than half of our US$ 4 billion DOE science budget is being spent to keep alive failed programs.”
Many of these are projects which grace the TreeHugger archive—sometimes in support of them, often times not—but, in Blakeslee’s words, why are they so bad?
...
Trends in Office Design: The Open Office, 1923
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 3.08
Greg at Workalicious notes that back in the day they had "open office, team building, things have come so far, and yet not at all..!"
I think there are other features worth noting as well:
- the worker bees get the windows
- the ceiling is high to let light and air penetrate more deeply
- there is no suspended ceiling to capture dust, no hidden spaces
- there is no carpet to capture dust
- there are clerestory windows to allow second hand light into interior spaces
- they are packed in tight, using fewer resources per person.
Fungus in Invasive Insect's Gut Could Lead to Better Biofuel Production
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09. 3.08
photo: Wikipedia
Most of the time I try to post on practical aspects of renewable energy. While it may be changes in policy or a new project, both are still practical. Unless a new piece of research has such a radical potential to change the playing field, or is at least at the demonstration stage, I don’t always write about it. For this one though, I’m breaking pattern. This one’s a long, long way from commercialization, but it’s really pretty interesting.
Unique Strain of Fungus Lives Aids in Breaking Down Wood
Researchers at Penn State University believe that a type of fungus in the Asian longhorned beetle—an invasive species in the United States which threatens many species of hardwood trees— which can break down wood may one day be used in the production of cellulosic biofuels.
...
Biking Across America with WE ADD UP - Day 29: Moonscapes
by Carson Poe and Eric Plosky, Boston, MA on 09. 3.08
Jargon Watch: Hyperlocalized Agriculture
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 3.08
We often talk about local food being good for our health and our farmers; John Robb of Global Guerrillas, a site that normally talks about war and defense, gives a good reason why really local farming, i.e. right in cities and suburbs, is important: national security.
"Our collective food supply is one of the most centralized, and vulnerable, systems on our (now mostly urban) planet. Not only is the production accomplished by a tiny minority of the population (less than 3% in the US) and reliant on a small number of generic crops (particularly corn), the resources necessary to produce it -- from arable land to energy to water -- are in short supply. This implies that the following factors will cause a shift from centralized to decentralized local farming:...
Eat Non-US Grown Hemp for Better Health
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 09. 3.08
Image source: Manitoba Harvest
While the US is still the only developed nation where growing hemp is illegal, you can buy products manufactured with hemp here and this week I tried out some products by Manitoba Harvest, based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. I also served them up to my family for the official taste test - below are the results as well as a few 'recipe' ideas.
Hemp is a great source of complete proteins for vegetarians and non-vegetarians, as well as offers Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids. Its grown with no pesticides and can be used for clothing, soaps, food, rope, shoes, wallets, you name it. In case you're wondering, Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods were recently analyzed by the US military, as were many other hemp foods and cosmetics, and found to not contain any amount of Tetra Hydrocannabinol(THC). The findings were published in the July/August 2008 issue of Journal of Analytical Toxicology....
“Massive and Disturbing” Ice Shelf Changes on Ellesmere Island: 83 Square Miles Lost This Summer
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09. 3.08
image: BBC/D Mueller/Trent University
The past two weeks have not been good for the Arctic and climate change: First, scientists discover that permafrost holds more greenhouse gases than we thought; Second, sea ice melt-off is at its second greatest amount ever and could set a new record by summer’s end; Third, new research confirms that the past decade has indeed been the warmest since the Romans occupied Britain, and the trend is for more warming. Cheery stuff.
Ice Loss 10 Times What Was Predicted
Here’s another reason to believe we must redouble our efforts to reduce global carbon emissions to slow global warming: Derek Mueller, an Arctic idea shelf specialist at Trent University in Ontario has told Reuters that 83 square miles of ice shelf, an area more than three times the size of the island of Manhattan, has been lost from Ellesmere Island this summer. This is 10 times the amount which scientists had predicted would be lost as recently as July 30. ...
One Hour Design Challenge: Reinvent the Backpack
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 3.08
Industrial design site Core77 runs incredible contests where designers are supposed to spend no more than an hour coming up with responses to a challenge; in this case it was to reinvent the backpack. Whenever they do these things I can never believe a) that they actually do it in a hour, and b) how talented the designers are.
I don't find Guntar's winning entry, shown above, to be that interesting, it appears to be a backpack version of a garment bag. The judges thought "This was not only a great concept, but a great presentation as well. We like how the functionality was well thought out, considering the needs of the everyday student. The fabric swatches were a great touch--it gave us a lot of ideas on how else the bag could look and feel. Critique: We'd like to know how long this really took him..." [Ouch!]
...
From the Forums: Winter is Coming
by Alan Graham, Portland, Oregon on 09. 3.08
Winter is coming and already the predictions are that we're about to face a long harsh one. This past winter in Portland (my first) I'm told was unseasonably long. It was pretty brutal, both cold and wet.
We're discussing preparation for the upcoming winter in the forums.
mikebeavis:
I'm helping my friends upgrade their paltry attic insulation (probably was about R-8 or so) by installing rolls of R-30 overtop the existing insulation. I doubt I'll get him to go any further than that (lobbying for another layer of R-19 over that), but he should have 3-4 times as much attic insulation in the end as when we started, even if we just do the one layer. I'm hoping he needs 1 less tank of heating oil this winter than he did last winterJoin the discussion and let's help each other get ready for what will be a serious financial burden for us all this year....
68 Gigawatts of Offshore Wind Power in North Sea = No More Nuclear or Coal: Greenpeace
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09. 3.08
photo: m.prinke
Norway may be planning on becoming Europe's battery, but based on what Reuters is saying about a new proposal from Greenpeace it won’t just be Norway which supplies Europe with electricity, it will be the North Sea. The head of renewable energy for the European Commission, Hans Van Steen, has called the proposal “ambitious but realistic”.
...
Quote of the Day: Tom Friedman on ET
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 3.08
Tom Friedman on what he thinks should be one of the central issues in this election: who has the better plan to promote massive innovation around clean power technologies and energy efficiency.
"Why? Because renewable energy technologies — what I call “E.T.” — are going to constitute the next great global industry. They will rival and probably surpass “I.T.” — information technology. The country that spawns the most E.T. companies will enjoy more economic power, strategic advantage and rising standards of living. We need to make sure that is America. Big oil and OPEC want to make sure it is not." ::New York Times
More Quotable Quotes from Tom Friedman in TreeHugger:
Quote of the Day: Tom Friedman on the Politics of Energy : TreeHugger
Quote of the Day : Thomas Friedman on Indian Transportation ......
Trends in Office Design: The Natural Look by Sarah Palin
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 3.08
Sarah Palin's office in Anchorage. Love the sofa, not certain about the Alaska king crab on the table. ::New York Times...
East Coast Women Love to Eat Mercury
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 09. 3.08
Image source: Getty Images
Apparently where you live and how much you make DOES influence how much mercury women contain in their systems. If you're in the Northeast, look out, because you are among the highest in the nation with one in five women of child-bearing age having enough metal in their blood to affect their fetus. Women in the Midwest fared the best with only 3% showing dangerous levels of mercury in their blood.
Location has a lot to do with incidence, the study shows, as the closer you are to a coastline the more likely you are to eat fish, which is an easy source of mercury. 16% of coastal women exceed the "safety limit" while only 6% of inland ladies did. In addition, women who make more tend to also have elevated levels of mercury in their system, most likely because they are able to afford higher-grade fish like swordfish or high-grade tuna which tend to be more contaminated....
5 Ways Geothermal Power is Heating Up Around the World
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09. 3.08
photo: Calpine
Last week when the US Geothermal Energy Association released it’s biannual report which stated that geothermal power had grown by 20% so far this year , it cemented what TreeHugger said over a year ago: Geothermal power is the poor cousin of higher profile renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power. It doesn’t seem to be a question of geothermal’s potential (which is great) but its amount of publicity (which isn’t so great). Towards that end, here’s a roundup of what’s heating up in geothermal power around the world:
...
Raising Energy Efficiency In A New Materials Economy - Part II
by Lester Brown, Washington, D.C on 09. 3.08
Last week in this column, I talked about several ways for raising energy efficiency mainly through recycling. Raising the energy efficiency of the materials we use commensurately cuts carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. (You may want to see our overall plan to cut carbon emissions 80 percent by 2020, Time for Plan B, summarized from Plan B 3.0.)
Today I'd like to go into another kind of recycling, one that starts with a product's design so that it can be easily disassembled into its component parts for reuse or recycling.
Germany and, more recently, Japan are requiring that products such as automobiles, household appliances, and office equipment be designed for easy disassembly and recycling. In May 1998, the Japanese Diet enacted a tough appliance recycling law, one that prohibits discarding household appliances, such as washing machines, TV sets, or air conditioners. With consumers bearing the cost of disassembling appliances in the form of a disposal fee to recycling firms, which can come to $60 for a refrigerator or $35 for a washing machine, the pressure to design appliances so they can be more easily and cheaply disassembled is strong....
Tata Nano Factory Construction Suspended Indefinitely Due to Protests
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09. 3.08
image based on photo by arulnathan
We’ve covered the Tata Nano a number of times, and have featured coverage of the ongoing protests about the West Bengal factory location from the beginning. You may have missed it, but those protests have come to a head in the past 24 hours. The BBC reports that construction on the factory has been “suspended indefinitely”. ...
Bush Creating Huge Wildlife Sanctuary, Friedman on McCain
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 3.08
The New York Times gets all fair and balanced today, praising President Bush for his environmental actions in the Pacific Ocean while Tom Friedman lets loose on McCain and Palin.
Mr. Bush’s Blue Legacy :"President Bush is considering setting aside three vast, remote corners of the Pacific Ocean for protection, an area larger than Alaska and Texas combined. In a memo last month, Mr. Bush directed his administration to develop a plan for creating sanctuaries in the waters around the Northern Mariana Islands, including the Mariana Trench, the world’s deepest; Rose Atoll in American Samoa; and parts of a long, sprawling collection of reefs and atolls known as the Line Islands." ::Editorial in New York Times
Previously on TreeHugger: Hawaiian Archipelago - A Step in the Right Direction for Mr. Bush ...
Tom Friedman: And Then There Was One "With his choice of Sarah Palin — the Alaska governor who has advocated drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and does not believe mankind is playing any role in climate change — for vice president, John McCain has completed his makeover from the greenest Republican to run for president to just another representative of big oil." ::New York Times
More Tom Friedman in TreeHugger:
Quote of the Day: Tom Friedman on the Politics of Energy
Thomas L. Friedman on "Our Green Bubble"...
10 Ways Beijing (and Other Cities) Can Keep Its Skies Blue and Roads Gridlock-Free
by Alex Pasternack, New York, NY on 09. 3.08
Flickr:autorun@flickr
Thanks to an unprecedented set of restrictions on cars and factories for the Olympics and this month's Paralympic Games, the skies over Beijing have been cleaner than ever. Used to massaging pollution data and calling gray skies blue, officials now seem as surprised as anyone at the post-Olympic air. A rare cameo by a naked sun in recent days even earned a headline on the state-run Xinhua website.
But the weather isn't even the most popular topic of conversation. The bigger issue for many, and the question that's been biting at everyone for years: how will Beijing stay beautiful after the Olympic period is over? ...
Turntable House from Maisons Labbé
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 3.08
Rotating houses are not a new idea, and have some real advantages; they can follow the sun to maximize passive solar heating in cool weather and shading in warm; solar panels can track the sun along with the house and generate power and heat more efficiently. It doesn't take much power to move a house that slowly. In Nice, France, Frederic Plazar has designed a series of turntable houses ranging from 80m2 (861 SF) to 140m2 (1506 SF). The Maisons Labbé website calls it a "Bioclimactic house", that uses 60% less energy than a conventional house....
Backyard Aquaponics: Issue 2 Now Available
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 09. 3.08
Online Aquaponics Magazine Gets a Makeover
As I’ve noted before, ‘aquaponics’ – the art of combining hydroponics and aquaculture – attracts a passionate and devoted crowd. And it’s no wonder. The prospect of raising high-quality protein efficiently while also producing fresh, nutritious vegetables is a tantalizing one, especially in these days of rising food prices and diminishing natural resources. Yet while some, like the The Urban Aquaculture Centre in Milwaukee, are pursuing large-scale aquaponics, there is still a strong DIY feel to the ‘scene’. When I interviewed Brian Naess of Snowcamp Aquaponics, he heaped praise on the fledgling magazine that we had featured before, Backyard Aquaponics. I’m sure then that Brian, and similar fish freaks from around the world, will be delighted to hear that issue 2 of Backyard Aquaponics is now available, and issue 3 should not be too far off either. Editor Joel Malcolm emailed to let me know that they’ve been working with a professional magazine designer (and aquaponics enthusiast) to clean up the look of the magazine, and have even redone issue 1 in the process. Read on for a table of contents:...
The Bicycle Helmet Debate is Over. Really.
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 3.08
guys in helmets
Whenever we do a post about bike helmets, we get a controversy in comments that often includes statements like "Nowhere that has introduced a helmet law or considerable helmet promotion has been able to demonstrate any reduction in risk to cyclists."
Well, now they have. A new study released in the Journal of Pediatrics looked at the death rate in Ontario, Canada for kids on bikes before and after the mandatory helmet law was passed in 1995 and found that it cut the death rate in half.
"If you just look at that, then the average of deaths pre-[legislation] and average number of deaths post-[legislation], there is a significant reduction. ... And it turns out it's a 52-per-cent reduction," said Patricia Parkin, senior author of the study and director of the Paediatric Outcomes Research Team at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children....
Japan Testing Offshore Eco-Rigs: Coping With A Radically Changed Future
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 09. 3.08
SciFi Was Never This Green And Sustainability Focused
Fantasy can bring delight. Desperation triggers magical thinking. When the two come together it can get interesting. Planetary engineering ideas like injecting sulfur oxides into the upper atmosphere, for example, sound too Jules Vern-ish to be taken at face value, even by the man who conceived of Gaia. (As James Lovelock points out in Kimberly's recent post, manipulating planetary feed back loops calls for a long-term relationship unlikely to be affordable.)
Every once in awhile, though, magical designs become, or at least reshape, our idea of what is practical. We hope the Japanese are right about the utility of "Eco-Rigs."
What kind of dream might let the island nation of Japan adapt to the combination of Peak Oil, seismically threatened nuclear plants, Climate Change, and plunging fish stocks? Japan is moving to the prototype stage of deploying it's first "Eco-Rig" to see if one grand design would do it all. The project, which could result in village-sized platforms peppering the Japanese coastline within a decade, reflects a growing panic in the country over how it will meet its future resource needs.Via::The Times Online, Massive floating generators, or 'eco-rigs', to provide power and food to Japan...
Survey: Have You Ever Spent Time on a Farm?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 3.08
Our Japanese correspondents tell of a new project "to help volunteers who want to work on work on a farm and get out of Japan's busy cities for a day. The project has been successful so far with lots of people experiencing rice planting, vegetable gardening and animal husbandry for the first time."
It is an interesting idea; in America only 2% of the population still farms, only 10% live in what are classed as rural areas. We talk about the importance of food so much here at TreeHugger, but how many of us have ever been to where it comes from?
...
Soil Association Organic Winners
by Bonnie Alter, London on 09. 3.08
It's the academy awards of the organic industry in the UK: the Soil Association Organic Food Awards and the winners are an impressive group of businesses which meet the highest ethical and environmental standards in their foods and products. As always they are an eclectic mix of people who came to the organic movement from different routes but are all committed to delicious and healthy food.
Judges Bakery, owned by the former owners of Green & Black chocolate, won for the best macaroon. Hobbs House Bakery won for their Wild White bread. Hobbs House is a family business, with members of three generations still currently working there. Claybrooke Mill, the only commercially working water mill in Leicestershire, still milling most days using water power, won for their muesli. Ben’s Hens was set up on Summerhill Farm in Devon last October and won for best eggs. The flock of 200 Black Rock Hens (pictured) are truly free range and spend most of their time outdoors. They also won for best pea and mint soup.
...
"Reduce Stress" By Helping Out On A Farm
by greenz.jp, Tokyo, Japan on 09. 3.08
Nora Shigoto is a new project to help volunteers who want to work on a farm and get out of Japan's busy cities for a day. The project has been sucessful so far with lots of people experiencing rice planting, vegetable gardening and animal husbandry for the first time. Many kids get a chance to get their shiny new boots all muddy and learning new games as well.
The project is waxing lyrical about how farm work can "reduce stress" and help young ladies get "smooth skin" - - "even better than going to a beauty salon!" If you are tired from sitting by the PC all week, "feel refreshed" after a day at a farm! Be that as it may, for most beginners, farming is pretty hard work and you should not expect it to be a picnic (although most farmers will invite everyone to join in a healthy dinner by the end of the day)....
Russian River Wine Fests Become Water Teetotalers
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 09. 2.08
Image source: Russian River Wine Road
How many plastic water bottles would you think are disposed of at wine festivals? Couple thousand? (Event that seems like a ton of plastic for just one event). Well, three events - the Winter Wineland, Barrel Tasting, and A Wine and Food Affair - (incorporating almost 150 wineries in the Russian River in California) accumulate over 100,000 plastic water bottles and over 80,000 paper invites. Yuck! Well, starting with A Wine and Food Affair this November, that number will be reduced to zero!
How are they getting rid of the plastic bottles you may ask? Well, each attendee will be given a refillable wine glass as part of their admission and there will be large, refillable containers with water throughout the event for all guests. Each of these large jugs will be returned to Calistoga water at the end of the event to be reused at future events....
The Greener Perspective Green Gift Baskets
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 09. 2.08
Image source: Greener Perspective
Wedding season. Holiday season. Birthdays. Baby Showers. You name it, at some point you are going to have to (or want to) give someone a gift, but it sure seems hard to give an eco-friendly gift without it also looking like a fifth-grade arts and crafts project. Not to worry, The Greener Perspective has launched a new line of gift bags that are eco-friendly inside and out.
Currently only 4 options (Green Essentials, Intro to Green, Green Your Kitchen, Green Mom + Eco Baby) are available, but more are on the way. Gifts range in price from $40USD to $115USD and can be used for housewarming, new baby or helping someone get started greening their life. The outside bag is a reusable cloth bag, and it is filled with specially selected eco-gifts, like bamboo cutting boards, biodegradable soaps or non-toxic cleaning products. If you have a 'gift' in mind, you can also customize a bag by contacting Greener Perspective and can find more resources on green and Philly in their "Community" section....
Burning Man: Is There Anything Green About It?
by Stephen Brooks, Punta Mona, Costa Rica on 09. 2.08
A Waste of Creative Juices: 100% Electric Mobile Billboards
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 09. 2.08
Image source: Go Green Mobile Advertising
Maybe we'll call this an "Almost"-Treehugger. While it is a "creative" use of electric automobiles, but we're sure that adding one more car on the road, especially just to advertise, is the best use of resources. For those stuck in traffic, this is just a waste of space.
Titled the Go Green Billboard, the mobile signs are mounted on 100% electric, no-emissions trucks, and decked out with the logo or advertisement of your company. There are several vehicles and several size banners that you can choose from, as well as you can map your own route. Lighted signs will also be available in the future to add onto your package. While yes the car/truck is 100% electric and thus non-emitting, the electricity is generated somewhere (usually from coal). Removing mountaintops just to drive around mobile advertising? Not exactly going green....
Australia's Drought Worsens
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 09. 2.08
Image source: Getty Images
Reuters reported this morning that the worst drought in 117 years, which has been ongoing for the last ten years in the Murray-Darling river area, is not expected to let up anytime soon, scientists warn. This affects not only farmers but the global food market as well as Australia's economy, as farmers have been hanging on for years and now find out that they should continue to prepare for the worst.
The recent rainfall in July helped boost wheat production and get over the lows of the last two years, but will still leave most fruit in serious trouble. In addition "80% of eucalyptus trees [are] already dead or stressed in a region as large as France and Germany combined." Water levels are at their lowest since 1900 and scientists see no change anytime soon....
Swimming Pool Eco-Maintenance, Toxin-Free Teeth Whitener and DIY iPod Sock Cozies
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 09. 2.08
Make sure your swimming pool is as green as it can be.
Whiten your teeth without all the potentially harmful side effects.
Create a cute sock cozy for your iPod....
Examining the Environmental Policies of the Tigh/Roslin Campaign
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 2.08
TreeHugger is presenting the environmental policies of the various candidates for President and today analyses the Saul Tigh/Laura Roslin campaign. The Toaster Team is in Minnesota this week, crashing the Republican convention, and frankly, it is appropriate that they are there as the policies are so similar.
Laura Roslin has such an attractive story, having won Miss Congeniality and Most Likely to Airlock a Cylon while a contestant in the Miss Caprica City Pageant. However her energy policies are a bit harsh, along the lines "Fracking Blast Here, Fracking Blast Now!
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Natural Clay Ganesh Idols Encouraged to Reduce Pollution on Hindu Holiday
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09. 2.08
Biking Across America with WE ADD UP - Day 28: Mountain Pass
by Carson Poe and Eric Plosky, Boston, MA on 09. 2.08
More Proof of the Effects of Global Warming? Past 10 Years Were Hotter Than Previous 1,300 in Northern Hemisphere
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09. 2.08
photo: Eric via flickr
When I wrote last week about how at least one scientist believes we are witnessing the "death spiral" of Arctic sea ice, even though this year’s summer melt-off may not surpass the record set in 2007, a number of commenters seized upon that to jump to the conclusion that perhaps things aren’t so bad as we thought. It even brought out of a couple of genuine climate change deniers. Just in case anyone was wondering, the trend in the Northern Hemisphere is solidly towards more warming:
According to a new study by researchers at Penn States’ Earth System Science Center, and published in the online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, “surface temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere were warmer over the last 10 years than any time during the last 1300 years” (ENS).
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Savvy Vegetarian Hosts Carnival of the Green
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 09. 2.08
This week is Carnival of the Green # 143 and it's being hosted by Savvy Vegetarian, a blog that supports a vegetarian diet, healthy eating and sustainable living for a green planet. 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!...
Incredible Sahara Forest Project to Generate Fresh Water, Solar Power and Crops in African Desert
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 09. 2.08
Can you imagine being able to produce enough water in the Sahara to grow crops there? Can you imagine harnessing sufficient quantities of solar power to supply electricity to cities in Africa and cities in Europe? Can you imagine producing a sustainable bio-fuel that doesn’t impact on world food supplies? Charlie Paton, Michael Pawlyn and Bill Watts can and what’s more they can imagine all these happening in the same place at the same time.
This week this trio of visionaries launched the Sahara Forest Project: their proposal to combine two innovative technologies, Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) and Seawater Greenhouses, to produce renewable energy, water and food in an area of desert known to be one of the hottest places on earth....
Why Won't Congress Just Extend Renewable Energy Tax Credits for 10 Years, Already?
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09. 2.08
photo: slimmer_jimmer via flickr
I’ve written a number of times on how tax credits for renewable energy development in the United States have been stalled in the Senate for a while, and without these a number of large renewable energy projects’ futures are in question—the Pickens Plan, as well as 800 megawatts of solar power contracted by PG&E are both contingent on the renewal of these incentives. Well, a new piece in Yale Environment 360 by Denis Hayes (president of the Bullitt Foundation, among other things...) does a good job of detailing what sort of political shenanigans have gotten us to this point and why the current impasse needs to be cleared.
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Green Eyes On: The Return of the Cottage Crafts
by Sara Snow on 09. 2.08
A handmade pony tale holder and rag doll made of recycled fabric, available on Etsy.
There's a new trend that, quite frankly, has me excited. A growing number of people (women in particular, but by no means is this a femme-exclusive category) are making a return to cottage crafts. A fantastic resource serving these crafters is Etsy, a website designed for "all things handmade." From Cross-Stitching to Quilting, to Handmade Pillow Covers When I was a child my mom thought it was important for each of us to learn as many home-skills as possible. Some of these skills appealed to me more than others. For example, I was particularly into cross-stitching for a few years, which later translated into mending and sewing. I once cut, pieced and quilted a full queen-sized quilt. I made the flower girl dress for my wedding. I’ve stitched countless pillow covers for my home and for friends. And I even partially supported myself though college by working in the theater department’s costume shop, building and mending Shakespearian gowns and tunics. ...
The Thirst Pavilion: Using Innovative Architecture and Solutions To Combat Global Water Issues
by Petz Scholtus, Barcelona, Spain on 09. 2.08
At Expo Zaragoza in Spain, the International Expo about "Water and Sustainable Development" that opened in June and attracted over 70.000 visitors last saturday, one of the best exhibits was the Pavilion THIRST. With strong images and simple graphics, this Pavilion first explained who in the world has thirst, concluding that "Everything is thirsty." But rather than dwelling on the problems, this pavilion showed some innovative design solutions used all over the world to improve how humans our dealing with water issues, whether they be health- or drought-related. More about the architecture and images of the pavilion after the jump....
Cool The Earth Competition Solicits Entries
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 09. 2.08
It is as easy as clicking on the link and completing an application form with your great idea for curing global warming and cooling the earth. The prizes include 50,000 yen (about US$460) in each of four categories: ideas either for business or for policy which can be submitted either under the domestic or the overseas division. (Domestic entries must be in Japanese; residents of Japan are eligible to submit in the overseas division in English). A Grand Prize winner will be selected from the four category winners, and will receive 300,000 yen (US$2760).
The competition is looking for really innovative ideas, not merely extensions of existing businesses. The best ideas will be shared in an internet community and pilot projects will be implemented in Japan to test the viability. ...
India’s First Demonstration-Scale Cellulosic Ethanol Biorefinery Set to Open
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09. 2.08
photo: GSML
Though there aren’t exactly many commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plants operating in the world—the first in the US recently received approval to be built though has yet to come online—demonstration-scale projects are popping up with greater frequency. The latest such project to come onto the radar is one being built in the Indian state of Karnataka.
Developed by Godavari Sugar Mills Ltd in Sameerwadi, Karnataka, the biorefinery will use sugarcane bagasse (the fiber which is left over after the juice has been pressed out) to produce ethanol. The project, which is being undertaken in cooperation with the National Chemical Laboratory, a lab associated with the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, hopes to be able to process about 5,000 tonnes of raw material within four years. ...
George Monbiot Is a "Fructivist"
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 2.08
A lot of people have called George Monbiot a lot worse, but he calls himself a fructivist, which is not defined in any online dictionaries, but appears to derive from the latin fructificare or fructus, meaning fruit. He calls himself obsessed with fruit and grows his own. He says:
"Almost all the fruit sold here now seems to taste the same: either rock-hard and dry, or wet and bland. A mango may be ambrosia in India; it tastes like soggy toilet paper in the UK. And the variety of native fruits on sale is smaller than it has been for 200 years."
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California Becoming Green Chemistry Leader With EU-Style Regulation
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 09. 2.08
California is working on a systematic solution to the problem of hazardous materials in consumer products. The deal would allow state oversight of chemicals in California. Here's a good example of why new legislative authority is needed. According to the Sacramento Bee, Maureen Gorsen, director of the Calif. Department of Toxic Substances Control said:
"We have lunchboxes that contain lead. When you throw them out, we can treat them as hazardous waste. But a kid could eat out of it every day … and there's not much we can do about it right now."The proposed measure has "green chemistry" as a backdrop; with a 2011 deadline to have "Systems in Place." The docket includes giving the state the power to regulate - or ban if needed - chemicals that pose unacceptable risk in consumer products; a state-run Web site where consumers can search for information on chemical hazards; and a scientific advisory panel, a so-called "Green Ribbon" panel. The California DTSC, the Green Chemistry Initiative's implementing agency states:
This new approach is similar to measures adopted by the European Union and the Canadian government to encourage greater manufacturer responsibility....
Stop With the Glass Façades Already
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 2.08
We have noted before that the current design trend of floor-to-ceiling glass makes a lovely looking building, but that it is ridiculously extravagant in terms of energy. Now we learn from the Wall Street Journal that gee, there are other problems: One buyer of a New York condo with glass façades found "She got her vistas. But she got other things she didn't bargain for. The strong and relentless western light forced her to don sunglasses while reading. It made watching television and using her laptop computer almost impossible. The air conditioning could barely keep the temperature tolerable as sun baked the $1.5 million apartment on summer afternoons. And the sun bleached her pair of brightly colored European sectional sofas, which cost $20,000." The Journal also notes that she is a 23 year old grad student, so that's gotta hurt. ...
Panama Launches Operation Light Bulb, Gives Away $13 Million Worth of CFLs
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09. 2.08
Panama City at night, photo: Steve Levi
Not really much on this one yet, but I thought I’d point it out for the apparently proactive, yet finger-in-the-dike nature of it.
Reuters is reporting that Panama will be spending $13 million to buy and distribute enough compact fluorescent light bulbs to provide each citizen with two of them.
Handing Out CFLs Cheaper Than Building the Extra Capacity Needed
Dubbed “Operation Light Bulb” (not to be confused with this Operation Light Bulb) the the program is expected to save enough electricity to forestall adding another 60 MW of power—which really isn’t that much in the greater scheme of power generation—to the already stressed Panamanian grid, and at one-tenth the cost.
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Sao Paulo to Reduce Carbon Emissions 30% by 2012
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires on 09. 2.08
Photo: Chris Scott, Getty Images.
The city government of Sao Paulo, Brazil's largest city and commercial capital, is considering legislation that would reduce its carbon emissions by 30% in the next four years. If approved, the project will involve changes in transportation and waste management.
Pushed by that announcement, the State government of Sao Paulo has marked its calendar in 2020, with an ambition to reduce at least 20% emissions by then.
Read more about the plan in the extended.
Via Tierramerica...
Piezoelectric Hydropower System May Power 20-40% of Pennsylvania Town
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09. 2.08
photo: Casey West
Hydroelectric power generally conjures up images of massive dams creating reservoirs behind them, submerging trees and sometimes even towns. While technically a form of renewable energy (and generally included by most countries when they tout how much of their electricity is generated from renewable sources), large scale hydro isn’t exactly environmentally friendly. A better (if not perfect) hydro option is run-of-river hydro, which while still often employing some form of reservoir can be done on a less intrusive scale.
Another No-Dam Hydropower Method to be Tested
An intriguing third hydropower option is being developed in the town of Vandergrift, Pennsylvania in the Kiskiminetas River which the town hopes will generate 20-40% of its electricity. Our colleagues over at Discovery News have the complete story, but here’s that requisite bit to lure you in:...
Peak Cactus: Can Microchips Thwart Cailf. Urban-Landscaping Thieves?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 2.08
Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times
A few years ago the City of Palm Desert, Calif. gave up on lawns and started converting to indigenous plants that could survive without water. Landscape manager Spencer Knight says "The city decided to stop apologizing for the desert and said, 'We live in the desert; it is what it is ".
Unfortunately, the golden barrel cacti are expensive, and now fetch as much as eight hundred bucks. They have shallow roots and are easy to dig up, so thieves started pulling them out.
So now they are sticking microchips in them....
Pedal-Powered Pub Delivers Beer on the Move
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 09. 2.08
2008 Goldman Environmental Prize Winner Ignace Schops on Creating Belgium's First National Park
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 09. 2.08
If it wasn't for Ignace Schops, one of the seven winners of the 2008 Goldman Environmental Prize, Belgium may have lost much of its natural habitat. A herpetologist, Schops studies amphibians and reptiles and has worked in the field since 1990. With tremendous effort and much help, the Belgium native was able to change his country's approach to conservation.
Belgian Beer and a Can-do Attitude
One night in 1997, Schops and a trio of friends (over a few Belgian beers) came to the realization that nobody else was going to work to create a nature preserve in northeastern Belgium: It was up to them. Schops used his many connections within government, the private sector, and at the Regionaal Landschap Kempen and Maasland (RLKM) , a partnership between Belgium's largest coal company and its leading nature conservation organization.
Over nine years, Schops was an important figure in fundraising efforts, coming up with a whopping $90 million to bring about Hoge Kempen, Belgium's first national park. The park is located in the northern region of the country, an area suffering from the effects of coal mining. Key to the plan was the idea that the park should provide jobs through eco-tourism -- and since opening officially in 2006, 40 jobs and 400,000 visitors to the 6,000 hectare park have made this idea reality.
TreeHugger (TH): In your Goldman speech, you said you were inspired by Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Why did it take so long for Belgium to establish a park?...
Stair of the Week: Made From Skateboard Decks
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 2.08
It was back in 1972 when Charles Jencks and Nathan Silver wrote Adhocism: The Case for Improvisation. Jencks wrote "The new strategy is latent within the do-it-yourself industry, hippie consumer tactics, and the re-use of old parts and the recycling of waste." It should be big again as we come up with creative ways to re-use things instead of just junking them. At the Roarockit Skateboard School in Toronto, they used skateboard decks to build a stairway....
Japan's Seibu Railroad Uses Baseball Star To Promote Eco-Friendly Travel
by greenz.jp, Tokyo, Japan on 09. 2.08
Seibu Railway, a Japanese railway operator of passenger trains throughout Tokyo and the neighboring Saitama Prefecture, has recently launched a campaign to encourage eco friendly rail travel. Seibu Railway hopes to increase awareness and encourages their customers to take action to preserve the natural environment of the planet by traveling more by train instead of using private cars to go to work or to leisure activities. Craig Brazell, the Saitama Seibu Lions clean-hitter and First Baseman is one of the sponsors of this campaign, and we spotted him in the campaign posters at all Seibu Railway stations. ...
Greenwash Watch: Gwyn Morgan on GM Advertising
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 2.08
Fuel Cell powered Equinox at car show
Until he retired, Gwyn Morgan was the most powerful oil man in Canada, sort of our own Boone Pickens without the evil swift boat stuff, although he has tussled with David Suzuki and fought against Kyoto. Now he writes, and writes off General Motors' electric and fuel cell powered cars, as well as GM Canada's ads from the Olympics that hyped them. (We drove one here.) He questions the idea and the ads, in the form of a dialogue with his 16-year-old nephew Alex and concludes:
"The bottom line is auto makers still haven't figured out how to build a practical or affordable fuel-cell vehicle and, in reality, there's only enough hydrogen to drive around a few very expensive prototype cars and city buses for photo ops. You'll probably be my age, Alex, before you see the so-called hydrogen highway."
He doesn't hold out much hope for the Volt and electric cars either, noting that there isn't sufficient electrical generating capacity. As for relying on renewable resources:...
Creative Recycling: 747 Turned into Hostel
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 2.08
Jumbo jets are magnificent machines, but when they go to die they bake in the desert, perhaps get converted into houses, or scrapped. At the same time, people are sleeping on airport floors as airlines go bankrupt, overbook or get caught in changing weather patterns.
So what could be more logical than to take an old jumbo and turn it into a hotel? That is what they did in Stockholm and it opens this December. This one is all hostel accommodation, three beds to a room, but there is also the flight deck, set up as a private, more high-end suite.
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It Will Take More Than High Gas Prices To Change Our Habits
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 2.08
It is a TreeHugger mantra that $10 gas will change everything, and introduce a new era of green building, bike routes and trains everywhere. However according to Elisabeth Rosenthal in the New York Times, that's what they have in Europe and it doesn't appear to have changed much at all. Said one Roman driver: “It hasn’t changed my driving at all — not a bit — I just have to work harder.”
There are obvious differences, since the average European car gets twice the American average, and probably the commutes are not as long. There are also some changes happening; train trips are up, and SUV sales are down, but people are adjusting.
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Rotating House by François Massau is 50 Years Old
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 2.08
50 years ago François Massau built this rotating house so that his sickly wife could enjoy sunshine and warmth any time of the year. Massau was an eccentric builder who does not appear to have been very nice, and spent his last years fighting in court, dying alone and penniless at 97 in 2002. But John Tagliabue in the New York Times describes the 1400 square foot energy-efficient house:
" In a posh neighborhood on a rise above Wavre, [Belgium] stands Massau's first revolving house. Its circular brick-and-cement foundation is stationary, supporting a steel track on which the house revolves, moved by a small electric motor. Its roof, a concrete slab supported by columns, is stationary, too.
"It's the most beautiful house in Wavre," said Dominique Quinet, a beautician who lives in the house and also has her business there. When her daughter was a toddler, she said, she often played in the sandbox outside the house.
"If I worked in the kitchen," Quinet said, "I simply moved the kitchen to where the sandbox was, so I could keep an eye on her."...
Patagonia Sell First Recyclable Nylon Shell Garments
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 09. 2.08
Patagonia’s newly released Shelter Stone three layer waterproof mountain shells are significant because they're being hailed as the world's first recyclable nylon jacket and waterproof pants. At first glance this might not seem like much to write home about. But it is.
In 1991 Patagonia commissioned an independent audit in the four main fabrics they then used to make their garments: cotton, nylon, polyester and wool. As founder, Yvon Chouinard explained to staff in a company speech, “to no one’s surprise the news was bad. Everything we make pollutes. Synthetics like polyester and nylon, because they are made from petroleum, are obvious villains, but cotton and wool are no better.” Thus In 1992 Patagonia began the switch to recycled polyester (and taking back polyester for recycling in 2005 through their Common Threads program.) In 1996 they moved to only using organic cotton. A while back they tried organic wool and more recently they’ve been touting their chlorine free Merino wool. But that fourth material, nylon, has largely alluded them. Until now....
Book Review: Who's Your City by Richard Florida
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 2.08
I probably shouldn't be writing this review; I live exactly one mile from the house where my mother was born ninety years ago, and except for the first two years of my life in Chicago, always have. On the other hand, I live in Toronto, the same city that Richard Florida now lives in, and which he considers a spiky, creative city. It is part of the mega-region he calls Tor-Buf-Chester, just down the thruway from Bos-Wash and Chi-Pitts. I am not surprised to find that I appear to live in a zone favoured by neurotic people. bordering on a coastal zone for people open to new experiences.
These are just some of the concepts that Florida uses to reinvent the map of America. He suggests that where you live is probably the single most important decision that we make in our lives. He also tells us that technology is not letting us stay put and work on our computers in our small towns, "you can telecommute to your high-tech Silicon Valley job, a ski-slope in Idaho, a beach in Hawaii or a loft in Chicago" but in fact making us more mobile, more likely to migrate to the hot spots of creativity, excitement and diversity. And if you want to really succeed, that is where you have to be.
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Slow Food Nation Event Addresses Healthy Food, Agriculture in San Francisco
by Alex Smith, San Francisco, California on 09. 2.08
Taste Pavilions, Photo Credit: Benjamin Root
Survey: Have You Cut Back on Meat?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 2.08
Warren reminds us that livestock contributes 18% of global greenhouse emissions; meat also isn't that healthy in great quantities. The British medical journal Lancet recommends that that the industrial world chomp on 10% less meat to limit greenhouse gas emissions, whilst enhancing human health, going on to say, "For the world's higher-income populations, greenhouse-gas emissions from meat-eating warrant the same scrutiny as do those from driving and flying." 10% doesn't sound so tough.
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Food Foraging for the Faint-Hearted
by Bonnie Alter, London on 09. 2.08
We have read about food foraging and the hardy men who do it. They are wild and bearded and live near the forest and spend all their time digging for exotic mushrooms and unrecognisable flowers and grasses. Great for them but no thanks. But there is a coward's way to do this, especially now that the fertile harvesting season is upon us: go for the local. Dandelions are the easiest; their young and tender leaves are delicious in salads. The roots are a Japanese delicacy, roasted, processed and drunk like coffee. A farmer in Prince Edward Island is growing them specifically for that market.
Wild blueberries, small and flavourful, are everywhere in woods in Northern Ontario this month. They are easy to find and so much more delicious and flavourful than the fat, farm-grown ones. They are called Saskatoon berries all across the Prairies. If you happen to live in British Columbia, watch out for salal berries, also dark blue but the size of a cranberry and delicious in jams. The common milkweed, found growing wild by the roadside, has several different menu opportunities. In early spring the shoots can be eaten like asparagus. In June, the unopened flower buds look and taste a bit like broccoli and can be eaten hot, or cold with a vinaigrette sauce. Don't bother with the milk; it tastes terrible. ...
Build Your Own Compost Tumbler
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 09. 1.08
Industry Groups Suing To Reverse Polar Bear Protection
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09. 1.08
Photo credit: Getty Images
The embattled polar bear is on thinner ice than it's ever been. Five industry groups, including the American Petroleum Institute, filed suit Thursday against Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director H. Dale Hall in an attempt to reverse listing the polar bear as a threatened species.
This give Alaska Gov. (and vice-presidential hopeful) Sarah Palin's administration's own lawsuit opposing the polar bear's listing a boost. On August 4, the state of Alaska argued that the animal's populations are stable and that melting sea ice isn't an immediate threat to their survival.
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Safe Canadian Beaches Get a Blue Flag
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09. 1.08
Photo credit: Julie Grant/The Environment Reporter
Several beaches surrounding the Great Lakes have been shut down this summer because of pollution concerns. Despite Lake Ontario's unsavory reputation for being too polluted to swim in, however, Lou DiGeranimo, Toronto’s general manager of water, insists that the water is just fine. “When you talk to certain people in the city, they remember the old industrial heart of our city and they think that Lake Ontario is polluted and you shouldn’t swim in it," he tells The Environment Reporter. "Well we beg to differ. You can swim in it and our water quality is actually quite good."
Several Toronto beaches unfurl the Blue Flag
In his quest to change Lake Ontario's public image, DiGeranimo has managed to get six Toronto beaches certified as safe by an international third-party program known as Blue Flag. To be able to fly the Blue Flag, both literally and figuratively, the city has to test water quality every day, as well as provide lifeguards, recycling containers, and environmental education programs.
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Kelgwo Textile Art
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09. 1.08
Kelgwo Open Weave Scarf
A women's textile collective located on the island of Chiloe in southern Chile, Kelgwo Textile Art crafts gorgeous garments and home accessories out of handspun 100 percent organic wool that has been dyed with local plants and roots.
"Kelgwo" means "loom" in the language of the region's indigenous people, the Mapuche. For a full catalog, visit Kelgwo's official Web site, or check out its Etsy page to purchase directly from the ladies themselves. You can also read a brief interview with one of the women on Etsy's Featured Seller section. ::Kelgwo Textile Art...
Quote of the Day: James Lovelock on Geoengineering & The "Practice of Planetary Medicine"
by Kimberley D. Mok, Montreal, Canada on 09. 1.08
Whether you love him or dismiss him, James Lovelock may be the staunchest pessimist around for the future of humanity on a warming planet. But the iconic environmentalist and originator of the Gaia hypothesis has a couple of cautionary words about the hubris of artificially fiddling with nature:
"Before we start geoengineering we have to raise the following question: are we sufficiently talented to take on what might become the onerous permanent task of keeping the Earth in homeostasis? Consider what might happen if we start by using a stratospheric aerosol to ameliorate global heating; even if it succeeds, it would not be long before we face the additional problem of ocean acidification. This would need another medicine, and so on... Whatever we do is likely to lead to death on a scale that makes all previous wars, famines and disasters small… We have to consider seriously that as with nineteenth century medicine, the best option is often kind words and pain killers but otherwise do nothing and let Nature take its course.[..]
Physicians have the Hippocratic Oath; perhaps we need something similar for our practice of planetary medicine… We should be the heart and mind of the Earth not its malady. Perhaps the greatest value of the Gaia concept lies in its metaphor of a living Earth, which reminds us that we are part of it and that our contract with Gaia is not about human rights alone, but includes human obligations."
Via:: The Guardian
Image: Eamonn McCabe
Related Links on Geoengineering
Scientists Name Top 25 Environmental Threats of the Future
Scientists Decide to Consider Considering Geo-engineering
This Month In Wired: Geoengineering and Ken Caldeira
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A Train to Cross all South America? Venezuela Wants to Push the Idea Forward
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires on 09. 1.08
(Photo: sonofgroucho.) At the beginning of August, Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez and his colleagues from Argentina and Brazil spoke about Latin American integration and Chavez threw an ambitious idea out: a train that would connect Venezuela's capital (Caracas) with Argentina's (Buenos Aires), and cities in between.
Even though he admitted this was an utopia, now the idea could be more than a dream. According to BBC Mundo, last week the Venezuelan government published a press release that mentioned, "the beginning of activities to achieve the Southern train." The release referred to a reunion between specialists from Venezuela and Argentina, who shared ideas about how to pull off the connection between South America's extremes.
More in the extended. Via BBC Mundo....
Tax & Spend Versus Drill & Spend: An Alaskan Political Conundrum
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 09. 1.08
For decades, the US State of Alaska has obtained most of it's revenue from oil. As the oil income stream to Alaska slows, as the State acknowledges that it will, Alaska's budget is projected become increasingly reliant upon so-called "non-oil" tax revenue. That means more tax on corporations. And eventually, we speculate, on individuals. Goes to the motive of McCain's VP candidate Alaska Governor Sarah Palin (as pictured) for supporting ANWR drilling. Alaska’s tax revenue grew at an average annual rate of 12 percent from fiscal year 2001 through fiscal year 2006...This growth came from both oil taxes and non-oil taxes. From 2006 to 2011, however, oil tax revenue is projected to decline at an average rate of 2 percent a year, while non-oil tax revenue is projected to increase at an average rate of 4 percent. This divergence means that Alaska’s non-oil taxes will become a more important contributor to state revenue as time passes.Via:: Dan Stickel, Economist, Alaska Department of Revenue; Alaska's Non-Oil Tax Revenue Projections, Image credit::NYT, "Senator John McCain introduced Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska as his choice for vice president..."...
Biking Across America with WE ADD UP - Day 27: Snafus
by Carson Poe and Eric Plosky, Boston, MA on 09. 1.08
Galten’s Squeezing Biofuel from the Jatropha Seed
by Karin Kloosterman, Tel Aviv on 09. 1.08
The inedible South American native jatropha plant, could be a winning biofuel alternative, according to the Israeli company Galten. I spoke with Galten’s Doron Levi yesterday. He in Ghana, me from my home office in Jerusalem.
The biofuel industry, he said recognizes the potential in the jatropha’s oily seed (up to about 40 percent oil), but haven’t yet devised an efficient method for extracting it. Having developed a superior method for squeezing out the oil (it’s still secret, they say), Galten is positioning itself as a global leader in the alternative fuel source, having leased about half a million acres of land in Ghana to grow the plant.
Some 250 acres are now installed as a pilot site and the company hopes to be producing biofuel (from Jatropha curcas) in a year or two. CNN is calling it a dream fuel. ...
Wacky Invention "COOLBLAST" Comes to the Rescue for Tokyo Heatwave
by greenz.jp, Tokyo, Japan on 09. 1.08
Tokyo has been hit by a particularly hot summer this year, and according to the Japan Meteorological Agency, this will continue well into late September. As most rented living arrangements in Japan commonly come with built in air-conditioners, that leaves many of us new to the whole concept of self control repeatedly reaching for the switch and generally suffering from withdrawal. To make things worse, Tokyo is extremely humid in summer and tends to suffer from the heat island effect in a major way.
So, what would you expect from Japan but more stuff to the rescue! Continuing the venerated Japanese tradition of wacky inventions is a product (plastic, no less) called “COOLBLAST” that is purported to have the effect of cooling you off with nothing but water and air pressure. ...
Back To The Tap: Three Ways To Get Fancy Water, And Skip The Plastic Bottle
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 09. 1.08
Photo joshme17 @ flickr
The problem of one-use plastic bottles has far from gone away - we're still chucking out 30 billion empties globally each year. At least a six-pack of different U.S. and Canadian cities has come up with some kind of bottled water restrictions, hooray. But how to quench our collective thirst - have you noticed how few and far between once-common water fountains have become? Some solutions are cropping up, however, at least giving restaurants and offices a way to supply tap and sparkling water for guests and employees.
Filtered, carbonated, and (so far) free
Natura Water system is installed in more than a dozen restaurants and hotel eateries (such as Chez Panisse) in L.A., San Francisco, Miami and now Chicago - and so far, these places are serving it without charging patrons. The Natura system is an on-site filter system that takes local tap water and passes it through carbon to remove dirt, rust, chlorine, and other impurities, and then through a disinfection chamber to kill 99% of microorganisms and germs - then chills it and carbonates if desired. Natura isn't practical for home use - the shiny, espresso-like dispensing machines run into the thousands of dollars, making a glass pitcher in the fridge a much better alternative (though only for still). Natura says it would like to get into the home market, and one Swedish company already has - hit the jump for more.
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Gyongy Laky: Environmental Artist
by Bonnie Alter, London on 09. 1.08
We loved her sculptural titles for the New York Times magazine, and just had to find out more about this artist who works in natural materials and has been around for a long time... It turns out that Gyongy Laky lives and works in San Francisco, and is an environmentalist and political activist--how appropriate for a Labour Day post. She uses natural and agricultural materials as well as recycled bits in her work which includes both large-scale sculptural and smaller, textile oriented pieces. The creation of words made out of branches and pieces of wood has long been a theme in her work. She shapes nails, twigs and wire to make them. In the past she has made a statement with words such as a cent sign, yes, no, pax. For the Times article, she created words out of natural materials to make a green statement: act, invent, eat. As she says: “Natural materials are very expressive…they also connect me to nature which is a deep love of mine.” Her work is very hands-on and labour intensive, as can be seen in the little video.
Another series comprises sculpture; these pieces are large and monumental. One is a stack of wood logs around a tree. Another is a large wheel in a field made of branches. The vessel series is the most accessible; it consists of bowls and vases made out of sculptural twigs. :: Gyongy Laky
More Environmental Artists
::Environmental Artist Phoebe Washburn
:: What is Environmental Art?
:: TH Interview with Julienne Dolphin Wilding ...
New Orleans Musician Fears Hurricane Gustav Aiming for Gulf Wetlands Destroyed By Katrina
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 08.31.08
Interview with New Orleans Musician Amanda Shaw
With Hurricane Gustav threatening the Gulf Coast, TreeHugger's meeting with Cajun-pop prodigy Amanda Shaw takes on a certain urgency. A shadow of concern for her family, friends and home hangs over the interview about her wetlands activism, her part in the IMAX film Hurricane on the Bayou, and her memories of Katrina.
Amanda Shaw and her band, the Cute Guys, are in Minnesota to play the 17th annual Grand Portage Bayou Boogie festival and the potentially hurricane-delayed Republican National Convention. As fears of Gustav grow, the musicians walk past the sound booth between sets to check the weather satellite images looping on the mixer's laptop. Amanda Shaw finishes playing her tribute to those who helped in the aftermath of Katrina and making a pitch for saving the wetlands, then ducks away from her worried family to give a few minutes of her time to TreeHugger....
Big Oil and Other Interest Groups Join McCain VP Palin's Lawsuit to Reverse Polar Bear Listing
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 08.31.08
Image from mape_s
After getting past the initial shock of hearing about John McCain's selection of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate, I quickly honed in on two particularly salient aspects of her environmental views: her belief that climate change is not man-made and her opposition to the polar bear's listing as a threatened species. Now while I may not yet know much about Palin's overall record in office (what little there is), I thought these positions were telling -- especially given the McCain campaign's strenuous efforts to play up its candidate's environmental bona fides.
Which is why I'm sure the McCain campaign won't be too thrilled with the news that the American Petroleum Institute (gee, what a surprise) and several other industry groups, including the National Association of Manufacturers (yup, these guys) and the National Mining Association, are joining the Palin administration's efforts to overturn the polar bear listing, as the WaPo's Kari Lydersen reports. ...
Solar Decathlon House Adopted by Texas Astronomical Observatory
by Trevor Reichman on 08.31.08
While astronomers at the Macdonald Observatory in Fort Davis, TX are studying the solar system, the BLOOMhouse has one of its own.
Nestled high up on a mountaintop outside of Fort Davis, TX is where the solar powered BLOOMhouse now resides. The BLOOMhouse was one of the entries in the biennial Solar Decathlon that was held in Washington D.C. last year to demonstrate the power of the sun to our governing bodies and public. The competition challenges 20 universities from around the world to design and build the most attractive and energy-efficient dwelling.
The BLOOMhouse is now a part of the MacDonald Observatory complex, a world class and world renown astronomical facility in the highlands of Far West Texas…far from city lights or pollution. While the astronomers at the facility observe the details of our sun and distant suns, Sam Covey and Hap Pfeil are revisiting their school project to observe the Sun’s capacity to keep their house "alive."...
Biking Across America with WE ADD UP - Day 26: Storms
by Carson Poe and Eric Plosky, Boston, MA on 08.31.08
Oslo Beefs Up Electric Car Charging Stations, But Buyers Experience A Backlog
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 08.31.08
Oslo's city government has promised to install 400 electric car charging/parking places over the next four years. Meanwhile Norway's electric car manufacturer THINK is turning out its THINK city cars at the rate of just three per day, which has created a local waiting list 700 customers long.
U.S.$10 gallon gas makes 'el-bil' look good
High prices for jet fuel may have made rap star Diddy ground his private jet for the moment, but Europeans and especially Norwegians are finding it hard to break the driving habit. Perhaps because their economy is still fairly strong, some Norwegians are choosing to supplement their already fuel-efficient cars with new hybrid, alternative fuel or all-electric vehicles. Hit the jump for more, including a photo of the all-electric (also Norwegian) Buddy.
400 charging stations by 2011
Currently around 50 charging stations exist in Oslo, and by year's end that number should double, with 100 additional stations being put up between 2009 - 2011. At the same time, THINK will try to ramp up production from the current three cars to more than 20 cars daily (THINK recently hired a Ford executive as COO). ElbilNorge, another Norwegian electric car company is busy assembling all-electric Buddy cars (originally a Danish design) and plans to make 300 by the end of the year. Both the Buddy and the THINK city get a free pass through Oslo's congestion charging stations. Via ::Aftenposten.no...
TreeHugger breaks it down for you in a series of in depth how-to articles that will help you green your life. No time like the present!
Here are a few recommended websites.
