- Vijay Vaitheeswaran (part one)
- Vijay Vaitheeswaran (part two)
- Vinay Gupta
- Alyce Santoro
- Mathis Wackernagel
- Tom Price
- Martha Marks
- Paul Hawken
- David Suzuki
- Wal-Mart's Green Gurus
- Alisa Smith and James Mackinnon, authors of Plenty
- Bob Perkowitz of ecoAmerica
- Ed Begley Jr.
- The Weather Channel's Dr. Heidi Cullen
Entries for September 7, 2008 - September 13, 2008
Total this week: 202
India's Mining Boom: Tribal Groups, Poor & Environment Losing Out
by Kimberley D. Mok, Montreal, Canada on 09.13.08
Photo: Women make up a majority of the menial labour force in the mining industry (CSE)Make no mistake, India has a lot of mineral wealth in the ground. Iron, bauxite, gold, lead, zinc, manganese, coal and copper are some of the dozens of minerals found in almost half of its landmass. However, despite the recent heavy foreign investment into its thriving mining sector, a recent report by an Indian environmental non-profit points out that most of these valuable resources lie in areas that are either ecologically precarious or heavily populated with indigenous peoples – a cause for concern in light of the government’s dismal record of neglect for its tribal communities. New Delhi’s Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) released their sixth State of India’s Environment Report last month – titled “Rich Lands, Poor People – Is Sustainable Mining Possible?” – challenging the industry and government’s stance that mining is good for growth and creates jobs. The report presents the state-by-state impacts of mining, highlighting the vast array of socio-environmental issues that India is facing due to lack of regulation and sound policy in its mining industry (preview here)....
Permafrost Holds Twice as Much GHGs as Previously Thought: Over 1500 Billion Tons of CO2 and Methane
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 09.13.08
Image from jurvetson
Following on the heels of a recently published study in the journal Nature Geoscience, which estimated that Arctic permafrost could hold 60% more organic carbon than previously thought, a team of scientists from Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) has found that the planet's permafrost layers -- comprising an area that covers a fifth of Earth's land mass -- store twice as much methane and carbon dioxide as previously believed.
The results of their study, published in the journal Bioscience, state that permafrost layers located at high altitudes contain over 1500 billion tons of CO2 and methane, or twice the amount of GHG currently present in the atmosphere. ...
Lauren Bush Debuts Sustainable Fashion Line
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09.13.08
Lauren Bush announces sustainable fashion collection
First Niece Lauren Bush announced Wednesday that she was launching her first ready-to-wear collection, one that will be wholly produced in New York using sustainable and organic fabrics such as hemp silk, bamboo, and organic cotton.
Dubbed Lauren Pierce, a politically neutral combo of her first and middle names, the former model's line has been in the pipeline since the beginning of the year. “It’s less about, ‘I have to be an eco line,’” she points out to WWD. “But if I was going to make a line, it was important that it was about low-impact fabrics.”
...
Conflux Festival Hits NYC Streets this Weekend
by Bonnie Hulkower, New York, New York on 09.13.08
Helmet Piece in front of Center for Architecture
Conflux New York kicked off to an interesting start with a panel on Thursday that focused on the psychogeography of rivers. Conflux is a five year-old festival of panels and outdoor performance art, in which hundreds of artists turn New York City into an urban art laboratory, will run for the rest of the weekend. The Center for Architecture is hosting the event’s indoor activities. The outdoor activities include art installations, street art performances, botanical walking tours, scavenger hunts, public-transit expeditions, and solar powered Morse code workshops.
Thursday afternoon's panel, “Persuasive Ecologies”, was moderated by Mark Sheppard and hosted the architects David Benjamin and Soo-in Yang (The Living) and Professor Natalie Jeremijenko (xClinic) as panelists. I knew it would be interesting, as Benjamin, Yang, and Jeremijenko all had fascinating installations up at Eyebeam’s exhibit in the Spring. One of the areas they are all focusing on now is river ecology and water quality, subjects that are especially dear to my treehugging heart.
...
Eco-fying Art Sold Online To Benefit Environmental Causes
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 09.13.08
"Liquid Azaleas" by Artist McKenzie
The Eco-fy store is an online art shop where all of the profits from the sold artwork go to environmental causes. The work appears to be done by a semi-mysterious artist referred to only as Artist McKenzie. According to the website, the artist uses sustainable wood frames, either tree-free or recycled paper, and uses eco-friendly inks on all of her works. ...
Co-op America to Become Green America
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 09.13.08
Co-op America Goes Green(er?)
After 25 years, Co-Op America is making a pertinent moniker change for the greener. The non-profit organization, with 100,000 members in tow, has long been involved in encouraging the development of sustainable business and technologies. So it makes sense that, in a thrust to update and better advertise their mission, Co-op America will change its name to Green America next year. But why the change now, after a quarter century of pro-green practices?...
Watergoat Stormwater Debris Boom Eats Trash Out of Storm Drains
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 09.13.08
Watergoat Trash Debris Boom
Much like its notoriously un-picky mammalian counterpart, the new storm system trash collector the Watergoat from First Earth Industries gathers any and all garbage that coasts through its path. The Watergoat is essentially a storm water debris boom made simple: it’s a nylon net that forms a floating barrier around a storm drain’s outlet, and it can collect up to hundreds of pounds of trash every rain cycle.
Any trash that gets sucked down a storm drain during a heavy rain naturally follows the path of the water current until it’s let out into a river, lake, ocean, or other body of water. Water debris booms like the Watergoat can prevent that trash from seeping out. Yet the Watergoat Island, an accompanying product from New Earth Industries, may actually be the more interesting of the new Watergoat products thanks to its ability to enrich and absorb harmful elements out of a trash-laden lake. Here's how it works. ...
Almond Growers Sue USDA
by Alex Smith, San Francisco, California on 09.13.08
California Almond Growers Sue Over Controversial Raw Almond Treatment
Fifteen almond growers and nut handlers filed a suit against the USDA over a legally mandated treatment of California-grown raw almonds. They growers hope to repeal the mandate. A year ago, the USDA issued a requirement that raw almonds be steam treated or sprayed with propylene oxide (a carcinogen recognized by the EPA) before making their way onto the market. More on the health and market implications of the almond pasteurization requirement below the fold.
...
Alaska Governor Palin Lobbied Against Air Quality Improvements At California Ports
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 09.13.08
Palin's missive attacks Senate Bill 974, which has been approved by the state Legislature but needs Schwarzenegger's signature to become law...The bill would create a $60 fee for each 40-foot cargo container moving through the ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach and Oakland, which together handle more than 40% of the nation's goods.Via LAT, Palin asks Schwarzenegger to veto fees aimed at cutting pollution at California ports Image credit::Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times "A container ship sits idle at the Port of Los Angeles."...
First Ever Skype Phone Made From Sustainable Wood
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 09.13.08
The PAPPA* Phone
It’s likely that nobody asked Hulger to make a phone for use with Skype out of sustainable wood. But they did. And the result is an unlikely combo of Skype, a program that’s one of the most satisfyingly realized visions of the future (who’d have thought watching Star Trek 15 years ago that we’d be able to talk to other people’s video portraits from across the world?), and, well, a wooden phone. Something seem anachronistic here? You’d think so, but closer you look, the more the wooden VoIP phone seems to be a winner— the PAPPA* phone is a sleek, sustainable option that laughs in the face of so-called high tech chic. And laughs greenly. Here’s why.
...
This Week in the Huffington Post
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.13.08
Large Hadron Collider is Either the Greenest or the Least Green Experiment Ever Made
Someone hit a switch today and began either the greenest or one of the most environmentally disastrous experiments in the world: The Large Hadron Collider. It carries a ridiculous price tag of $9 billion, and requires 14 trillion electron volts of energy. That's the energy equivalent to running all the households in Geneva. Mairi Beautyman
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New Gravity-Mapping, Climate Predicting Satellite Set to Launch from Russia
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 09.12.08
Despite the major improvements made in satellite technology and modeling over the past few years, predicting future climate change remains a tricky matter. Taking into account the often conflicting reams of data provided by researchers and monitoring technologies results in the creation of imperfect models that inevitably fail to accurately represent all aspects of the changing climate.
It is in the hope of tackling this vexing problem that scientists from the European Space Agency (ESA) are preparing to launch the Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE), which will help improve measurements of the Earth's gravitational field and, in turn, improve predictions about climate change. The satellite will help climate scientists arrive at a more accurate picture of the ocean currents, The Guardian's James Randerson reports, by comparing their surface shape with the fluctuations in the planet's gravitational field....
Tinker Bell & Friends Want You to Save Energy
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09.12.08
FDA Discovers Lead in Women's, Children's Vitamins
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09.12.08
Photo credit: Getty Images
Lead, lead everywhere
Lead in cracked paint, candle wicks, lipstick, kids' toys, and vinyl lunchboxes have placed the pernicious heavy metal at the forefront of public consciousness of late. Don't blink now, though, because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has discovered another place where it's managed to rear its ugly head: over-the-counter women's and children's vitamins.
The agency's concern is not without merit, especially when kids are involved. Childhood lead poisoning continues to be a major environmental-health problem in the United States, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, resulting in nervous system and kidney damage, learning disabilities, speech and behavior problems, poor muscle coordination, decreased muscle and bone growth, and hearing damage. Fetuses are even more vulnerable, which makes the presence of lead in prenatal vitamins even more repugnant.
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California Coastal Cleanup Day - September 20
by Kristin Underwood, San Diego, CA on 09.12.08
Image source: Clean Water Now
Come one, come all. Next Saturday is the annual California Coastal Beach Cleanup and you're invited! People all across California will be participating in restoring beaches all at the same time, next Saturday September 20, from 9am-12pm. Communities will hold beach cleanups but also pass out information on feel-good stuff like recycling, as well as host contests and beach-goers will be serenaded by musicians.
Last year, over 60,000 people participated in the event and removed 900,000 pounds of trash from beaches all over the state of California. The event is so large it has even made it into the Guinness Book of World Records for the "largest garbage collection." Since the program began in 1985, collectively over 12 MILLION pounds of garbage have been removed from beaches. Come out and see whether you can find the "weirdest" thing on the beach in your community - who knows what you'll find....
Win a Scholarship, Blow an Eco-Bubble, and How to Reuse a Shower Curtain
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 09.12.08
:: Do a little eco-activism on Facebook to enter the chance to win a $1,000 scholarship.
:: Chew gum the green way.
:: Re-shape your old shower curtain into an outdoors furniture cover or kite....
Virgin Music Festival Offers Greener Way to Get Your Groove On
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 09.12.08
Planet Green's Junior Producer, Rebecca Goodman rocks out at the Virgin Music Festival and brings back the eco-scoop.
At 10:30 a.m., on a recent Saturday morning, I began my journey to the Virgin Music Festival in Balitmore which has Pimlico Race Track rocking out the green way. Leaving from West Falls Church, VA, I elected to take public transportation to get myself to what would turn out to be a green-leaning and totally good time. ...
New Powertrain Increases Tesla Electric Roadster Range to 244 Miles and Boosts Torque
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 09.12.08
1 Gear is All You Need
Tesla Motors, makers of the much talked about Tesla Electric Roadster, has just announced that it has selected BorgWarner to produce the new Roadster 1-speed transmission (ratio of 8.2752:1, can go up to 14,000 RPM).
More Powerful and Efficient
The updated version 1.5 powertrain, which also includes a more powerful inverter and an enhanced motor design, will produce 30% more torque (to 280 foot-pounds) while also increasing the EPA rated range of the electric car by 10% to 244 miles (393 kilometers), up from 221 miles (255 klicks). The ¼ mile time for the car is now in the 12.9 second range.
But what happens to those lucky few who have Tesla Roadsters with the old powertrain?...
Watch Greenland Melting - on the Icecam
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 09.12.08
To raise awareness of global warming, one of the two main newspapers in Greenland, Sermitslaq, has set up an 'ice cam' located on one of the largest inland glaciers, Ilulissat, to show it melting - as you watch! Updated hourly. It seems a sad state that we can watch (it is a bit like watching paint dry) though not really do much.
Melting ice, rising seas
Greenland's inland ice covers 1.7 million square kilometers - about 80 percent of the country's total area, and is estimated to be about 110,000 years old. A NASA satellite shows that about 239 cubic kilometers of the ice cap is melting each year. The faster it melts, the faster the sea rises, the theory goes. Some of the effects of global warming, while they are happening faster in the Arctic, can be considered to be of benefit to Greenland's small human population. Tourism is increasing (though watch out for killer glacial waves), and the country's government is planning on bottling the melting water for boutiques in cities like New York and Tokyo as well as brewing beer from it. Via ::Sermitsiaq.gl
Read more
Greenland Wants to Bottle Iceberg Water
Global Warming Beer: Greenland Brews With Melting Ice Cap
The Upside of Global Warming?...
Idbids a Hot New Eco-Learning Toy for Kids
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 09.12.08
With the school year just beginning and Christmas not too far away there’s a great line of plush toys designed to help teach kids about the world around them that just may work well in the early elementary or PreK classroom or even as a stocking stuffer.
The toys, called Idbids, are a trio of colorful characters that each encourage kids to make “iddy biddy” steps to go green through various activities that work to simplify complex issues and make them easy for kids to understand.
Each character has green feet, it’s very own personality and is dedicated to a particular environmental element.
...
The Better Pizza Box, The Stir Around Energy Star and Australia's Fishing Ban
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 09.12.08
Pizza's standard take-out box gets a mean, green makeover.
Has the Energy Star label lost its luster?
A fishing ban is proposed in Australia's Coral Sea.
Eco-Libris reviews the book, In Memory of Central Park by Queenelle Minet.
MTV takes action against greenwashing.
Most Huggable is a regular roundup of some of Hugg's top green news stories. Why not submit your own green news?...
Chandelier from Banana Boxes by Anneke Jakobs
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.12.08
Some say that bananas are going extinct, in which case Anneke Jakobs' chandelier made from Chiquita cases might become quite a collectors item. She made it while she was in school (and is probably sick to death of bananas), but you can download the plans and make it yourself. ...
"Please, Global Warming, can I at least have this?"
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 09.12.08
Via Digg
Because nature is beautiful and most of us probably don't take enough time out of our day to admire it, we put more photos of polar bears below the fold.
See Also: Bear vs. Bike: Cyclist Hits 300-Pound Black Bear...
Russia Again Claims That More of the Arctic Should Be Its Domain
by Matthew McDermott, Brooklyn, NY on 09.12.08
photo: Stewart Williams
As more and more Arctic sea ice melts and it really starts sinking in that exploration for all the oil and natural gas trapped under that ice may be getting a whole lot easier sooner than we imagined, it’s not too surprising that Russia would reiterate its claim to a large chunk of those resources. According to international treaties each nation is entitled to a 200-mile economic zone off their coastlines, but Russia isn’t having it:...
California Considers Legislation to Reward Driving Less
by Kristin Underwood, San Diego, CA on 09.12.08
Image source: Getty Images
California State Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner is proposing legislation that would allow insurance companies to lower rates for drivers that cut back on drive time, which could come in effect as early as next year. Two kinks still need to be worked out. The first that drivers would have to prove that they are in fact driving less, either by supplying maintenance receipts or odometer readings. A GPS or other electronic device is not part of the program. The second: the program would be voluntary for insurance companies to adopt. Though some insurance companies already offer a similar program so it would be up to customers to encourage their provider to get on board.
Benefits include fewer cars on the road (obviously) so less traffic, fewer traffic accidents, less pollution and customers would save money both on gas and insurance. Environmental Defense Fund reports that if 1/3 of Californians join the program, it would save 55 million tons of CO2 by 2020, equal to removing 10 million cars from the road. In 2000, California had 23.4 million registered vehicles and drivers logged 280 billion miles annually. No word yet on whether this will be linked to improved public transit programs or other alternative driving campaigns. Poizner is a possible GOP candidate for the next California Governator in 2010....
Romantic & Green: Illinois Couple Buys Solar Power System Using Wedding Registry
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 09.12.08
I do... Want Solar Power
Our friends at the Daily Green have a nice heart-warming story about Sarah and Kiril Lozanov, a young couple who decided to use their wedding registry to go solar. They couldn't afford the 1.7kw solar system needed to power their 800 sq. ft. condo by themselves.
"As we curled up to create our gift registry, we talked about the kind of life we wished to lead,” recalled Sarah Lozanov, a renewable energy specialist at Solar Servicein Illinois. “We thought about the clean, healthy world we value, and concluded that the only thing really wanted was a solar system,” she said.
Read on to find out how they educated their families about solar power and what commitments they had to make to their homeowner’s association....
Corporate and Educational Cafeterias Build Sustainable Food Systems
by Jeff Nield, Vancouver, British Columbia on 09.12.08
Lunch at Google by Bret L. via flickr
Grocery stores and restaurants are responding to the consumer demand for more sustainable food choices. And while this increased demand has created more markets for organic, local, and small-scale farmers there's a whole other sector of the food services industry that is making local and sustainable food systems stronger.
Google's Cafe 150 received rave reviews when it opened in early 2006. The internet giant received lots of media attention for their efforts, but more in acknowledgment of the cafe as another in a long list of great perks for employees. But, Google's cafe is by no means the first or only corporate lunch room to approach sustainability....
Prince Charles Thinks Financial Ecosystems Markets Best Bet to Stop Deforestation
by Matthew McDermott, Brooklyn, NY on 09.12.08
photo: Greenpeace Esperanza
The last time Prince Charles graced this site was when he was (cough) more than slightly critical of GM crops. In fact he called them potentially the “biggest environmental disaster of all time.” While statements like that are bound to cause controversy on a number of fronts, the Prince’s statements earlier this week that we need a sense of “wartime urgency” about rainforest conservation can probably be embraced with less hubbub. His suggested method may still cause a stir:...
Toyota and EDF Testing Plug-in Prius in UK
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 09.12.08
Plug-in Hybrid Trial
Toyota and EDF (Électricité de France) has had a partnership to test plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEV) for over a year now. It started in France, and it is now expanding to the UK. The plug-in hybrids are modified Toyota Prius hybrids. Extra NiMH battery packs extend their all-electric range, and they can be recharged from the grid (something the regular Prius can't do).
Plug-In Prius Hybrids in the UK
According to Toyota (pdf), "The UK partnership is designed to evaluate vehicle performance within an urban environment, vehicle infrastructure requirements, and driver behaviours and expectations." Read on for more on the UK trial....
Encinitas, CA - Latest City to Ban Plastic Bags
by Kristin Underwood, San Diego, CA on 09.12.08
Image source: San Diego Coastkeeper
Last night, the Encinitas, CA City Council Natural Resources Committee voted to draft a ban on plastic bags, which may include a fee for customers use of any single-use plastic bags and paper bags as reported on KPBS. Next, its up to the City Attorney's office to develop language and guidelines for the program, which may be up for a vote this November.
The City of San Diego, the second largest city in California, is also considering a similar ban, as is the state of California. The California Ocean Protection Council is looking at not only banning plastic bags state-wide, but also requiring that all take-out container manufacturers take their products back and properly dispose of them. Countries around the world have already banned the bag. Coastal cities in the US - San Francisco, Annapolis, Manhattan Beach and now Encinitas - tend to be the first to enact similar bans....
Pimping My Pod
by Earthwatch Institute on 09.12.08
The gang's all here! From left to right, John (from Everything Under the Sun), Ray (from Ray’s and Sons) and Jeanine (the author of this blog in the vintage gown from the Patriot’s Ball, who's super happy to have finally gotten her Smart Car last week!).
My pod? The Jeanine corner of the Earthwatch world involves itty-bitty blinking blue lights, a jungle of plants, traditional weavings in screamin’ neon. Camel-hair Persian rug stretched out on the floor. Mirror ball hanging in one corner of the ceiling, gen-u-ine crystal in the other. Cheeky West African doll lounging in front of books with too-long titles. “Wag more, bark less;” and “be the change you wish to see in the world” (Gandhi) tacked onto the shelves. Plus more assorted bling.
Such are the decorative solutions of a displaced (Northern) California gal, who transported herself to the middle of a tiny New England mill town in the dead of winter. Sometimes, as I was picking my way down through the icy streets in my 4-inch heel boots, funkadelic stockings, and Pink blaring on the iPod, the cold, the piles of snow, and the dreary grey skies were so surreal I’d laugh out loud. But I did this willingly, folks! Earthwatch has that kind of pull....
Intel Launches Less-Toxic Halogen-Free Xeon CPUs
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 09.12.08
Halogen-Free CPUs
Chip-maker Intel has announced that is has started shipping four halogen-free Xeon processors (series 5200 and 5400). The chips are functionally the same as the previous versions, and they are drop-in compatible.
What's Wrong With Halogens?
Halogens might not sound that bad because we're familiar with the word (all those lamps), but the Halogen family includes fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, and astatine. "Halogens are highly reactive, and as such can be harmful or lethal to biological organisms in sufficient quantities." Now, we're not saying that your CPU is dangerous to you (don't try too eat it, though), but over the manufacturing of millions of them, it adds up to a lot of halogens. Removing them will no doubt make electronics recycling safer....
And the Winner Is...Ormat Buys Geothermal Exploration Rights on Alaskan Volcano
by Matthew McDermott, Brooklyn, NY on 09.12.08
photo: USGS
Just a quick update to a post done back in July on the geothermal exploration rights on several Alaskan volcanoes being put on the auction block. Mount Spurr, a snowcapped 11,070 foot tall volcano about 75 miles west of Anchorage was the first one up and Ormat Technologies is the lucky winner.
The Reno, Nevada-based company paid $3.3 million for the right to investigate the geothermal power potential of 15 of the 16 tracts being offered for lease on Mt Spurr, Cleantech reports.
I just love the understatement used by Ormat in talking about their plans:...
Graphic Of The Day: US Federal Energy Subsidies And Support, Fiscal Year 2007
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 09.12.08
Take the Lipstick Off the Renewables Subsidy Pig and it's a Different Animal.
To grasp the meaning of this bar chart, you have to know which line items are embodied in the big ticket items. For example: "Ethanol production received $3.0 billion in blender’s credits under the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit, exceeding any conventional or renewable fuel." That's a three billion dollar pig feeding from the public trough, making food more expensive for humans and real pigs! Subtract that oinker and the renewables bar would drop down to fourth place (total of $1.9 billion for non-ethanol renewable energy support).
Wind subsidies come under the Electricity category: "The estimated value of production tax credits to wind producers in FY 2007 was $666 million." So, roughly half of the 2007 subsidies for electricity went to wind. If Congress actually renews that credit, which is looking doubtful for this year, look for that wind number to become a great deal larger in FY 2009. Story and graphic via::USEIA, How much does the Federal Government spend on energy-specific subsidies and support?...
Las Vegas Hummer Dealership Switches to SMART Cars and Vespa Scooters
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 09.12.08
Hummer Excessive Even for Bling City
Dan Towbin's Hummer dealership in Las Vegas is one of the biggest in the USA. It was even featured in the "King of Cars" documentary on A&E. But the time they are a-changin', and the Vegas Hummer dealership will soon shut down, making it at least the 8th Hummer dealership to close in the US.
Reborn from the Ashes, Smaller & Smarter
But Mr. Towbin has plans. ACcording to the WSJ, he wants to open a Smart car dealership, and he's already selling many other brands including Vespa scooters. From Hummers to Smarts and Vespas. Not bad....
Sarah Palin Shifting Position on Global Warming Cause? Stands Firm on ANWR
by Matthew McDermott, Brooklyn, NY on 09.12.08
NY Fashion Week: Unique Designs Make a Splash at Eko-Laborative
by Blythe Copeland, Great Neck, New York on 09.12.08
Image Credit: Jordan Benaderet
Mass-produced, chemically dyed clothes do plenty of environmental damage, both here and abroad, but they also don’t do much for your personal style—there’s a good chance you’ll end up looking just like everyone else. But the handcrafted, sustainable pieces at this week’s Eko-Laborative exhibition, presented by Eko-Lab and Ekovaruhuset were anything but cookie cutter. Each was made of organic fibers—cotton, linen, hemp, wool—and colored with Earthues natural dyes. Crocheted jewelry, hand-mined gems, vintage charms, and striking headpieces finished the looks; read on for some of our favorites....
Can UK's Grid Support An All Electric Car Fleet?
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 09.12.08
Is the UK Grid Ready for Electric Vehicles?
Ecotricity’s Dale Vince has already been busy wondering what the gas station of the future will look like, and is clearly a proponent of the electric car. Now he’s been busy crunching the numbers as to whether the UK grid could take an all-electric car fleet, and the results are good. In the simplest sense, were the country to just add extra capacity to power all cars, it would need a 12% increase in power output – not insignificant, but certainly not impossible either. (Of course Vince is strongly advocating that that extra capacity come from wind turbines and other renewables!) But the story doesn’t end there either – he also points out that much vehicle charging would take place at night, when the grid has spare capacity, and could actually help to cancel out the peaks and troughs of generation often cited as a downfall of renewables:
...
Windbelt, Turbine-less Wind Power Device, Finalist For Curry Stone Design Prize
by Matthew McDermott, Brooklyn, NY on 09.12.08
Windbelt (that device on the table...) charging a cell phone. Photo: Humdinger Wind.
It was nearly a year ago when TreeHugger first reported on the Windbelt , an innovative new wind energy technology which eschews turbines altogether. The technology was a Popular Mechanics 2007 Breakthrough Award winner but we hadn’t heard too much about it since then until now.
Shawne Frayne, president of Humdinger Wind Energy and the Windbelt’s inventor, is one of five finalists for the Curry Stone Design Prize. He’s up against some stiff competition—check out the other Curry Stone finalists— but if he comes out on top Frayne will claim a $100,000 prize. We’ll find out on September 25th when the winner is announced at the IdeaFestival in Louisville, Kentucky.
For those who missed it the first time around, here’s how the Windbelt works:
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Project Interchange's Green Movers and Shakers From Europe Experience Israel Through a Green Lens
by Karin Kloosterman, Jerusalem, Israel on 09.12.08
Israel is a place, which is never not on the news. A Washington-based organization Project Interchange, is hoping that some of Europe’s “green” leaders will get in touch with a little more than the ongoing conflict that they see on the TV.
On September 20th to 27th, a delegation of European leaders will be in Israel. They include influential environmental journalists, policy makers from the World Bank and the EU parliament; energy and climate change specialists, as well as activism leaders. These rising leaders will meet with their Israeli counterparts (such as Gidon Bromberg) to learn firsthand some of Israel’s strides and setbacks, when it comes to the environment.
The 7-day whirlwind tour will include a tour of Hiria (Tel Aviv’s rehabilitating garbage dump); they will visit the very hot geothermal company Ormat (also working in biodiesel); they’ll see solar fields in action, will learn about the dying Dead Sea at the Dead Sea –– and much more. They will essentially experience different shades of “green” in Israel –– meeting the who’s who –– and get a chance to discuss and debate with their Israeli counterparts along the way. ...
Killing Rare Animals Funds Terror
by Alex Pasternack, Beijing, China on 09.12.08
Photo by Brent Stirton/Getty (National Geographic)
Though some feared the Rwandan genocide and decade-long civil war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo had driven it to extinction, the rare Okapi still stalks World Heritage site Virunga National Park, according to the first ever photos of the animal in the wild, released yesterday.
A deer-like creature known for its zebra-like stripes, the okapi (pron. oh-cop-ee) is the closest living relative of the giraffe, with whom it shares a long blue tongue. It has a small bump in the corner of its head, a trait that once led to speculation that it was the inspiration for the unicorn. Okapi is so rare it itself was once thought to be mythical.
As a "blood" animal, the okapi is hardly alone. Though poaching and habitat loss are predominant threats, an untold number of vulnerable species have been effected by -- and effect -- war and politics.
Like global warming, the slaughter of animal species can no longer be simply seen as a long-term environmental issue, but as one that directly impacts security -- and leads to human atrocities. ...
EU Biofuels Target Dead, Long Live the Biofuels Target
by Matthew McDermott, Brooklyn, NY on 09.12.08
photo: trasroid via flickr
With the idea that most first generation biofuels really aren’t all their cracked up to be sinking in more deeply—competition with food, increased tropical deforestation and possible species extinction, some having increased net carbon emissions when compared to fossil fuels——the news that biofuel targets coming under fire in the EU should come as any surprise.
Earlier in the summer the then-incoming EU president went so far as to say that setting specific quota levels was a mistake. The focus should be first on determining how much fuel could be produced sustainably and then assessing how much fuel could be produced. Apparently that idea went by the boards as a reassessment of EU biofuel targets has just concluded and the results aren’t all that much different than what was in place before. ...
Berkeley Tree-Sitters Forced To Climb Down
by Alex Smith, San Francisco, California on 09.12.08
After 21 Months, Berkeley Tree-Sitters Surrender
Since December 2006, a community of UC Berkeley tree-sitters has been occupying a 1.5 acre grove on the university's Campus. This Wednesday, the last four remaining people climbed down. Pics of the tree people--and the fate of the trees--below the fold.
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3Fold Desk From Formtank
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.12.08
The designers tell us that "Environmental Design is on Formtanks' agenda and we're looking towards a more sustainable approach to business. With this in mind the 2d3d Group attempts to produce "more from less" through a simple proposition; utilise a single sheet of steel in the most efficient way."
So they cut this intricate and stunning base out of a single sheet, which is then "then hand formed and immaculately finished by experienced engineers."...
NY Fashion Week: Fashion Brand Preen Goes Green Backstage and Beyond
by Emma Grady, New York, NY on 09.12.08
Supermodel Aline Weber sits in an Aveda Pedicab before the Preen show
Backstage at the Preen by Thornton Bregazzi Spring Summer 2009 fashion show we found Aveda’s four steps to a greener backstage in full swing. Aveda’s reusable liter-sized aluminum water bottles went quickly as models and hairstylists alike wrote their names on bottles and filled and re-filled them with New York City tap water. The organic food, catered by Citi Bakery, was plentiful and Aveda offered their 100% organic tea and coffee in compostable cups. Aveda’s buckets collecting bottle cups were empty which goes to show that people were using the aluminum bottles! Hopefully they will collect some caps as their buckets are now on the set of Gossip Girl, 90210 and Grey’s Anatomy.
Supermodel Aline Weber, while having her makeup applied by one M.A.C.’s makeup artists, thought the Aveda water bottles were a great addition to backstage where water bottles are normally put down and never used again. She explained that this is mainly due to the amount of people and busyness backstage before a show. ...
Cube Prefab by George Nelson
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.12.08
Full Disclosure: George Nelson is my favourite designer and I am sitting at a George Nelson desk. But besides doing wonderful furniture, in the sixties he tried his hand at modern prefab, and some of the ideas are relevant to today.
According to Science and Mechanics, "Nelson’s group threw out the old-fashioned and inefficient ideas inherent in many of today’s conventional houses. They concentrated their thinking on greatly improved performance, mass production materials, extreme flexibility and a minimum of building parts."...
Quote of the Day: Monique Cole on Big Green Exurban Houses
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.12.08
House in Boulder, NOT the house discussed in the article...
According to Rachel Levitt in Utne, The Boulder County Business Report called Ron Abramson's new net zero energy house, built using "cradle to cradle" principles, "The Greenest home in North America."
However in the High Country News, Monique Cole notes that a) it is 6,500 square feet, and b) it is 10 miles outside of Boulder. She writes:
"But how can size not matter when it comes to green building? The resources required to build and furnish a larger home need to be factored in, as well as the fuel expended and pollution created to transport those resources to the site. Big homes like the Abramsons' often are built far from urban centers. The rulers of these prairie castles must therefore burn fuel to get to work or an airport. Bigger homes also require more upkeep -- think of the landscapers, housekeepers, window cleaners and dog walkers who have to commute to service the home and its occupants. Adding solar panels and cork floors to one of these mansions is a nice touch, but is this going green, or is it green-washing?"
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Survey: How Much Control Do You Have, The Sequel
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.12.08
Over a year ago, we did a survey about how we have all kinds of readers who don't have control over big things-"they may rent and can't change the furnace;often they can't even lower the thermostat. They may live miles from transit and have to drive; they may be on campus and don't have wide choices of what they can eat.They may have to wear polyester uniforms." It was our most popular ever, racking up 6812 votes.
When reading the post on Tiny Homes: The Next Little Thing I thought: "I am stuck in the house I have, I can't sell it right now, I can't make this kind of change." and I wondered how many of us are stuck in circumstance by job, family, the housing meltdown, that know what they have to do, what they should do, but just can't.
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Let's Make a Deal: Swapping Chocolate for a Bed
by Bonnie Alter, London on 09.12.08
In these crazy credit crunch times, bartering and swapping have become more and more popular as a way to exchange goods for services without laying out any cash. There is food swapping at markets (you take my zuccini and I'll take your chutney) and now in Lewes they have printed their own money--the Lewes pound--and will be using it as currency in 30 shops in the small town in East Sussex. When you shop in supermarkets 80% of the money leaves the local economy. When you shop locally you are strengthening the whole community.
But Petra Barran has taken the bartering philosophy to the extreme. She has been travelling around Britain in a former ice cream truck called Choc Star and offering homemade chocolate desserts in return for an evening meal and a place to sleep at night.
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Introducing: The Mamachari Bicycle
by greenz.jp, Tokyo, Japan on 09.11.08
Head Lice: The Latest Superbug to Become Resistant to Pesticides
by Kristin Underwood, San Diego, CA on 09.11.08
Image source: Westchester.gov
While drug companies continue to say its not happening, school nurses around the country are saying more and more parents are at a loss for solutions, reports MSNBC. One nurse even reported a parent, whose child has been battling head lice all summer, was extremely frustrated and unsure what to do next. So why are common medications like Nix, Rid, Ovide and Kwell still prescribed? Simply because they do work on some cases, some of the time.
In response to these superbugs, new salons are popping up all over the US that solely de-louse hair, like Hair Fairies in Chicago. Salons catering to head lice victims first rinse the hair to remove eggs, and then get to work nitting the hair one strand at the time. Kids can play video games, watch tv, read, anything to relax them during the procedure, reports ABC News. Though the procedures can be costly and usually take several visits, though some patients can partially cover the treatment through insurance....
An Eco-Conscious Cookbook, Green Classroom Tips and How to Get Crafty with Scrabble
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 09.11.08
:: Calling all foodies and locavores! Delight in the cookbook Roast Chicken and Other Stories.
:: Forward this green classroom tip to your child's school teacher.
:: Don't let an old Scrabble board collect dust. Turn it into unique wall art....
A Picture Is Worth...Best Shop Sign Ever
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.11.08
Honda and Yamaha to Make Electric Motorcycles in 2010-2011
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 09.11.08
Heavy Metal Thunder No More: Wind of Change
All eyes are currently on hybrids (such as Honda's upcoming all-new Insight) and electric cars, but electric motorcycles also deserve some attention (if only because they are less noisy). We've featured a few DIY models, like the Voltzilla and the electric Kawasaki, but so far few big players have made them, which has allowed newcomers like Vectrix to get a toehold. But that's about to change.
Honda and Yamaha to Make Electric Motorcycles
According to Nikkei, "Both firms hope to bring to market electric motorcycles that perform on a par with bikes with 50 cc engine displacements. The vehicles will be powered by high-performance lithium ion batteries."...
Global Warming to Cause More... Kidney Stones
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 09.11.08
Kidney Stones More Frequent Because of Global Warming
According to a study published in the July 15 issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Science USA (and reported in the September issue of Scientific American), Kidney Stones will be more frequent during the 21st century.
It's not exactly making headlines, but according to the researchers, there could be an extra 1.6 to 2.2 million cases of kidney stones by 2050, a 7 to 10% increase on the current numbers. This could cost about 1.3 billion of medical costs, and of course cause a lot of pain.
Why Will Kidney Stones Become More Frequent?
The minerals that are dissolved in urine can crystalize under certain condition, and one of the contributing factors is dehydration. Read on for more details about geographical risk factors....
Fifth US Conference on Peak Oil and Community Solutions
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 09.11.08
Collective Responses to Peak Oil and Climate Change Gain Traction
We already know that there’s a peak oil doom-and-gloom survivalist in many of us, but fortunately it seems like community-focused responses to the end of oil are gaining traction around the world. From the recent arrival of Transition Towns in Japan, through Portland’s Peak Oil Task Force to the continued popularity of Peak Moment TV’s dispatches on peak oil solutions, many of us are not yet ready to lay down and declare the end of civilization as we know it. Organizers of The Fifth US Conference on Peak Oil and Community Solutions will be hoping that this trend translates into high attendance numbers for their event being held in Rochester, Michigan on Halloween weekend – where delgates can attend workshops on everything from community food security to home energy retrofits. Crucially, the conference is seeking to connect the dots between individual efforts and community-wide responses:
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To Get Over the No-Wheat Hump, Locavores Turn to Local Grains
by Jeff Nield, Vancouver, British Columbia on 09.11.08
ideonexos via flickr
For eaters in North America living outside of the grain growing regions of the U.S. mid-west and the Canadian prairie provinces one of the big gaps in eating a wholly local diet is the absence of wheat. No bread! No cookies! No beer!
Almost everywhere that has been settled across the continent originally had grain growing in close proximity at some time in the past 150 years. But efficient shipping via trans-continental railways from the bread belt helped push regional local grain to the fringes, and in many places it disappeared. The emerging industrial model of agriculture dictated that a few varieties of high yielding wheat would be grown in the specific locations suited to grow it. To counter this consolidation individuals and communities are rediscovering their local grain chain....
NY Fashion Week: Doucette Duvall's Spring Line Goes Eco-Chic
by Blythe Copeland, Great Neck, New York on 09.11.08
Image source: Wire Image
New York City-based label Doucette Duvall premiered its spring 2009 line—which uses reclaimed fabric and trim for about 50 percent of its materials—with an Americana-themed cocktail party, where voter registration cards and Obama pins made it clear who’s getting the designers’ votes in November. But when it comes to fashion, we’ll throw our support behind the duo’s flirty, fun pieces that mix vintage prints and modern shapes....
Celebs Surf and Bare Feet for Oceans
by Kristin Underwood, San Diego, CA on 09.11.08
Image Source: Barefoot WIne
Barefoot Wine is really working hard to push this clean up the oceans thing this summer. First, they partner with Tristan Prettyman to host concerts and beach cleanups. Now they're partnering with hunky celebs to get them to take their shoes and their tops off to raise money for Surfrider. Last weekend Jason Mraz, Flea, Noodles, Chad Lowe, Sal Masekela, Richard Burgi, Peter DiStefano, Brandon Cruz, and David Chokachi all paddled out last saturday for the Barefoot Wine Surfrider Foundation Celebrity Expression Session.
The event was free and open to the public, and cheers went up for every wave caught because that was another $50 donation by Barefoot. In total, over $4,000 USD was raised for the Surfrider Foundation. Almost 2,000 people attended the event, hung out on the beach in Malibu, watched the celebs and caught a few waves themselves. The event was also sponsored by Project Blue. Barefoot Wine has already donated over $125,000 to Surfrider this year. Who knows where Barefoot Wine and their ocean conservation crew will show up next? ...