- 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 September 14, 2008 - September 20, 2008
Total this week: 221
Rock On, Greenly: Carbon Offset Ticket Option a Success at 2008 Music Festivals
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 09.20.08
Photo by Agaton Strom
Green Ticket Success
This year, when buying tickets to Lollapalooza or Austin City Limits—two of the most celebrated annual music festivals in the nation—purchasers were offered the option of adding a “Fan Tag,” to the event pass. By buying the Fan Tag at an extra five bucks, fans essentially are purchasing 500 kWh worth of carbon offsets through Be Green, the carbon offset division of Green Mountain Energy Company. Oh, it’s a nice idea, you may be dismissively thinking to yourself, but how many rock fans are really that inclined to tack five extra dollars onto an already expensive festival pass? Way more than you’d think. ...
National Talk Like A Pirate Day Environmental Quiz
by Eric Leech, New York, NY on 09.20.08
Photo by JCIV.
We want to extend National Talk Like A Pirate Day just a few more days, especially since it is helping to spread the word about clean sailing and boating. The Sierra Club has put together a fun set of questions to not only get you in the spirit of the holiday, but find out just How Green is My (Your) Pirate Ship.
...
GreenBusiness Works Expo 2008 Coming to Atlanta
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 09.20.08
Image courtesy of GreenBusiness Works
The GreenBusiness Expo is slated to take place this October 7th and 8th in Atlanta, with the aim of educating business leaders, politicians, the development community and others on the latest in sustainable business issues. With an ever widening range of topics, the Expo offers some invaluable instruction on environmental business practices. Here’s what’s on the agenda this year:...
Metro Bringing Tweaked Congestion Pricing Plan to Los Angeles
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 09.20.08
Image from Zach Behrens/LAist and Damien Newton/Streetsblog LA
Following several months of intense wheeling and dealing, Los Angeles County's Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has finally settled on a tentative congestion pricing plan that would convert high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes (i.e. carpool lanes) on two freeways into high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes -- with a twist. As Streetsblog LA's Damien Newton wrote about a month ago, the watered down plan would allow most vehicles, including hybrids, van pools and, in some cases, two passenger cars, to still use the HOV lanes for free, thus blunting most of the criticisms about equity concerns that had dogged it. In a further effort to distance itself from more conventional congestion pricing schemes, Metro even dropped the "HOT" term, adopting the more benign-sounding "Fast Lanes" in its stead. ...
Eco-Friendly Wedding Plans for Green TV Show Host
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 09.20.08
Image courtesy of "Your TV 20"
Seems as though Lesley Nagy, host of the syndicated TV show “Your Green Life” has taken a cue or two from TreeHugger’s guide on How to Green Your Wedding. She’s attempting to make an example of how environmentally sound a classic wedding can really be—without sacrificing any of the traditional rituals or events involved. And though the event may seem a bit like a publicity stunt (she’s taking interviews on her wedding day) that’s fine by us—there are around 2.5 million weddings every year, so the greener these oft-extravagant events can be, the better. And you might be surprised just how meticulous Nagy’s gotten in crafting the epitome of a classic, but green wedding: ...
Park-ing Day Takes Over San Francisco's Streets
by Alex Smith, San Francisco, California on 09.20.08
Park(ing) Day 2008
Commuters to downtown San Francisco had a little more trouble finding spots this Friday. Park(ing) Day took over the streets of the Financial District, creating green parks to hang out, many happy to deter the driving commuters. More on the birthplace of Park(ing) Day and photos of this year's event below the fold....
Google Floats A Data Center Patent: Offshore, Ocean-Cooled, Wave-Powered, And Modular
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 09.20.08
MC Yogi CD Release Party Brings the Elephant Power to New York
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 09.20.08
Photos by Agaton Strom
Last Tuesday, Yoga instructor/hip hopper/vocal Obama proponent MC Yogi (aka Nicholas Giocomini) brought his singular brand of Indian mythology-infused rap to the Jivamukti Yoga School in New York City for the CD release party of his first album, Elephant Power. The goal of Yogi’s composition is to bridge yoga and hip hop, and as dubious or downright incomprehensible as that aim may be, the MC delivers what’s likely the closest thing conceivable. And the release party was pretty ideal for the project: rooted in yoga-related themes, it was exuberant, vibrant, a little goofy, and generally unclassifiable—just like the album....
New Green School Opens in Bali
by Sara Novak, Columbia, SC on 09.20.08
photo: The Green School
Read more: An innovative new sustainable school opens in Bali. Students from all over the globe learn the latest in green living while living in paradise....
Green "Correction" in Auto Sector Leaves GM Clinging to Government Loans
by George Spyros, New York City, USA on 09.20.08
To adopt some economic policy lingo being bantered about quite a bit these days, the green "correction" to the U.S. auto industry is in full swing. GM leading man Mr. Fix-It Bob Lutz sums up the pain thus -- that the auto industry was faced with three simultaneous crises:
1) mortgage crisis, 2) soaring gasoline prices (doubling over 24 months) that wiped out the pickup truck and sport utility vehicle market (mission accomplished, TreeHuggers*) and 3) governments creating new, stringent targets for fuel consumption instead of a gradual transition via increasing gas taxes in order to change consumer behavior. In fact, GM does very directly see itself in a similar sinking ship as the the finance industry, and likewise in need of a life raft. ...
An Icy Reprieve for Our Climate Woes? Not Quite
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 09.19.08
Image from Northern Xander
Finally some "upbeat" news on climate change: According to a new study published in the latest issue of Science, permafrost may be more resistant to warmer temperatures than previously thought -- which means we may not yet need to sound the alarm about an imminent carbon "bomb". Evidence for this finding, made by the University of Alberta's Duane Froese, was supplied by a 700,000-year old ice wedge discovered in subarctic Canada, near Dawson City, Yukon.
The fact that the piece of ice hadn't melted during previous warm periods seemed to suggest that permafrost is a great deal more "stubborn" in the face of rapidly increasing temperatures, as Froese told the AFP....
Timbuk2/Howie's Limited-Edition Messenger Bag
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09.19.08
Photo credit: Timbuk2
Timbuk2 and Howie's are longstanding TreeHugger faves, so we nearly wet ourselves when we heard that the iconic bag maker and the U.K.-based clothing company joined forces to create a limited-edition messenger bag.
Available in five different sizes and two color schemes (which we can only describe as "girly" and "butch"), and made using a one-two-eco punch of organic cotton and water-based solution dyes in San Francisco, the bag sticks to the Timbuk2 tradition of being PVC-free, with buckles composed of a blend of corn plastic and recycled nylon. Only 200 were produced, so you'll have to get 'em while they last. Click below the fold for more photos, along with purchasing information.
...
It is September 19th- Happy PARK-ing Day!
by Bonnie Hulkower, New York, New York on 09.19.08
Times Up! ladies sporting their summer attire and hanging in their park on 7th Avenue
As the website states, "get out your benches, roll out your sod" Today is the third annual PARK(ing) Day. PARK(ing) Day is an international event that reclaims at least 200 PARKing spots in 50 cities across the world. Park(ing) Day NYC is organized by the New York City Streets Renaissance, a city-wide campaign for livable, people-friendly streets. NYC Streets Renaissance offered grants to people turning spaces into human hangout places for the day. The goal is to give residents a spot of green relief from all the asphalt and also to start a conversation about what public space is and how it should be used. You can cozy up to a park for a few moments or a few hours. Gather your coworkers, neighbors, and friends, your park is a place to relax with friends and strangers, and to chat about a multitude of urban planning topics: urban foraging, water issues, the importance of open/green space for city dwellers, etc....
LA's Multeepurpose Offers Eco-Friendly Sample Sale
by Kati Stevens, Sherman Oaks, California on 09.19.08
The back-to-school shopping for the kids is finally done, and now, if you’re in LA, it’s time to shop for yourself. Multeepurpose, the effortless activism company you may have seen recently on Planet Green’s Alter Eco , is opening its new concept store in Downtown LA soon, but if you can’t wait, consider this is your invitation to the pre-launch party and eco-sample sale tonight and Saturday. ...
The Body Shop Gets a Makeover
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 09.19.08
Al Gore Eyeing "Plenty" Magazine?
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09.19.08
The Goracle might be getting into the magazine business, according to Portfolio.com. According to blabby "sources" close to the former veep, Inconvenient Truth-ster, and Nobel Prize winner, Al Gore is thisclose to announcing the acquisition of a stake in the environmental rag Plenty, which has a circulation base of 200,000.
When Portfolio.com asked Plenty founder Mark Spellun about the rumors, Spellun acknowledged that a deal of some kind was in the pipeline but that it was "not correct" to say that Gore was buying the company.
...
Airline Industry: Help Me, Help You
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 09.19.08
Image source: Boston Globe
Think airline industry. Think major polluters. Airlines emitted more than 418 billion pounds of carbon dioxide last year. They also create "diesel shuttles that circle the terminal road, [leaving] thousands of tons of toxic emissions in a compact area of the city." Not to mention that with the financially strapped industry, adopting creative, eco-friendly projects that cost more and have a longer payback are completely off the table. Until now. USA Today reports that airports across the US are ready to kick it up a notch, adopting aggressive environmental strategies to improve public perception, and hopefully save a little green in the process.
In the past, airports were designed to be aesthetically pleasing and "comfortable" for passengers, but not necessarily energy efficient or environmentally responsible. One reason attributed to this is because the airline industry is so financially troubled that they need immediate results and environmental projects do not always give immediate returns. With such a transient community, its hard for airports to not automatically choose the easily, disposable options or leave lights on all night for the one or two people that might be in a terminal. Now the industry is taking another look at green improvements to not only help airports cut costs, as well as improve the image of the airline industry, and also improve public health....
Organic Agriculture Wrongly Accused As Prominent Cause Of Heavy Metal Accumulation In Soil
by Jeff Nield, Vancouver, British Columbia on 09.19.08
via University of New South Wales
Yellow journalism is expected from supermarket tabloids and local television news casts, but the once venerated Slate shocked with a recent headline. "Rusted Roots: Is Organic Agriculture Polluting Our Food With Heavy Metals?" it screamed. The article hardly gets started before it's obvious that the author, James E. McWilliams is stretching a bit too far to make the connection that organic agriculture is causing heavy metal contamination in food. ...
Quote of the Day: On Not Wearing a Bike Helmet
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.19.08
Caption on German Ad: "Be careful when transporting fragile goods." Consumerist
A comment from Rick to our post The Bicycle Helmet Debate is Over. Really. deserves special notice:
Let me first say that I didn't start wearing a helmet regularly until AFTER I WOKE UP FROM THE COMA. Before I fractured my skull and bled an epidural hematoma the size of a navel orange, I used some of the inane arguments I have read above.
I used to joke that helmets messed up my hair. That was before the brain surgeons shaved my head and then closed up the suture with stainless steel staples....
What Are You Waiting For, New Yorkers? Grab A Spot of Grass and Reclaim a Park(ing) Spot
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09.19.08
Park(ing) Day NYC on the corner of 23rd St and 8th Ave, Manhattan.
Photo: © Matthew Vincent McDermott.
Just a quick a reminder to all TreeHugger readers in New York City: There’s still some daylight out there so if you’ve got some free time this Friday afternoon, find your nearest Park(ing) Spot and join your neighbors reclaiming small bits of asphalt from cars and traffic.
For those that don’t know, this is what Park(ing) Day is all about:...
Chicago Unveils New Climate Change Plan
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 09.19.08
Image source: Chicago Climate Action Plan
Mayor Richard M. Daly laid out a plan to cut Chicago's emissions to 3/4 of 1990 levels by 2020, announced yesterday in an ambitious and comprehensive Chicago Climate Change Action Plan, reports Chicago's NBC5. Not only is this plan designed to slash greenhouse gases, but it will also improve air and water quality and environmental health, ultimately improving quality of life. The plan includes 29 actions that the city must take, which the Natural Resources Defense Council says are challenging but do-able. Businesses, Residents and Visitors can all be part of the action by checking out the plan online: Chicago Climate Action Plan
Part of the plan also includes nine adaptation measures to deal with changes that are going to come and can't be avoided. Things like "a heat warning system, reducing summer energy use, improving air quality, preparing for increases in rainfall and flooding, reducing erosion along Lake Michigan's shoreline and planting vegetation that can adapt to climate change." Funding has been set aside for some of the changes, but additional funding will be needed to complete all projects....
Guatemala: New Hub for Piloting Green Energy Technologies?
by Eliza Barclay, Washington, D.C. on 09.19.08
Photo credit: AIDG
We were interested to read that Guatemala is the test site for three of the 10 Everyday Technologies That Can Change the World in the online edition of DISCOVER magazine.
The three technologies being piloted in Guatemala are:
1) A micro-hydroelectric power generator
2) A turbine-less generator that captures energy from aeroelastic flutter
3) $100 solar water heater...
Start a Sea Change This Weekend with the Ocean Conservancy
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 09.19.08
Ocean lovin' Israelis participate in International Coastal Cleanup day. Shouldn't you?
No plans this weekend? Why not Start a Sea Change? Planet Green’s non-profit partner, the Ocean Conservancy, hosts their 23rd annual International Coastal Cleanup this Saturday, September 20. Greenies around the globe will donate a couple hours of their time to pick up trash on beaches, lakes and rivers—recording everything they find. The Ocean Conservancy will then use this data to identify the trash culprits to ultimately find solutions.
Leonardo DiCaprio is also showing his H2O support behind the campaign. Find out what he has to say after the jump and also check out our interview with the Ocean Conservancy’s President and CEO, Vikki Spruill. ...
Park(ing) Day at the Terry Thomas in Seattle
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.19.08
We're big fans of Weber Thompson's Terry Thomas Building in Seattle; it is the new office building that acts like an old one, with windows in the bathrooms, no air conditioning and all kinds of simple yet very clever solutions. Trust them to come up with a creative response to Park(ing) Day as well. ...
CO2 Calculator is Endless Fun for Adding Up (or Subtracting) Your Emissions
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 09.19.08
Photo Credit: CScoutJapan
There are plenty of carbon footprint calculators around. But what if you are out and about and wanted to whip out a handy calculator to find out just how much of a carbon footprint you’re making? Consider your problem solved. ...
Kraft Foods Wheys In On Waste-to-Energy
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09.19.08
photo: Laura
As someone who doesn’t associate Kraft with anything other than mediocre imitations of good cheeses, I’ll have to suck up my reservations for this next post as Kraft Foods is doing something pretty interesting. The Northfield, Illinois-based food giant is embracing waste-to-energy at its manufacturing facilities in Lowville and Campbell, New York. The type of waste product used: Whey. Yes, whey....
NextWorth Buy Back Program Pays iPhone Owners Enough for 3G Upgrade
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 09.19.08
Buy-back programs are becoming all the rage, thank goodness. The basic premise is that a person who wants to get rid of a gadget is able to sell it to a buy back program and get a little cash. They’re generally easier to deal with and more predictable than selling on ebay or craigslist, and definitely more profitable than just sending the gadget in for recycling. NextWorth, however, is taking buy back to a whole new level of appeal, providing the profit potential for some serious upgrades. ...
Maggie Gyllenhaal Wants Your Video on Climate Change - Win $3000!
by George Spyros, New York City, USA on 09.19.08
TreeHugger already told you about the launch of the Brighter Planet and 1Sky Climate Matters Video Contest and now the deadline for the contest (and taking meaningful action on climate change) is rapidly approaching. Listen up video-makers: you have until September 22 to upload your video. Go to it! Wait -- you should know that the first-place winner will receive a carbon-off-setting $3,000 Brighter Planet™ Visa® Gift Card....
Third Gen Mobion Chip is 25% More Efficient, That Much Closer to Fuel Cell Powered Gadgets
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 09.19.08
Photo Credit: MTI Micro
MTI Micro is one of the leaders of off-grid power solutions, and the newest generation of their direct methanol fuel cell engine core, the Mobion Chip, shows a 25% power performance improvement and a 25% size reduction. Translation: We’re that much closer to going cordless for mobile devices. ...
Video: Jay Leno Talks with Zero X Electric Motorcycle Inventor
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 09.19.08
Electric Dirt Bike: Bigger Battery than Prius Hybrid
We wrote about the Zero X last year: It's basically an electric motorcycle powered by non-toxic lithium-ion batteries. The amazing thing about the battery is that it can store 2 kWh vs. 1.31 kWh for the Toyota Prius hybrid's battery (which is NiMH, not li-ion), giving the Zero X a 40 miles range (20 if you really push it).
You can see the video from Jay's Garage and more specs for the Zero X below....
California's Green Policy Does Its Economy Well
by Alex Smith, San Francisco, California on 09.19.08
A study by California's Air Resources Board released this week reported that continuing to reduce the state's greenhouse gases would both boost the state economy and Californians' income. More below the fold....
Plasma Display Coalition Says Big Screens Not That Bad
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 09.19.08
Photo credit: Johannes Freund
We typically think big screen TVs are not the most energy efficient item a home could contain. However, the Plasma Display Coalition (PDC) points out that plasma TVs over 42” are not so bad, and are getting a whole lot better.
Our reaction: Um, okaaaay...?...
GM's Bob Lutz: "I don't believe in the CO2 theory"
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 09.19.08
Catch-Share System Could Save World’s Fisheries From Collapse
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09.19.08
photo: Corey Arnold
This week the European Commission announced that the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy was going to be reviewed, with the expectation being that both the number of vessels and the time they would be allowed to be at sea would be reduced so that declining fish stocks could be better protected. Well, a new article in Science magazine, proposes a better method to ensure that fish stocks don’t become depleted: A Catch-Share System. Here’s how it would work:...
New Website Helps Companies Attain Their States’ Recycling Requirements
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 09.19.08
MRM's map of states they currently, or will soon serve with electronic recycling programs
Some of the best solutions are the most simple, such as putting important dates on a calendar in order to achieve goals. Panasonic, Sharp, and Toshiba teamed up to form Manufacturers Recycling Management, a company that manages electronics collection and recycling.
The company is now a year old and figures it is time to expand operations, so it has launched MRMrecycling.com, a website that will assist electronics companies in the sixteen states that have recycling laws, many that are only starting up next year or in 2010. But their website isn’t the only helping hand they lend....
5 Favorite Eco-Chic Looks for Girls and Guys from NY Fashion Week
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 09.19.08
NY Fashion Week came and went as fast as the I’m Not a Plastic Bag fad, bringing with it a mixed tote of eco-style preview parties, cause-related events and enlightening exhibits. Descending upon the sustainable scene were runways touting eco-friendly fabrics, socially conscious brands and the latest and greatest in what we can expect to be the next green fashion trends.
However, ‘Huggers have a knack for spotting a splashy fleeting fad from a green mile away. Here are five well-crafted and eco-conscious sustainable favorites we think are here to stay:...
A Review of my Bike Friday Folding Bicycle
by Andrew Posner, Providence, Rhode Island on 09.19.08
The author on board his brand new Bike Friday folding bicycle
The Allure of Folding Bikes Finally Got to Me
Okay, I'll admit it: I am a cycling fanatic. The bicycle is my sole means of transportation, and when I'm not riding from point A to B or hauling furniture by bicycle, I'm on my racing bike training for local races. Lately, as more and more people have gotten into cycling in order to avoid high gas prices, we've heard a lot of talk about the convenience of folding bikes for commuting, especially for people that need to be able to take a bike with them on a train or into their office. What's more, many avid cyclists who travel often find that folding bicycles are the only way to train while on the road. So as both a commuter and a racer, I soon found myself succumbing to the allure of a folding bicycle....
Green Public Procurement: An Overlooked Subject In The US Presidential Campaign
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 09.19.08
Eighteen executives of UK-corporations recently signed a letter to to "Gordon Brown, the prime minister, and the leaders of the opposition parties to ask for stronger action on climate change." This letter is remarkable in several respects. In it they suggest a faster reduction goal for C02 emissions than EU political leaders have thus far been considering (30% versus 20%, by 2020). But, here's the money quote as far as governance is concerned: a quote from the CEO of Johnson Matthey (pictured) a specialty chemical firm with a presence in North America. Neil Carson, chief executive of Johnson Matthey, the speciality chemicals company, said: “Public procurement drives about one-third of the UK economy but to date, attempts to ‘green’ procurement have largely failed. The public sector should be setting bold, new and sustainable specifications for the products and services it buys.”Via:FT, Businesses push for climate change lead Government procurement should be equally bold and green in the USA and Canada, set to similar goals. Green purchasing policy by government needs absolutely to be a part of the Presidential debate in coming weeks. Please: no comments about a socialistic agenda. The idea is to save taxpayer money while doing the right (green procurement) thing for the environment....
iRex Introducing Improved iLiad E-Reader on Monday
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 09.19.08
iLiad's such a tease
In just a few days, iRex will be launching a more advanced version of the iLiad e-reader, called the iRex Reader 1000. I love that they threw “1000” into the name. So geekable. And the device is truly cool for a tech nerd. ...
Au Revoir La ‘Taxe Pique-Nique’: France Drops Carbon Tax Plan Days After It’s Proposed
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09.19.08
photo: Trey Ratcliff
Just a quick update on a post I did earlier this week. Three days after news of a proposed eco-tax in France on a range of consumer goods surfaced, the word now is that no such tax will be introduced. Modeled on the existing ‘bonus-malus’ system for taxing polluting automobiles, the tax would have been on a range of consumer goods such as washing machines, dishwashers, and (the origin of the name given to it by the opposition...) disposable plastic dinnerware. Why was this carbon tax (let’s call it what it would’ve been) nixed?...
Scraping the Bottom of the Barrel: McCain v. Obama on Offshore Oil Drilling & ANWR
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09.19.08
photo: Tim Thomson
As the House of Representatives just approved a new energy package which contains provisions to allow some offshore oil drilling, it may seem to be a moot point to go into a discussion of where John McCain and Barack Obama stand on the issue, but as there are still legislative hurdles to be cleared before any law is actually passed on the matter, it's worthwhile to go over their positions. So here there are, Obama and McCain on oil drilling, both offshore and in ANWR:
McCain is up first:
...
Gearing Up For West Coast Green 2008
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 09.19.08
Photo Credit: West Coast Green
West Coast Green is only a week away and we're getting excited! WCG is an annual event in which anyone and everyone involved in green innovation, technology and design in the building industry gathers together to show off their latest products, talk about what we can do to improve sustainability, and hear what top leaders (including Al Gore!) have to say....
Team Builds Pedal-Driven Compost Turner
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 09.19.08
Survey: Should The Roundhouse Have Been Saved?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.19.08
Over in Wales, Tony Wrench's "ecohome of wood frame, cobwood and recycled window walls, straw-insulated turf roof; with solar power and wind turbine for electricity, compost toilet and reed beds for grey water" has just been granted approval after a ten year fight- it was built without permission in a public park. (see Secret Green Community Saved from Demolition)
Um, OK, but what if Mr Wrench had just pulled in an old trailer and parked an ATV in front?
...
Lenovo Launches Six New Power-Sipping Monitors
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 09.19.08
Lenovo is doing great things when it comes to more energy-efficient monitors. They’re launching six new monitors to the ThinkVision line, each of which uses between 30-60% less energy than their previous models. ...
Secret Green Community Saved from Demolition
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.19.08
Emma Orbach founded the self-sustaining Brithdir Mawr community in Wales. “It’s a milestone in a free society that a minority of people who wish to live simply on the Earth are now being given this opportunity. The villagers are pioneering a new lifestyle.” Down the road, Tony Wrench has been pioneering "permaculture" for decades, and built the Roundhouse, an "ecohome of wood frame, cobwood and recycled window walls, straw-insulated turf roof; with solar power and wind turbine for electricity, compost toilet and reed beds for grey water. "
There was only one problem: They were doing it secretly, on public land in a national park. In 1998 a pilot doing an aerial survey caught a reflection off a plexiglass skylight and the jig was up. ...
Party Like It’s 5769 And Have Yourself a Sustainable Jewish New Year
by Karin Kloosterman, Tel Aviv on 09.19.08
Christian Americans have one. So do the Chinese, Muslims –– and the Jews. I am talking about New Years celebrations. While January 1st is the obviously date when most Americans and Europeans party and drink copious amounts of organic champagne and kiss under the wilting Christmas mistletoe, people from other faiths celebrate New Years a little differently, and at different times.
Come next Monday September the 29th, Jews around the world will be celebrating their New Years, Rosh Hashanah, marking 5769 years since the beginning of time –– or the advent of modern civilization, depending on one’s belief. While tradition is tradition in Judaism (we’ve all seen Fiddler on the Roof, right?), Jews with a green conscious are looking to incorporate the environmental message into this year’s celebrations.
If you’re New York-based consider dipping your organic apples into locally-produced honey with Green High Holidays at 92YTribeca. Over the fold for more.
...
Paper Brick House at Venice Biennale
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.19.08
Li Xinggang designed the Chinese Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale entirely out of paper. According to Designboom, "the aim of the 'paper brick house' was to construct a paper house which is fully functional and allows people to
live, play, meet and continue on with other daily activities. the house is constructed from cardboard boxes which previously held drawing papers and behave much like 'bricks'. unused cylindrical shafts which were originally paper tubes, have been used to as structural support acting as beams, flooring and roofing." ...
Expo Zaragoza 2008: The Spanish Pavilion as Sustainable Architecture
by Jenna Watson, Barcelona on 09.19.08
This past weekend marked the closure of three-month-long Expo Zaragoza 2008. Petz told us about the The Thirst Pavilion, the German Pavilion and the eco-friendly urinals that use no water, chemicals or energy. I was lucky enough to have a long weekend and took in some of the sights while also visiting friends in Zaragoza (Saragossa in English). I must admit that another reason for going was seeing a product I am involved with called the Econo; it was one of the official products of the Expo.
It’s really an utter shame that more international publicity was not distributed for this 93-day long event, as there were some amazing things to see. One of the most intriguing buildings in the 25 hectare mini-city was the Pavilion by the Government of Spain. The building was designed by the Navarra architect Francisco Mangado, who was assisted by bioclimatic design specialists from Spain’s National Renewable Energies Centre (Cener). Mangado says the building imitates a forest, and describes it as, “a natural space that is both so simple and so complex, in which the light penetrates the treetops, and the sound of water transports us to an experience which today, because of environmental deterioration and urban lifestyles, is almost a luxury’. Images after the jump....
London Fashion Week: Make Your Mark
by Bonnie Alter, London on 09.19.08
The dilemma for those who want to see ethical change in the fashion industry is how to encourage the new generation of designers to get interested. "Make Your Mark" is one solution that is showing some fabulous results. It was a national competition that allowed young designers to be mentored by top sustainable fashion labels. For six months each of the winning designers was taught the tricks of the trade by a label of their choice. They learned design, technical details and how to build a brand from the pro's: Junky Styling, Enamore and THTC.
The internship culminated in a catwalk show where the three finalists strutted their stuff, along with their mentors. It was a show full of youth, enthusiasm and high energy. Not to mention very cool clothes. The winner was MIA who had teamed up with Junky Styling. Their clothes were based on the use of recycled and second hand clothes from Malawi so there were traditional textiles interspersed with rough and ready street styles. Junky is like that too--they mixed traditional pinstripe suiting with clean white tops in a sexy take on office wear. ...
Eco Design Award in Sapporo, Japan
by greenz.jp, Tokyo, Japan on 09.19.08
The Eco Design Award in Sapporo, northern Japan, is a small but growing event inviting designers to think about materials and shapes, and come up with great design. Last year, the lovely handmade recycled wine bottle lamp shown here won the Grand Prix. Designed by Kusumoto Sukehiro at ni-un pet, a glass artist based in a very small wooden house, who has quite a following at least in Japan (and Finland). SECCO sells it online for 39,000 yen. English website here.
Read more about the Sapporo Eco Design Award below the fold.
(Photo from 空と猫と、海と犬と、風と馬と)...
Survey Says Notebook Users Want Green, Long-Lasting Batteries
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 09.18.08
Boston-Power's Sonata Battery
I know – fairly unsurprising, right? But still worth a gander at the survey results of a Harris Interactive poll http://www.harrisinteractive.com/. And definitely worth the attention when it comes to manufacturers listening to consumer desire and making needed improvements on batteries.
Basically the survey states that while people want overall better batteries, they’re willing to pay more money for batteries that are better for the environment. A full 36% of notebook owners. That’s a nice big chunk of the market. And that’s not all people are willing to pay more for. ...
No Parts Available: Business Model For An Unsustainable Future
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 09.18.08
The pictured gazebo was purchased at a major home center two years ago, for less than two hundred US dollars. When first bought, the cloth top, if taken down during the cold weather months, seemed like it might last three or four years. The decorative extruded steel support framework, which stays fastened to the deck surface year-round, originally looked like it would last five to ten years and still does. (I've been touching up any rust spots with black enamel as they appear.)
But, wouldn't you know, the summer sun has begun to age the cloth cover. At the end of year two, a tear has appeared on one corner. So began my attempt to find a replacement: an impossibility, it turns out, due to the business model followed for distirbution of it and many other things made in Asia....
Bonterra, the PGA and Audubon International Green the Greens
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 09.18.08
Image source: Bonterra Greens the Greens
Golf courses looking to go green can look no further than Audubon International. From now until the end of this PGA season, for the first 100 golf courses that sign up at Bonterra Greens the Greens, Bonterra will pay the $200 registration fee for the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program, an education and management plan to improve environmental health on golf courses. Individual golfers can also get involved by taking the Green Golfer Pledge - by agreeing to clean up golf tees and other garbage as you play your way through 18 holes. You can also take the Green Golfer Pledge and win prizes for yourself and your favorite course by encouraging other golfers to go green.
Valhalla Golf Course, home of the 2008 Ryder Cup, was the first to join the program. Registrants will get a management program developed specifically for their golf course, taking into account location, resources and any liabilities. Currently 13% of the 16,000 golf courses worldwide (over two dozen countries) are in the Audubon program. The Charlie Vettiner Golf Course in Louisville, KY, a member of the program, has reduced its pesticide use by 80% and sources 95% of the water for the course from rainwater. ...
Strida Folding Bike Update: Three New Models, New Colors for Spring 2009
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 09.18.08
It doesn't get much better than the folding bike for flexible, convenient two-wheeled human-powered transport, and the Strida 5.0 is near the top of the list for small-wheeled folding bikes. The diminutive, angular folder weighs less than 25 pounds, and can fold and unfold in 5 seconds flat, making it a great option for storage to street to transit and back again.
Now, Strida is getting some updates, to be officially unveiled at the upcoming Interbike Expo, September 24-26 in Las Vegas. The new "MAS Special" is the fastest Strida to date. Inventor Mark Sanders has stripped the bike down to its simplest, most elegant form while adding some slick high-performance technology. At the heart of MAS’s speed and agility is the Schlumpf 2 speed drive – a sophisticated Swiss engineered drive system that allows the rider to shift seamlessly between high and low gears with a simple tap of the heel. Keep reading to see more pics of the slick shifter, and the other new versions of the folding bike....
How Green was the 2008 US Open? Were there net-ecobenefits?
by Bonnie Hulkower, New York, New York on 09.18.08
Roger Federer clamoring for more 7 express trains
This year, with much fanfare, the U.S. Open went “green.” Greening meaning the United States Tennis Association (U.S.T.A) reviewed its operations and supply chain and strove to reduce environmental impacts. Well, the balls were green and the court was green. And, not having been at the tournament in previous years, it is possible I did not have enough perspective on how much greener it may have become. But, while I applaud all greening, and especially the greening of sports events, since they often do have enormous outreach potential to their millions of television viewers, in the view of this casual observer/attendee, the Open could have been plenty greener.
USTA green initiatives
The goal of the U.S.T.A was to make the 2008 tournament one of the first green sporting events in the world. Partnering with the NRDC, Evian, Lexus, IBM, and Constellation Energy, the USTA incorporated green initiatives such as: passing out 100,000 wallet cards with eco-friendly tips; a plastic bottle and aluminum can recycling program; and over 80 Evian recycling receptacles spread around to make recycling easy. And now that the Open is over, approximately 20,000 Wilson tennis ball cans will be recycled, and the 60,000 balls that were used will be reused for the National Tennis Center, and then donated to community/youth programs. The 2.4 million napkins used in the concessions were made from 90% post-consumer waste. Lexus, the "official vehicle of the U.S. Open," which provided transportation for the tennis players, used hybrid vehicles to “comprise 20% of the overall fleet.” And the Open attempted to promote mass transit by giving away $4 MetroCards, in partnership with NRDC to 100 fans on each day of the two-week event. ...
New York Times Gets Picks From Top Design Bloggers
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.18.08
The New York Times covers picks from all the design bloggers of note, including Josh and gang from Cool Hunting, Maxwell of Apartment Therapy and Harry from Mocoloco. Mocoloco. No word yet from Mr. Sulzberger on why we were left off the list. See them all and their choices of nice stuff at ::New York Times...
How to Make Inexpensive DIY Home-Built Solar Panels with Damaged Solar Cells from Ebay
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 09.18.08
Making Cheap, Inexpensive DIY Solar Panels at Home
Mike Davis is an astronomer. To practice his hobby away from the light-pollution of cities, he bought some land in a remote part of Arizona. But there was a problem: No electricity.... But he's a resourceful fellow. He built some home-made solar panels using inexpensive blemished and damaged solar cells from eBay! That might be even cooler, though less romantic, than the couple who got their solar panels via their wedding registry.
Read on for more photos and some technical details to give you an idea of how he did it....
The Jordan River Has Some New Good Water Neighbors
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09.18.08
photo © Argenberg
Back in July, TreeHugger Jesse wrote about the Red Sea to Dea Sea ‘Peace Conduit’ plan to connect the two bodies of water and hopefully revitalize the receding waters of the Dead Sea. The plan is controversial and some groups say that simply revitalizing and repairing the flow of the Jordan River would be a more cost-effective and ecologically sound solution to the problem.
At least one group isn’t waiting for regional governments to do something about preserving the Jordan, Friends of the Earth Middle East is taking matters into its own hands. A new article in Yale Environment 360 explains what’s going on:
...
SustainStyle: Fashion Week, Cycle Style, iPod Nano and more
by 1plus1 on 09.18.08
Welcome to SustainStyle, a weekly digest from the writers at 1plus1, a blog dedicated to eco-friendly fashion.
The new Apple Nano iPod is not only more chic, but also more green!
Toms shoes releases their new Wrap Boot just in time for your fall wardrobe.
The XPrize foundation is offering $25,000 to make the next great green idea a reality.
Aveda partners up with designers to green-up New York Fashion Week.
London Cycle Chic shows us a whole new style to ride in.
xo....
The new Apple Nano iPod is not only more chic, but also more green!
Toms shoes releases their new Wrap Boot just in time for your fall wardrobe.
The XPrize foundation is offering $25,000 to make the next great green idea a reality.
Aveda partners up with designers to green-up New York Fashion Week.
London Cycle Chic shows us a whole new style to ride in.
xo....
Overfishing Update: Endangered Atlantic Bluefin on the Menu at Nobu in London, EU to Reconsider Fishing Common Policy
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09.18.08
photo: Pierre-Olivier Mazoyer
Two quick bits about overfishing. On the eco-scandalous side, undercover investigators have discovered that at three Nobu restaurants in London endangered Atlantic bluefin tuna has been served and passed off as non-endangered tuna. On the political side, the European Commission has announced that it will be doing a full review of the EU’s Common Fisheries policy on the grounds that it fails to protect declining fish stocks. The scandalous first:...
Repairing Auto-Body Repair
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 09.18.08
Image source: Clean Green Collision
We've heard of do-it yourself car repair to save money and the planet. Heading over to a local junkyard to find replacement parts is a great way to recycle. But, an actual green auto-body shop? Who knew. Clean Green Collision in Oakland, CA now offers what may be the first green auto repair.
Some of the best ideas come from personal experience, and that is the story of Clean Green Collision. Owner Jacque Andres had an intense reaction after driving away from the car lot with a newly purchased car. He realized that the car was recently painted and that particulates and emissions made their way into the interior of the car and eventually into his lungs. From that moment on, he vowed to clean up auto body repair and Clean Green Collision was born. Nowadays, Andres makes sure to seal all vents first thing so that paint particles due not enter the interior of the car and harm customers. You don't get that "freshly painted smell" inside your car when you leave the shop. ...
NY State Senator to Cyclist he Almost Hit: "You F***ing A**hole"
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 09.18.08
Turning Lemons into Lemonade
Colin Beavan, better known to most of us as No Impact Man, was almost crushed by a Mercedes while biking in New York City. At the last minute he knocked on the window of the car to alert the driver of his presence.
The driver wasn't very happy and some swearing ensued (more details about the verbal exchange below), but the twist of the story is that behind the wheel was NY state senator Jeff Klein. Now Colin has written an open letter to the senator asking him to meet with him and the New York City Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives, the person that advocates for bikers and pedestrians. ...
Isabella Rossellini's Green Porno Short Films Hit the Big Time
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 09.18.08
Update: Green Porno 2 with Isabella Rossellini, about the sex life of marine animals, premieres on April 1st, 2009.
Update 2: Isabella Rossellini's Green Porno was Renewed for a 3rd Season and a Book
Sundance Channel Secures International Rights to Green Porno
We wrote about Isabella Rossellini's 8 highly surreal short-films about the sex life of insects, Green Porno, a while ago:
"If you've ever wondered how bees have sex (not as romantic as you might think), or wondered about the sadomasochistic habits of snails, these are for you (though, just as fair warning: the videos make mention of the organs and acts required to accomplish reproduction)."
Now that Sundance has acquired the rights, audiences outside of the USA will be able to enjoy these highly educational, if unorthodox, films....
Tar Sand Investments Could Be Oil Industry’s Version of the Sub-Prime Meltdown
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09.18.08
photo: Rob Baxter
We’ve covered the environmental risks of tar sands many times. However, a new report co-authored by Greenpeace and PLATFORM outlines the possible financial risks faced by companies such as Shell and BP which invest heavily in tar sands to offset shortfalls in their conventional oil reserves.
The Guardian quotes Mark Hoskin, senior partner at investment advisors Holden & Partners as saying, “There is a good chance that tar sands could be to the oil industry what sub-prime lending was to the banking sector.”...
Its Okay to be Green, Just Not Too Green
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 09.18.08
Image source: Getty Images
A blind, elderly New Jersey resident recently found himself in front of a judge. His crime: ::New Jersey Star Ledger">composting. The problem: residents with a vision of what a "clean" neighborhood should look like are not thrilled with the smell and mess of a compost pile and yard garden, reports the New Jersey Star Ledger. When cities are trying to reach their Kyoto-like emission reduction goals, how do they balance deed-restrictions and voter happiness, with sustainability projects (housing, composting, traffic), that don't fit under normal codes.
Solar panels routinely run up against HOAs, artificial lawns don't fit in and non-traditional housing structures are a pipe dream in many areas and don't even mention dumpster diving. Even on a national scale, offshore wind-turbines are having trouble because of the perception that they will tarnish a perfect view. As activities become more mainstream and are embraced by the media, its easier to win approval. But, if we need to act, and act now to turn this sinking ship around, can we wait for public approval or do we just act now, ask questions later?...
TreeHugger Review: SunLawn LMM-40 Push Reel Mower
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 09.18.08
Push Reel Mowers
I came out of the closet as a reel mower addict a few months ago; I still believe that replacing grass with native low-lying species of plants and food crops is the best solution, but for those who still have grass lawns (and that's a lot of people), reel mowers make sense in the majority of cases.
SunLawn LMM-40 Reel Mower Review
Today I review a model of reel mower by SunLawn. Read on for photos, technical specifications, and my impressions....
How to Stimulate a Green Recovery
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 09.18.08
photo Cyron @ flickr
Green Recovery. After this week's financial free fall, don't those two words sound great together? The University of Massachusetts' Political Economy Research Institute economists - funded by the Center for American Progress - have a plan! They insist it will cost only $100 billion in investment over the next two years in six areas - building retrofits, mass transit, smart grids, wind and solar and 'advanced' biofuels. That's not exactly spare change, but the last 'non-green' economic stimulus package of April 2008 cost the government $168 billion. Those tax refund checks were nice, of course, but they didn't exactly work. So what do we have to do?
...
London Design Festival: A Visit to the Powerday Waste Recycling Plant with Greengaged
by Petz Scholtus, Barcelona, Spain on 09.18.08
Photo by Kate Andrews for Greengaged
Materials Matter is Greengaged’s theme at today’s London Design Festival. As part of their 7 day hub of events, debates, workshops, exhibitions, seminars and masterclasses focusing on sustainable design, Greengaged took us this morning on a boat trip along the Grand Union Canal to visit the Powerday waste recycling plant in west London. Just having gotten back from an amazing trip, we agree with Sophie Thomas (thomas.matthews), Sarah Johnson ([re]design) and Anne Chick (Sustainable Design Research Centre at Kingston University), the three organisers behind Greengaged, that everybody, especially architects and designers, should visit at least once a recycling plant to get a real feeling (or rather smell) for our waste issues. Read on for a full report about the trip and what we learnt from it....
Talking Volts with GM's Bob Lutz
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.18.08
Rick Wagoner and Bob Lutz at Launch of Volt in Detroit
Bob Lutz met with a few journalists and bloggers in Toronto after the launch of the Volt. Although Mike's the car guy here and might have asked better questions, I was local and got to go. Although he must have been tired after the flight and the traffic into town (He wondered why people were driving into Toronto in the late afternoon) he was an entertaining host who knew his stuff. I had the chance to ask a few questions:...
Send In The Bats! Army-Sponsored Researchers Develop Bat-Sized Spy Plane
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09.18.08
photo: Soldiers Media Center
A new six-inch long robotic spy plane modeled on bats and developed with US Army money could really bring a new meaning to the “surveillance society”. Oh...I get ahead of myself. Researchers at the University of Michigan College of Engineering have developed this teeny spy plane to gather video and sound in an urban combat environment and transmit that back to soldiers in real time. The green angle: It's powered by renewable energy.
...
Haworth, Inc. Tests Ending Use Of Cardboad Containers For Product Shipping: Reports 20% Reduction In C02 Footprint
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 09.18.08
To give the headline context, here's Haworth's Profile
The market Haworth, Inc, a Michigan-based distributor of commercial "workspace solutions", covers is diverse, including walls, floors utilities, systems, seating, lighting, desks/casegoods, storage, and tables. They boast a LEED Gold Chicago Merc showroom, have published goals and metrics for improving, and offer a 2007 pdf report on Sustainability
What is business like without cardboard?
Haworth recently finished a 2-month test of shipping chairs and tables wrapped in protective blankets instead of cardboard containers. By using 'straps, bars and plywood tiers, the company fit an average of about 65 percent more products into its trailers, reducing the number of loads needed and eliminating cardboard waste.' The packaging apparatus is re-usable of course.
Probably means more labor by dock workers and customers you say? Sure but there are economic advantages for supplier and customer. Haworth does not need to pay for and build space to store cardboard; and "customers said they appreciated avoiding the labor of unpacking boxes and disposing of cardboard waste." ...
Refab Now!
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.18.08
Foreclosed farm, Great Depression
I spent a lot of time yesterday trying to defend modern prefab from an analysis by Chad Ludeman and in the end, failed, coming up only with a tie. I spent the rest of the day thinking about it and realized that no, we both fail. Now that 12-Year Old Boy Will Save the World! His Solar Cell Absorbs 500 Times the Light of Existing Cells
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09.18.08
photo: Ricardo Wang
I don’t really have much on this one yet from the technological side so perhaps the save the world part is premature, but William Yuan, a 12-year old boy from Beaverton, Oregon, has developed a new 3D solar cell which if it ever gets commercialized could seriously change the face of solar power. Though he was encouraged in his research from his middle school science teacher, this is no mere school science experiment: the Davidson Institute has awarded Yuan a $25,000 scholarship for his research. This is the best description of his work I could find:
...
U.S. Food Country Of Origin Label (COOL) Falls Short
by Jeff Nield, Vancouver, British Columbia on 09.18.08
Label produced with the Official Seal Generator
Country of origin labels (COOL) on food products are commonplace around the world. On September 30, meat, poultry, produce and peanuts sold in the U.S. will require labeling stating the product's origin. (Seafood origin labeling became mandatory in 2002.) But, rather than celebrating this as a coup for consumers, the new COOL rules are being greeted as half-measures by some and as downright confusing by others.
...
Bright Built Barn is Net-Zero Energy
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.18.08
"The next generation of sustainable building practices will not be about material performance or building imprint on local environments. The next generation of our most sustainable structures will be about designing with future adaptations and flexibility in mind, allowing the building to change overtime to adapt to both use and the environment. They will tell us when they are sick or healthy and sustain life itself."
The BrightBuilt Barn, designed by Kaplan Thompson Architects and built by Bensonwood, is a demonstration a net-zero building that attempts to do it all.
...
Post-Olympics Beijing To Traffic: "Welcome Back!"
by Alex Pasternack, New York, NY on 09.18.08
Photo: Reuters
Beijing will not extend its Olympics-time odd-even car restriction policy past its deadline of Sept. 20th, officials said this week, as the Paralympic Games drew to a close. Drivers will be "encouraged" instead to leave their car at home one day a week.
The return to Beijing's traffic- and smog-heavy status quo will mark the end of what may have been the world's largest pollution control experiment: a restriction on cars, factories and construction that lasted for two months and resulted in the clearest skies Beijing has seen in a decade and raised vehicle speeds 10 percent to 43 kph.
A car ban will however is being implemented for government-owned vehicles based on the last digit of their license plate number. Its unlikely it will be very effective, considering that officials often have access to a number of different cars: if one car isn't allowed on the roads, another is usually on hand....
Google & GE Joining Forces to Bring You Geothermal Power, Plug-In Vehicles and a Smart Grid
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09.18.08
Eric Schmidt with GE's CEO Jeff Immelt at Google's Zeitgeist conference. Photo: Google
Expanding and improving the United States’ electrical transmission grid would be a major building block in creating an electrical supply that is reliable, efficient and clean. The move to make that happen got a new ally today: Google. The internet giant has announced that it will be partnering with GE to work on both the technological side of the problem as well as the policy angle. This is the plan:
...
The TH Interview: TOMS Shoes (Part Two)
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 09.18.08
For every pair of TOMS sold, another pair is given away to a child in need. Blake Mycoskie used to think he’d make as much money as possible in life and then give it all away. But now he figures he’ll just do business and help the world at the same time. ::TreeHugger Radio Listen to the podcast of this interview via iTunes, or just click here to listen, right-click to download. Check out part one of our interview with Blake Mycoskie. (Full text below)...
Toyama "Compact City" With Citizen Involvement
by greenz.jp, Tokyo, Japan on 09.18.08
When Toyama City in western Japan was considering different alternatives for its development, it hit upon a good source of ideas: its citizens. Holding meetings and discussions with the people in the pop. 400,000 town helped City Hall decide that a Light Rail Transit (LRT) would be ideal for getting people around. The alternatives? To build massive parking centers and generally lose sight of the city center. What people felt was that as they get older, using cars would be less convenient, anyway.
"It was one of the most difficult tasks for the elderly who have not driven cars to go out into the town," said Yoshimitsu Kametani, the 78-year-old chairman of a citizens' group promoting the new trolleys: now passengers have more than doubled to 5,000 per weekday and jumped nearly five times higher to 5,600 on weekends and holidays.
Toyama City uses TLR0600 type trains from Niigata Transit jointly developed with Siemens. It runs on an old track from 1923 on the main street of this port city, and quickly celebrated 1 million users in 2006. In Japan, Toyama is seen as a front-runner using new trains on fully renovated infrastructure. But the key concept has been to promote the LRT project as part of a "Compact City" drive.
More comments and train-spotting photos below the fold....
15 Modern Sheds For the Move Home to Mom
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.18.08
Sheds in the Great Depression
With the financial and market meltdown one of two things may be happening: You are moving home to live with Mom, or you are mom or dad and the kids are moving back with you. In such circumstances it might be nice to have a place to get away to. That is one of the great selling points for garden sheds; they often do not need building permits, there is now a wide selection of them, and they are the gateway drug for modern prefab.
...
100% Design London: Showcase of Canadian Talent
by Jenna Watson, Barcelona on 09.18.08
Design Exchange Flyer Featuring Canadian Artists at 100% Design London.
We met Pablo Pineda Willis in Toronto this winter while he was still a student and was displaying his chair at the Interior Design Show with his fellow craftsmen from Sheridan College. We were impressed that he sought us out to look at his green design. Colin also wrote about Pablo's various designs this year.
Now his work is being showcased at 100% Design this week in the UK capital along with other impressive Canadian designers. He told us in Toronto that he uses domestic and responsibly harvested wood. He elaborates on his website that he also uses glues that are non-toxic and water-based and wherever possible Pablo uses natural oils or water based lacquers and finishes. He boldly states, “My furniture is green.”...
Hermit Cabin By Mats Theselius and Arvesund
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.18.08
This distinctly retro garden shed is the Hermit' Cabin, designed by Mats Theselius has and Arvesund Tradesign. It is built from wood from old Swedish barns, and " recycles not only materials but also history and emotions."
Since 2001 they have shipped and installed cabins all over the world. ...
Ecotricity CEO's Electric Car Takes Shape: Your Help Needed to Name It
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 09.18.08
Deconstructing the Egg Carton
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.18.08
Sometimes it is easy to see why people just throw up their hands and ignore issues of the health and ethics of food choices. Take the egg. Please.
Catherine Price writes in the New York Times about the different labels that one has to slog through when deciding on an egg, starting with grade and size, then going through cage free, free range, pasture raised, American Humane Certified, Organic, Vegetarian Fed, No Hormones, and No antibiotics. Oh, and don't forget the Omega 3!
There are even more in the ::New York Times
More on Food Labelling in TreeHugger
Should Food Labelling Show Water Footprint?
Organic and Air Freighted? Maybe Not For Much Longer..
USDA Waters Down Organic Standards ...
Survey: Are You Changing Your Habits Because of the Credit Meltdown?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.18.08
Tom Fishburne wonders about "the impact of a recession on ethical consumerism. As consumer's start squeezing their pocketbooks, how will this affect brands with a social mission that also carry a premium?"
...
Carbon Offset Watch Ranks the Voluntary Carbon Market
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 09.18.08
This week the covers were taken off a new consumer resource -- an independent ranking of Australian carbon offset providers. The Total Environment Centre, the consumer advocacy group Choice, and the Institute for Sustainable Futures combined their talents to offer Carbon Offset Watch.
It ranks 20 carbon offset providers in the categories of outstanding, good and average. It would liked to rank 50 or so such providers, but 30 declined to respond to their survey and another four didn’t fully complete the survey. Even for those that are included, Carbon Offset Watch still provides a list of purchasing tips, so you know you’re likely to be buying exactly what you want.
Such a third party assessment tool is good news for consumers wanting a little credibility in an offset market has been likened to the new Wild West, full of ‘cowboys’ out to make a quick buck. However the website also paints a less than rosy picture for the way ahead of what are known as the 'voluntary carbon market.'...
Nau Eco Clothing Readies Itself for a Rebirth
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 09.18.08
The phoenix rising of eco outdoor wear company, Nau, appears to be on track for the release of their new collection next month. When we last spoke to Ian Yolles, marketing head for the firm about the relaunch, it was clear that it wouldn’t be business as usual for Nau, even under the supportive wing of new parent corporation, Horny Toad. More detail of just what changes are afoot is slowly filtering out via their ongoing blog and email newsletter.
We already knew that the retail stores weren’t coming back. Recently it was announced that the range will have about 40% of the originally planned Fall-Winter 2008 line. Down to 69 styles from 170. You can get a sneak peek of some of these on the Nau Flickr page. You can also see some other pix at ... ...
Eco Chick's Book Launch, Ecorazzi Glimpses Brad Pitt's Body Wash, The Good Fight talks Color, and More
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 09.18.08
Eco Chick: Eco Chick Guide to Life Takes Off! by Starre Vartan
"I’m thrilled to announce that the first few weeks have been crazy-successful for my book, based on this very blog right here: The Eco Chick Guide to Life: How to Be Fabulously Green. Thanks to everyone for all their support!"
Ecorazzi: First Look At Brad Pitt’s Green Body Cleanser by Michael d'Estries
"Last month’s announcement that Brad Pitt was hooking up with Kiehl’s Since 1851 on a new biodegradable body cleanser brought a ton of attention to the company and the cause. The skin and hair care manufacturer worked with the actor to develop a Cradle to Cradle Certified product made from totally environmentally conscious, biodegradable ingredients and packaged in 100% post consumer recycled bottle."...
London Fashion Week: Accessories
by Bonnie Alter, London on 09.18.08
We love shoes--they always fit. At London Fashion Week, there are quite a few bespoke shoes on show: Beyond Skin, Terra Plana and Veja are all familiar names.
The new kid on the block, Nina Dolcetti, comes from eco-royalty: her mother is the creator of From Somewhere, one of the first eco clothing labels and owner of a very hip eco clothing store in London. This is her first solo-show and since she is very pregnant, it is soon to be her first baby too. Her shoes are wonderful: some have old vintage scarves as ties and bands to keep them on. There are some really chunky cork high heels for the daring. Others are little flats in hot pink leather, with a scarf tie around the ankle. All the leather is recycled from left-over scraps, found in the UK and Spain. The shoes are all hand-made in the east end of London. ...
EPA Takes a Lax Approach to E-Waste Monitoring, GAO Report Finds
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 09.17.08
Image from sneak046
Chalk up another success to the fine folks over at the EPA. As The Washington Post's Juliet Eilperin reports, the federal agency has barely raised a finger to regulate the growing flow of e-waste, short for "electronic waste," much of which has been finding its way into countries with lax environmental standards, such as China and India (always to tragic effect).
The stinging Government Accountability Office (GAO) report detailing the findings, commissioned by Democratic House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard Berman, criticizes the EPA for failing to establish a rigorous, national approach for disposing of the waste. The toxic metals found within, including lead, mercury and cadmium, are known to impair thyroid metabolism and brain development. ...
Portable Eco-Spa is on the Move
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 09.17.08
Image source: Zaiden Photography
Coming to a chic, green event near you is a transportable spa experience, run by The Spa Suite, that uses natural massage products and encourages clients to adopt eco-friendly practices outside of the spa. While it might sound like a giant, blow-up bubble with a massage table that pops out in the middle of it, the Suite is actually a very clean, calming structure with wood finishes and natural-looking furniture.
In fact, all materials used in this pre-fab structure were chosen for their sustainability aspects and are all either reclaimed wood or FSC certified wood pieces. The lighting is all LED, and the plants are chosen for their ability to improve air quality, as well as provide an inviting experience for all guests. At just 8' X 16' X 9.5', there is plenty of room so you don't end up feeling like you're getting an MRI instead of a massage. In fact, the Spa Suite can just as easily be used for a prep room (complete with catering of local, seasonal fare), as a massage studio. Either way guests leave feeling transformed and calmed. ...
Using a Venture Capital Model to Fund "Conservation Entrepreneurs"
by Kimberley D. Mok, Montreal, Canada on 09.17.08
Photo: WCN co-founder Charles Knowles with some of the Mbuti Pygmies who are on the staff of the Okapi Conservation Project in the DR Congo (WCN)It may seem incongruous at first glance, but a Los-Altos, California-based group is implementing a venture capital-based approach to help save the world’s endangered species, while also engaging the communities that would most economically and socially benefit from local conservation efforts. By funding passionate people with original ideas – or whom they call “conservation entrepreneurs” – the Wildlife Conservation Network (WCN) aims to protect species at risk through a careful process identifying, reviewing and selecting projects that will have the greatest positive impact on conservation of wildlife and communities alike. ...
HT Naturals: Part of the Solution Clothing
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 09.17.08
Image source: HT Naturals
Their Spring 2009 line is made from bamboo, soy, hemp, recycled PET, and/or organic cotton. The prints are really cute, including a scoop neck tee with tie across the back. Hoodies, halters, draw-string shirts and dresses are also popular next season, with bright colors and prints. They get a little more adventurous with a mens v-neck cardigan sweater. Could see this on a hipster, but it'll definitely take some confidence to wear a v-neck cardigan.
HT Naturals, a Canadian organic clothing company, has a young, relaxed, classic style in all of their clothing, with many styles returning season after season. Colors have also improved over the years by the increasing variety in their color palette and the gradual move away from neutral, earth tones.
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Majora Carter to Speak at NC Green Collar Conference
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 09.17.08
Conference as Catalyst for Green Jobs
Green collar jobs are without doubt something that we TreeHuggers believe in. Whether it’s Van Jones’ Green For All initiatiave, or that rare-thing, Federal support for sustainable employment, the idea of moving our economy beyond pollution, waste and fossil fuels is certainly an appealing one. Which is why I am more than a little disappointed that I’ll be out of town this weekend, as NC Central University is hosting Growing a Green, Just Economy - a day long event that precedes the Green Jobs Now National Day of Action on the 27th. Keynote speakers at the event are Majora Carter, founder of Sustainable South Bronx, and Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, State President of the NAACP. The conference is being billed as a catalyst for major green jobs initiatives in the state:
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Without Subsidies Coal & Oil Companies “Out of Business in a Couple Years”: Robert Kennedy Jr
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09.17.08
10 Silly (Yet Serious) Park Signs, Futuristic Fuel-Efficient Cars and Banned Snowmobiles
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 09.17.08
:: Green Upgrader rounds up ten funny signs reminding us to respect nature.
:: Gas 2.0 asks, do cars have to look like spacecraft to get decent fuel economy?
:: A U.S. federal judge bans snowmobiles from Yellowstone National Park.
Most Huggable is a regular roundup of some of Hugg's top green news stories. Why not submit your own green news?...
San Francisco Sunday Streets: "Streets are for People"
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 09.17.08
Bill Gates Invests in Algae-Based Biofuels
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 09.17.08
Windows Money for Algae Fuels
Bill Gates' Cascade Investment is putting money in Sapphire Energy, one more firm (see 15 Algae Biofuels Startups to Watch) trying to make second generation biofuels out of algae. The company announced that it has raised more than $100 million. Not bad for a 1-year old company.
"The San Diego-based company hopes to make commercial amounts of the fuel in three to five years for a cost of $50 to $80 per barrel. Sapphire selects and genetically modifies algae to maximize their internal production of lipids, or fats and then squeezes that from algae. It says the oil can be used in refineries like normal crude."...
Visit Miami Mindfully, Organize a Neighborhood Clean-up and Hemp Orzo Pasta Salad
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 09.17.08
:: Soak up the sun sustainably with help from our Green City Guide: Miami.
:: Meet neighbors, have fun and green your community at the same time!
:: Get your Omegas with Hemp Orzo Pasta Salad....
Strange Bedfellows: Compromise Renewable Energy & Offshore Oil Drilling Legislation Passes in the House
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09.17.08
photo: dbking
You know that compromise renewable energy legislation package that was introduced into the House of Representatives yesterday? The one which rolled up offshore oil drilling and renewable energy promotion into one big ball that probably won’t please strong supporters of either drilling or renewables too much? Well, it passed by a vote of 236 to 189. As you can imagine, there were some statements against it from both sides of the political spectrum:
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Videos: A Ride in the Tango Electric Car (0 to 60 in 4 Seconds!)
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 09.17.08
Tango Video
TreeHugger reader Danny Fleet send us these videos of him taking a ride in a Tango electric car. Very cool!...
Environmental Impacts Of The Border Wall
by Greg Haegele of Sierra Club on 09.17.08
Why Paper Recyclers Fear Inkjet Growth
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 09.17.08
Image credit: Getty Images
If this were a wall of post-consumer inkjet printed papers, that man would be shaking in his safety boots. Here's why. Inkjets are tempting. The price tag may be hundreds of dollars lower than the price of the laserjets on display nearby. Also, the cartridges will set you back as little as $10, maxing out at about $40, compared to laserjet cartridges which start at $60 and go up to hundreds, if you buy the high yield versions. But that cheap up-front allure masks serious side effects. ...
What Comes After the Volt? Which GM Models Will Use the Volt's Drivetrain?
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 09.17.08
What Comes After the Volt?
We can safely assume that GM didn't develop the "E-FLEX" platform (that's how they call the Volt's series-hybrid powertrain) for just one vehicle. In the same way that Toyota started with only the Prius and then used its "Hybrid Synergy Drive" platform on other vehicles (Camry, Highlander, a bunch of Lexus models), GM is no doubt planning more plug-in hybrids.
So far we can only speculate based on a few things that representatives of the company have said......
Enforcing Traffic Fines for Idling
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 09.17.08
Image source: Mother Proof
Rule 123 of the Highway Code states that "If the vehicle is stationary and likely to remain so for more than a couple of minutes, you should switch off the engine to reduce emissions and oil pollution." The problem is that it also says, "However, it is permissible to leave the vehicle running if the vehicle is stationary in traffic." It is this part that has community members up in arms in Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, where officials are encouraging law enforcement to, well, enforce the laws.
15 States in the US have anti-idling regulations, according to the US EPA and city officials are beginning to crack down - armed with stop watches and ticket books. Denver, CO cops began issuing tickets recently (at $475-105 a pop) for idling. The tickets have nothing to do with air quality or emissions, but rather are an attempt to deter all of the car theft in the city. Motorists who walk away from a running vehicle will return to find a ticket, if their vehicle is still there....
Say Hello to My Little Friend: Living Bacteria Biosensors to Detect Pollution
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 09.17.08
Say Hello to My Little Friend
Detecting pollutants is extremely important. You can't do much about what you don't know, and with limited resources, you have to target your actions to where it will do most good. A new clever way to detect pollution using living bacteria that have been modified to glow when they detect certain chemicals is very promising and could make testing for pollutants faster and cheaper (though it won't be more precise than standard chemical tests).
Living Biosensors on the North Sea
These are not completely new. They have been in the lab for a long time, but they are only starting to be more widely used on the field. Swiss scientist Jan Van der Meer went to the North Sea aboard a research vessel to do some tests. Guess what he found?...
TreeHugger Welcomes Mother Jones
by Mother Jones on 09.17.08
Home Solar Power Installation Loans Approved by Berkeley City Council
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09.17.08
photo: Scott Kraft
If you live in Berkeley, California and have been put off by the initial costs of installing solar panels on your house, this one’s for you. Yesterday the City Council unanimously approved a program to give city-backed loans to homeowners to install solar panels, with the loan being payed off over 20 years on the owner’s property tax bill ( New York Times). Each loan would likely be around $22,000. It’s not a done deal though, one obstacle still remains:
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Yahoo! Tricks Out Flickr Bikes with Cameras and Solar Panels
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 09.17.08
Tricked out bike has solar-powered camera, uploads photos to Flickr wirelessly. Via Yodel Anecdotal
In an effort to promote its purple side, Yahoo! has launched a whole campaign around its signature color. But it has also included a touch of green with a set of solar-powered bikes that photograph the riders' journeys and upload images to Flickr wirelessly. Taking a good look at the bikes, you just might be able to DIY one for yourself. ...
Nokia Back in GreenPeace's Good Graces
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 09.17.08
GreenPeace's Ranking Guide shows how electronics manufacturers line up
The latest edition of GreenPeace's Greener Electronics Guide has Nokia shining in the spotlight with a 7 out of 10. ...
David Adjaye's Pop-Up House
by Bonnie Alter, London on 09.17.08
It's the London Design Festival and TreeHuggers will be crawling all over the city looking for the best of the lot to bring to you daily for the next week. Crawling is the operative word with exhibits and events and lectures everywhere; night and day.
First off, Size + Matter, a special installation to link designers and architects with special materials. A London architect, David Adjaye, has been chosen and the material is American tulipwood. It usually has a limited lifespan outside so it is not often used. However it has been specially treated so that it can be placed outside permanently and this structure is intended to highlight its special qualities. The pavilion is elliptical; the inside is made of two circular chambers which interlock....
Homeless Polar Bear Spotted in Washington DC - UPDATE: Causes Bomb Scare
by George Spyros, New York City, USA on 09.17.08
As Arctic Sea Ice Reaches 2008 low, Street Art Project Highlights Shared Fate of Polar Bears, Humanity
Greenpeace has unveiled a collaborative art project with street artist Mark Jenkins. The venerable eco-org hopes the project, which highlights the shared plight of polar bears and humans in the face of global warming, will help people draw a deep and immediate connection to the reality of the crisis....
Tesla Motors Picks San Jose for $250 Million 'Model S' Plant and HQ
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 09.17.08
Tesla Goes to San Jose
We knew that the manufacturing plant of Tesla's second electric car, the Model S, would be in California, but we didn't know where. Today we learn that San Jose has been picked to host not only Tesla Motors' EV plant and R&D, but also the company's headquarters.
"Construction of the proposed $250 million facility on an 89-acre site, located at Zanker Road and Highway 237 near the San Jose Water Pollution Control Plant in North San Jose, is planned to begin in the summer of 2009. The first vehicles will likely roll off the assembly line in late 2010. When fully operational, the facility will employ approximately 1,000 workers." The plant is expected to get LEED Gold certification. Read on for more details on the Model S and incentives to Tesla....
The Solar Stik: Portable Solar Power Generation, If You Can Afford It
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09.17.08
It may not come cheap, but the Solar Stik offer one more option for portable solar power and one which its makers claim can be a replacement for fossil fuel-powered generators. Solar Stik says its systems are ideal for recreational, emergency, marine, humanitarian and military applications. The US Army has even given it one of its impressive sound acronyms: TESS (Tactical Electric Solar System), like Solar Stik wasn’t cool enough... Check it out:...
The TH Interview: Grace Potter, leading lady of Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
by Alex Smith, San Francisco, California on 09.17.08
If you haven't heard the name Grace Potter yet, I have no doubt you will in the coming months. A rocker chick straight out of green Vermont, Grace and her band the Nocturnals had their audience to seriously rocking out at Outside Lands a few weeks ago. Their style is American rock with a blend of alt country rock, blues and gospel. Grace's huge voice has been compared to some big names including Janis Joplin and Bonnie Raitt. At only twenty four, her sound is soulful, scratchy, beautiful and bold. I was lucky enough to meet up with her during Outside Lands to get the inside scoop her on eco-chick side. More below the fold.
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TreeHugger Welcomes Marissa Moss
by Marissa Moss, Manhattan (Lower East Side) on 09.17.08
Another Opinion: Prefab is Not the Answer to Affordable, Modern and Green Homes
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.17.08
The 100K House
Chad Ludeman, developer of the 100K House, has looked at the prefab industry closely and concludes: "I just don't believe it is the best way of delivering modern design to the average new home buyer." He writes a guest post at Jetson Green that is thoughtful and thorough. He disputes most of the claims made by those promoting modern prefab (including me):
1. Prefab is more Affordable
2. Prefab produces less Waste
3. Prefab takes less Time
4. Prefab is more "Green"...
Underground Coal Gasification: Another Head of the Clean Coal Hydra
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09.17.08
image: Ergo Exergy
Here’s one clean coal technology you may not have heard of: Underground Coal Gasification. An older technology—the Soviets first explored utilizing it in the 1930s; Uzbekistan has had a plant running using this method for 50 years—it is being reinvestigated in a number of countries, with China leading the way, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Now, proponents of UCG are hoping that if they can combine it with carbon capture and storage in situ they will have found a way to keep burning coal and avoid the associated greenhouse gas emissions. There seem to be a lot of ‘ifs’ in this technology, but this is how it works:...
TreeHugger Welcomes Carolyn Strauss!
by Carolyn F. Strauss on 09.17.08
Beer Brewery Has a Solution for What Ales Us: Walk to the Pub
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 09.17.08
What better way to reach Aussies with a message about climate change than through one of their favourite things:- Beer? Coopers Brewery have been running this series of catchy bus stop posters for a year or so now. Whilst I reckon these adverts probably do more to promote preferred mobility options, than the actual brand of beer, others aren’t so sure. The Brisbane Times reports that consumer organisation, Choice, has complained to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, saying such ads are false and misleading, with their "big beer, tiny footprint" tagline.
But in this instance it might not be greenwash. On their website Coopers refer to their onsite 4.4 megawatt (MW) natural gas-powered co-generation plant. They claim the “efficiency of converting fossil fuel energy to useful energy of power and steam is 80%, approximately 2.5 times greater than a conventional coal-fired power station.” ...
GM Introduces Plug-in Hybrid- in 1969
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.17.08
Popular Science asked "wouldn't it be great to have a car that changed from electric drive for use around town to gasoline power for highway driving?" and GM answered with the XP-883.
"It makes so much sense," the magazine wrote in July, 1969, "that we feel they're missing a bet if they don't put it in production."...
FDA Re BPA: " La La La La I Can't Hear You"
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.17.08
The Food and Drug Administration held a scientific hearing to discuss its position on Bisphenol A yesterday, and what they said was, frankly, confusing. AP reports that the FDA continues to defend its position- with caveats.
Laura Tarantino, head of the FDA's office of food additive safety, said “A margin of safety exists that is adequate to protect consumers, including infants and children, at the current levels of exposure.”
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No More Car Loans - Credit Crunch Limits Automotive Purchases
by Mark Ontkush, Boston, Massachusetts, USA on 09.17.08
Nice summary over at at Kicking Tires about one of the more immediate effects of the Wall Street Giddyap - no more car loans. By now, even my cats are conversant in the underpinnings of the subprime mortgage crisis (knowledge gained from watching this very funny powerpoint no doubt). But It doesn't take my prescient cat to translate; most banks are treading water from making way too many high-risk mortgages, and are simply shying away from adding to their woes by making way too many auto loans. The takeaway for Gentle Reader is that, in all probability, you will be writing that $40,000 check for the Chevy Volt out of your personal account, or driving what you have for a very long time.
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Survey: The Volt- Would You Buy One?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.17.08
So they rolled out the Chevy Volt yesterday, promising 40 mile electric range and and great efficiency when the gas engine kicks in. The price is higher than they hoped, at $40K.
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My Bottom Line is Green: McCain v. Obama on Renewable Energy
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09.17.08
photo: Sparky via flickr
In politics everyone has their bottom line issue: The issue for them which is the ultimate deciding factor when comparing candidates running for office. For me, and I suspect many TreeHugger readers, that issue is the environment.
In that spirit, over the next couple of weeks I’m going to be presenting a series of posts comparing the proposed policies of Barack Obama and John McCain, mostly in their own words and with my take on them at the end. Many people have already made up their minds, but for those who haven’t I hope this comparison proves useful. Renewable Energy is up first:
Continue reading:...
Inner City Youth Discover Jobs, Sustainability, Green Spaces Through Ingenious Program
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 09.17.08
When you consider the reality that so often there are limited supplies of fresh, organic foods available in parts of our inner cities, and that so often the kids living there see few positive career prospects in their future there’s no doubt that a program that’s thriving in St. Paul, Minnesota could serve as a model for success across urban America that could ignite a passion for going green among our inner city youth....
Eco-Friendly Designer Kelly LaPlante Embraces the Three R’s
by Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff, Los Angeles, California on 09.17.08
Kelly LaPlante's eco-friendly DIFFA installation/photo by Natalie Sojka
The design industry is not typically known for its desire to reduce, reuse and recycle. Clients who can actually afford interior designers to “do” their homes have a reputation for an “out with the old, in with the new” mentality that keeps these designers in business.
Read on to find out how sustainably-minded designer Kelly La Plante’s latest show installation took that mentality and turned it on its ear…...
London Fashion Week: Designer Collectives
by Bonnie Alter, London on 09.17.08
Designer Collectives are a great way for young designers to get together and make a name for themselves. Often they may not have the money or the clout or enough fashion savy to get into the big shows so by grouping together these up and coming entrepreneurs can have more of an impact and learn the business from each other.
Revamp is a designer collective consisting of 26 designers; thirteen of them are in the Estethica exhibit at London Fashion Week. Revamp was created and headed up by a Canadian ( those crazy Canucks are everywhere) who was in fashion and became inspired by the level of skill and creativity amongst the young designers. But it is hard for them to compete against imported goods especially in this economy. So she seeks out the designers, and works with them to develop their skills. In order to boost their presence they have linked up with Cancer Research UK, a cancer charity with second-hand shops on the main streets of London.
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Ecological Daydreams: Our Veggie Oil powered caravan to Costa Rica
by Stephen Brooks, Punta Mona, Costa Rica on 09.17.08
Our crew at the Huehuecoyotl Ecovillage, Tepoztlan, Mexico
On November 10, 2003 twenty-six of us aboard two school buses and a pickup truck all running on recycled vegetable oil departed Berkeley, California on a journey through Mexico and Central America en route to our final destination, Punta Mona, Costa Rica. We ranged from a 20 year old hippie from Ohio, a hobo anarchist from Los Angeles to a 55-year old radical clown named Brino, and we lived in very close quarters. ...
The Asian Food Pyramid
by greenz.jp, Tokyo, Japan on 09.16.08
I was delighted with the Image of the Day: If Kids Designed the Food Pyramid entry, and here is the Food Pyramid from Japan. This image is widely promoted by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. It shows a spinning top to illustrate the nation's goal for "food balance" or a balanced diet. The Japanese guide resembles a spinning top, and note at the very top there is a guy running, as a reminder of the need for exercise!
More details below the fold....
Chicken Project Creates Controversy in NY Schools
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 09.16.08
While the chicken industry may leave much to be desired, there’s an ecology program at Canandaigua Academy in Canandaigua, New York that’s drawing fire for the manner in which it teaches kids about food production and its consequences ecologically despite the fact that so few people have any idea of the connection our food has to the world around us.
Of course, there are bound to be TreeHuggers finding themselves on either side of the fence when it comes to the controversy surrounding it. And that’s just the type of thing that makes this such an interesting situation.
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10 Things I Can Do to Help My World a Great Book for Kids
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 09.16.08
If you’ve got a young child or a Pre-K classroom near you that could benefit from a cute book that helps even the smallest child consider simple ways that they can help to take better care of our world then there’s a good chance this book is just what you’re looking for. Reminding them in gentle ways of the little things they can do to help the earth like turning off the water when they’re busy brushing their teeth, remembering to use both sides of the paper when drawing a picture, or planting seeds and watching them grow....
Oh! So Close: Arctic Sea Ice Summer Melt Fails to Set Record in 2008
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09.16.08
photo: Cleaves
In the close but no cigar category, scientists are saying that the extent of summer melt-off of Arctic sea ice appears to have passed its minimum extent this year without setting a record. According to the US National Snow and Ice Data Center, Arctic sea ice covered 4.5 million square kilometers at its lowest point on September 12. Last year’s record melting left 4.1 million square kilometers of ice still intact.
While you might be inclined to see this as good news, Dr Walt Meier of the NSIDC doesn't think so:...
Eco-conscious Canoeing, Deep Dish Apple Pie and a Challenge to Change the World
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 09.16.08
:: Go canoeing with these three, easy green steps.
:: Pair a hot mug of organic coffee with deep dish apple pie. Mmm...
:: Convince your green goblin to enter the Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge....
Nanotech Breakthrough Could Offer More Efficient Energy Storage
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09.16.08
image: Wikipedia
Many people believe that lack of efficient enough storage is one of the hurdles to be cleared before renewable energy can truly reach its potential. Towards that end, scientists from the University of Texas as Austin have announced that they have made a nanotech breakthrough using Graphene, a one atom thick carbon material, which they say could lead to new energy storage solutions. ...
Grind for the Green
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 09.16.08
VW Golf Diesel BlueMotion Concept: 62 MPG, 99g CO2/km
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 09.16.08
Losing the "Hybrid" Part
First Volkswagen introduced a Golf Turbo-Diesel Hybrid concept, then it gave us more details about it, and finally it announced that it wouldn't produce it because it was too expensive.
But not all is lost! While the Golf diesel-hybrid was rated at 70 MPG US, VW's new BlueMotion Golf concept is rated at 62 MPG US (and 99 grams of CO2 per kilometer) and has a better chance of coming to market. Read on for more details....
Dramatic Ice Loss May Get the Headlines, But 72% of Greenland’s Ice Melt Comes From Small Glaciers Researchers Say
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09.16.08
photo: kaet44
Recently there’s been a whole bucket full of Arctic climate change bad news, including the news that 83 square miles of Ellesmere Island’s ice shelf has been lost this summer alone due to warming temperatures.
While this sort of ice loss is dramatic (entire sections of the ice sheet have become detached) researchers at Ohio State University who have been studying ice melt over in Greenland say that while the losses on a few large glaciers have caught people’s attention, the majority of ice melt there really comes from dozens of smaller sources. Their research was recently published in Geophysical Research Letters and comes to the following conclusions:...
Compromise Renewable Energy & Offshore Drilling Bill Unveiled by Dems
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09.16.08
photo: Stephen
While renewable energy tax credits are withering away in the Senate, the Democrats have unveiled a compromise piece of legislation to the House of Representatives which aims to increase the amount of renewable energy used in the United States, lower gas and energy prices for consumers, and would allow offshore oil drilling provided it was done at least 50 miles offshore.
You can read the full text of the Comprehensive American Energy Security and Consumer Protection Act if you like (it’s 290 pages of Congress-speak) , but here are the main points in the issue areas which this legislative package covers:...
TS Designs B100 Green Gala
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 09.16.08
Image source: Piedmont Biofuels
Who doesn't love a good party, especially one that involves B100 (100% biodiesel) fueling stations? October 4, 2008, TS Designs and Piedmont Biofuels will co-host a ribbon cutting for their brand new B100 fueling station as part of their larger, first annual Green Gala. Known for pushing for better and better eco-friendly printing on clothing (not to mention 100% organic, made in America, and sweatshop free), TS Designs has also been quietly behind the scenes pushing to make their company as green as possible. Now, not only are they brewing their own B100, but they built a fueling station to provide biodiesel infrastructure for the community as part of the Piedmont Biofuels Community Trail....
Could We See Another Katrina in California?
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 09.16.08
Image: Flickr
Thats what some scientists are saying according to a new article published in OnEarth, but this one won't come from a hurricane. The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, an 1,153 square mile area that was once marsh flats has now been managed and converted over to farm lands, most of which sit below sea level. The 1,110 miles of levees in this area are also on the verge of collapse due to unchallenged growth in the area and climate change. The result: A collapse of the one barrier that is keeping saltwater from devastating freshwater supplies for over 23 million residents and farms in California. One question: Who should be the one to make sacrifices in order to ensure a sustainable water supply?...
TreeHugger Develops Automated Cat Box Ventilator
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.16.08
I was dismayed to learn from Boing Boing about our TreeHugger Community Liason Alan Graham's "Cat Jet" litter box ventilator- he didn't think it was green enough for TreeHugger. He is right; what self-respecting TreeHugger would use a 90 watt bathroom exhaust fan? It is serious electrical and mechanical overkill- they usually move about 150 cubic feet per minute, which would evacuate the box in about three quarters of a second. He did hooked it up to his computerized home automation system and a motion detector so that it is not constantly exhausting, but still, there is room for improvement......
Repackaged, "Luxury" Mooncakes Foil China's Wasteful Packaging Ban
by Alex Pasternack, New York, NY on 09.16.08
China has a packaging problem. I don't mean a branding problem. I mean the materials that companies cover their stuff with.
The Mooncake
Consider the ubiquitious and essential mooncake, which during Mid-Autumn Festival is given as a gift to and from government officials, company bosses, journalists and, last but not least, family and friends. The cake is an essential part of the holiday -- much like America's fruitcake -- and is, as far as I can tell, about as loved.
But the mooncake arguably has a heavier ecological footprint: thanks to its often wasteful packaging and accessorizing, it is one of China's most popular tools of conspicuous consumption (consider Haagen-Daaz's opulent $80 offering, or mooncakes coupled with bottles of wine, digital cameras, or even homes). And even on non-Moon Festival days, it can be hard to find a pack of average-priced cookies or snacks that doesn't require Manchurian-like fortitude to get through layers of plastic. ...
Ultracapacitor Nanotech Breakthrough Could Boost Storage Capacity and Power Output
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 09.16.08
Ultracapacitors
"Imagine a cell-phone battery that recharges in a few seconds and that you would never have to replace. That's the promise of energy-storage devices known as ultracapacitors, but at present, they can store only about 5 percent as much energy as lithium-ion batteries."
Ultracapacitor Nanotech Breakthrough
This sentence encapsulates well both the enormous promises and the big problem of ultracapacitors. Thankfully, engineers and researchers haven't said their last word. They are working out on squeezing out more storage capacity into capacitors, and the latest breakthrough has to do with "Nanoflowers"......
Image of the Day: If Kids Designed the Food Pyramid
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.16.08
Used with permission by Tom Fishburne, who drew it for Tanya Wenman Steel's cookbook Real Food for Healthy Kids via ::Tom Fishburne...
Increasing Equality By Educating Every Child
by Lester Brown, Washington, D.C on 09.16.08
Arctic Ice Is Melting At Record Highs
by Eric Leech, New York, NY on 09.16.08
Photo by Steve from London.
According to the National Snow and Ice Center, last year, the Arctic Sea broke an all-time record high for the amount of ice that was recorded melting. While proving to be quite a positive experience for the numerous boats who were in need of gaining passage across the Northern America's without ice blockades, the polar bears and other arctic animals were none too happy about the situation. The polar bear population has already suffered quite a blow from the diminishing sections of their native ice habitat.
...
Yet Another Bisphenol A Pile-on: Linked to Heart Disease, Diabetes and Liver Problems
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.16.08
Canned Babies by Todd Huffman
Now let's see, studies have shown that it grows breasts on men while it reduces their sperm counts, causes women to get early puberty and possibly breast cancer, and worse than that, it can even make you fat. and possibly stupid. But the ever-vigilant Food and Drug Administration thinks the stuff is is just fine for babies.
Perhaps they might want to have a look at the latest study from a team of British and American Scientists, which determined that people with higher levels of bisphenol A had higher rates of heart disease, diabetes and liver abnormalities. ...
Brooklyn Children's Museum by Rafael Vinoly
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.16.08
No, it's not a new IKEA store, (the base would be blue) it is the expanded Brooklyn Children's Museum by Rafael Vinoly that opens on September 20. According to Nicholas Tamarin at Interior Design, it is the "city's first LEED Silver-certified museum."...
Exposed: Photos Show Kimberly-Clark Gets Trees From Ancient Forests
by Daniel Kessler, Greenpeace on 09.16.08
Video About GM Volt Electric Car Battery System
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 09.16.08
Large-Scale Alternative Energy Projects Facing Credit Crunch
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 09.16.08
Reuters is among the first to report on the negative impacts of the banking crisis on commercial alternative energy projects. Although the cites are from a European context, commercial loan sources are drying up for alternative energy projects everywhere. The renewable energy sector will see a 21 billion euro ($29.43 billion) shortfall in debt finance by 2020, following the credit crisis and a brake on lending, a senior banker said on Monday...The result has been "the worst liquidity crisis in recent memory", said Andrew Marsden, managing director for Europe at GE Capital, which has a $4 billion portfolio of renewable energy assets...However, Marsden added: "Money is still there for renewables, (especially) private equityVia::Forbes, Credit crisis hurting clean energy sector - bankers Image credit::New York Times, A figure in a window at Lehman Brothers headquarters in New York on Monday. Large scale, capital-intensive projects of any kind, especially those with long pay-back periods and/or facing difficulties in obtaining construction permits will be the first to be screened out. With materials costs growing ever higher, banks simply won't take a high risk of project delay. What does this mean for climate action?...
GM Releases 2011 Chevy Volt Photos & Specifications! (Tons of Photos)
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 09.16.08
Tons of Photos of the Volt, Interior & Exterior
We already knew what it looked like because of "leaked pictures" (who knows if it was an accident or not), but now GM has officially released pictures of the Volt plug-in hybrid for its centennial along with some technical specifications.
Read on for a lot more pics and specs.
Update: What Comes After the Volt? Which GM Models Will Use the Volt's Drivetrain? and GM to Build the Volt's 1.4L Engine in Flint and Double Production of Small 4-Cylinder Engines by 2011....
Deserted Coal Mines Provide Water For Fish Farms in West Virginia
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09.16.08
photo: andyabides via flickr
TreeHugger has covered fish farming a number of times; in fact just yesterday we covered a Worldwatch Institute report which claims that sustainable fish farms can feed the world. Today the same source is highlighting fish farms in what may seem an unlikely location (West Virginia) and using an unlikely source of water (deserted coal mines). Yeah, I found it slightly odd too, but read on; it’s not as crazy as it sounds:...
Jargon Watch: Locavolt
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.16.08
Great word. It appears to have been coined by Peter Asmus, who wrote in his blog:
"The “locavore” movement is big, especially in California. With the bounty of food found locally in the Bay Area, living off the land – and sea – is not only possible, but a delicious exercise.
Less obvious is a brewing “locavolt” revolution that is challenging our status quo approach to providing power. In response to high gasoline and natural gas prices, global climate change, and the terrorist threat, people are looking to generate power right in their own homes and neighborhoods. California is again in the lead, pushing towards greater energy independence. "
...
Quote of the Day: Bucky Fuller on How We Live
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.16.08
Fuller in 1949 with scale models of his Standard of Living Package and Skybreak Dome.
Allison Arieff reviews the Buckminster Fuller retrospective at the Whitney. She writes "His brain was constantly consumed with the serious issues of his day — issues that are still very much ours." and notes that Fuller was obsessed with how people were housed:
“Our beds are empty two-thirds of the time.
Our living rooms are empty seven-eighths of the time.
Our office buildings are empty one-half of the time.
It’s time we gave this some thought.”
::New York Times...
Walkable Neighborhoods Hosts Carnival of the Green
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 09.16.08
This week is Carnival of the Green # 145 and it's being hosted by Walkable Neighborhoods, a site dedicated to educating people about walkable neighborhoods and helping people find these type of neighborhoods. What is a walkable neighborhood? Check it out and then head on over to this week's Carnival to find 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!...
NY Fashion Week: At Home with Ali Hewson's 100% African EDUN Collection
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 09.16.08
Me with my eco-rockin' style icon, Ali Hewson!
Though I consider it my favorite fashion line, I own only one EDUN t-shirt. It’s black and awesome and it has a bad-ass tiger print on it. Whenever I wear it, I feel sexy, cool and totally satisfied that the proceeds didn’t fund a sweat shop in China, but rather, helped drive sustainable employment in sub-Saharan Africa.
You can imagine how stoked I was then, when I had the chance to go to EDUN’s Spring/Summer 2009 preview party and talk to creator, Ali Hewson, the totally sweet and down-to-earth rock mama who started the socially conscious company with her husband Bono back in 2005. ...
Green Crude Made From Algae Grown on Sewage: New Zealand’s Aquaflow Bionomic Corp.
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09.16.08
photo: Aquanomics Bionomics Corp.
Add another company to the growing list of candidates for the first company to make commercial-scale quantities of “green crude”. New Zealand-based Aquaflow Bionomic Corporation has announced that it has produced its first samples of algae-based synthetic gasoline at a (undisclosed) commercially competitive price. There’s not much available on the announcement on the company’s website, but this is what we’ve got so far:
...
Peru: 4500 Megawatt Wind Power Projects in Study
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires on 09.16.08
(Photo credit: Getty Images.) Wind power projects for a total of 4500 megawatts have been granted to several investing companies in Peru and are being analyzed for approval, while a wind map to inform investors about the capacity of different parts of the country will be available in a few months, the Energy and Mining Ministry of Peru announced recently (PDF link).
Both news are part of a policy by the government to push renewable energies, which includes incentives for investors, among them a 12% internal rate of return and guaranteed purchase for the generated electricity, The Temas Blog notes. The government wants to have 5% of energy coming from wind in two years.
Did you know that the Peruvian coastline has a potential for 65,000 megawatt wind power generation? Keep reading for more....
150,000 Honey Bees Descend On Central Tokyo
by greenz.jp, Tokyo, Japan on 09.16.08
Creative Commons. Some Rights Reserved. Photo by Joel Olives
150,000 honey bees descend and ascend in central Tokyo, and generally fly about. So, OK, I admit it, no horror story or freak-of-nature side effect of global warming here, just a fascinating example of grow local, eat local in the middle of the most populous agglomeration in the world.
In the Ginza commercial district of Tokyo, the location of the first street lighting and subway in Japan and now Japan’s primary consumerist holy site with the world's largest Gucci flagship store and the headquarters of many of the major advertising agencies (and thus also the headquarters of many consumer goods manufacturers), a humble experiment in honey production has begun to show startling success....
Protect Your Sandwich With The Anti-theft Lunch Bag
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.16.08
TreeHugger promotes healthy diets and frugal living, so taking your organic arugula sandwich on homemade whole-grain beats the KFC any day. But such delicacies are often stolen by people who "accidentally" mix them up with their own bologna on Wonderbread.
Sherwood Forlee to the rescue, with the Anti-theft Lunch Bag. ...
Irish Hunger Striker Faces Down Shell Pipeline
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 09.16.08
Assembling a Molecular Architecture: Mobile Dining
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.16.08
"Arising out of mutual interests in urban agriculture, community engagement and a belief in social value of sharing food, Mount Dennis Community Kitchen has joined forces with Masters of Architecture students at the University of Toronto to design and build a mobile community kitchen for the historic Mount Dennis neighbourhood."
Students at the University of Toronto Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design (full disclosure: my Alma Mater) built the mobile kitchen from recycled materials.
...
Carticipate iPhone Mobile Social Network Ride Sharing Application
by George Spyros, New York City, USA on 09.16.08
Carticipate is the first location-based mobile social network application for ride sharing, ride combining, and car pooling on a mobile platform -- specifically, the iPhone. The download is free and allows users to indicate where they are going and when, broadcast this information, and allow others in the same area (with iPhones) going in the same direction to find each other. Any tech that conserves resources to lessen environmental impacts while also connecting people is what we call way susty. Launched only a few weeks ago, Carticipate is currently limited by the small number of people who have signed up. However, if a critical mass of travelers join the network, Carticipate holds the promise of becoming the "Craigslist of carpooling." Pile into this virtual clown car for a video test-drive after the jump....
Flatpack Uber Shelter is Multi-storey
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.16.08
We have shown quite a few emergency shelter designs, but Rafael Smith may have come up with the first high-density multi-storey one. "This project is a shelter solution that meets the needs of emergency response but also provides victims with a more personal place to live; a base unit that can serve as a very basic shelter but also have the capabilities to upgrade and implement modern infrastructure. This shelter is also stackable. Many alternative housing solutions deal with small scale but can’t cope with large scale displaced populations."
...
Survey: Should Eco-Driving be Part of Driver Training?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.16.08
Mike writes in his post Real-World Anecdote: How You Drive is Very Important for Fuel Economy about basic green driving skills: "These kinds of basic driving tips should be part of all drivers' education before getting a license. It won't stick with everyone, but it will be better than nothing."
...
Bill McKibben to Speak at Bristol Schumacher Conference 2008
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 09.16.08
The UK green community is getting very excited about the imminent arrival of the always inspiring Bill McKibben on our shores. McKibben is without doubt one of TreeHugger's favourite writers and one of the most influential and passionate voices on sustainability that we have today. McKibben will attend the Schumacher Conference 2008 in Bristol on October 11th as the keynote speaker.
The conference is titled: Less is More: Can we Really Live Better by Consuming Less? McKibben will be talking about his 350 campaign and 'The Quest for Human Satisfacation'. Alongside him will be the formidable Jonathon Porritt chairing the event and others speakers include Rob Hopkins of Transition Towns and Solitaire Townsend of Futerra. Click over the page to find out how you can attend....
London Fashion Week: Canadian Invasion
by Bonnie Alter, London on 09.16.08
It's London Fashion Week and once more Estethica has a gorgeous selection of sustainable fashion. It is the the fifth year of this important addition to the London Fashion Week scene: a special exhibit of designers who uphold the principles of fair trade, organic fabrics and recycling in their eco-labels. There is a good mix of the familiar and the new and there are lots of Canadians.
First off, from Québec City is Myco Anna. They have been creating eco-fashion for twelve years and have just made the big break into London. Their clothing is bright, colourful and wacky, with all different mis-matched patterned fabric stitched up artfully into one dress. The pieces are made out of recycled fabrics, old sweaters, ends of bolts from outlets and picked apart knitwear. Their scarves, for that cold Quebecois climate, are brightly coloured with fur bits on the end that are taken from old fur coats. The dresses feature asymmetrical cuts and flared skirts with pockets. Colourful accents are added in recycled inserts and appliqués. A really fun and lively look with that special Québecois joie de vivre. ...
Gloomy Economy Doesn't Stop the Danes From Eating More Organic
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 09.16.08
It's a Danish (though possibly not organic) by kspoddan @ flickr.
While in Britain researchers have found organic sales suffering slightly as consumers feel the gloom of high oil prices and global economic woes, in Denmark organic food consumption, already quite high, is still rising! Denmark had one of the first labeling programs for organic, which will now be extended to give restaurants and caterers three levels - gold, silver, bronze - of certification depending on the percentage of organic raw materials they use.
More organic food in regular-folks stores?
For years, organic sales growth has been in the double digits. And it is still expected to prosper, as super-high fossil fuel costs narrow the gap between conventional and organic cost differences. On the other hand, inflation has caused food purveyors in the U.S. and Britain like Whole Foods to struggle to move away from their "Whole Paycheck" image as consumers get price sensitive...and therein lies the clue to Denmark's success....
Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge Kicks Off with Middle School Students Across U.S.
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 09.15.08
If you’ve been waiting for something great to make you stand up and find a way to change the world there’s no doubt that the Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge is built for you. Launched in collaboration between the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), the Siemens Foundation and Discovery Communications as a means to educate, empower and inspire students and their teachers to become agents of change in making the environment a top issue in their neck of the woods.
And the prizes for the top entries that students submit are sure to grab their attention!...
Car2Go’s Urban Car Share Goes Vroom Through a Congested Tel Aviv
by Karin Kloosterman, Tel Aviv on 09.15.08
Living in a kibbutz has the makings for a good life. You have no need for money, have your breakfast served like clockwork in the morning, your clothes get washed by someone else, and your kids can play freely unsupervised. Another bonus of belonging to the community of a kibbutz – a socialist model developed in Israel –– is use of the kibbutz car fleet. You don’t own a car in a kibbutz, but sign one out, when you need it.
Taking the kibbutz cooperative model to the urban environment is Car2Go an Israeli company that uses the concept of car sharing (similar to Zipcar in New York and New Jersey) transporting it to Tel Aviv. ...
Maggie's Organics Workers Monkey Around
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 09.15.08
Image source: Maggie's Organics
Taking creativity and sustainability to the next level, workers in Maggie's Organics new worker-owned coop are now using "less than perfect" leftovers from the solid cotton crew-top organic socks manufactured there to make sock monkeys. This is the first product produced by the worker-owned co-op, located in North Carolina, and is the first product made for the Eco-Menagerie line. Each of the monkeys has distinct detailing like two-toned arms, sewn-on faces and mischievous smiles, and they come in a variety of shades....
Bear vs. Bike: Cyclist Hits 300-Pound Black Bear
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 09.15.08
Colbert Was Right
In urban areas, cyclists need to watch out for cars. But in more rural places, there are other dangers. 57-year-old Jim Litz, a science teacher in Missoula, Montana, learned this when he t-boned a black bear while riding his bike to work. Read on for the details....
UC San Diego Installs Unique Solar Shade-Trees
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 09.15.08
Image source: Envision Solar
UC San Diego is using one of its free gifts - some of the best solar exposure in the country - to further power and shade the campus. Several solar trees (solar panels installed on a vertical racking system that supports the "canopy" solar array) will be installed over two parking garages on campus as part of a "forestation" program on campus. The "trees" will also shade vehicles and provide an energy source for campus electric cars.
The "Solar Tree" idea is a new racking system that is "native" to San Diego and was developed by Envision CEO Robert Noble. The Solar Tree design was first used at the Solar Grove in Kearny Mesa and now at UCSD. The concept uses biomimicry by developing a solar racking system that also provides additional benefits to the surrounding area. The solar tree system allows for easy installation of an outlet for electric vehicle charging. Other, traditional, pole-mounted systems are similar, but not really geared to shade the area underneath them....
Real-World Anecdote: How You Drive is Very Important for Fuel Economy
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 09.15.08
No, It's Not Always the Car's Fault
Trikkonceptz, a poster on the EcoModder forums, has a nice anecdote about driving behavior and fuel economy (as his forum-signature says: "The biggest FE mod you can make is to adjust the nut behind the wheel").
He works at a car dealership and is really into hypermiling (he modified the front end of his vehicle to make it more aerodynamic). Some one day a customer came in for the third time complaining that his Sport Trac truck was getting 6.9 MPG and that there must be something wrong with it (it's rated at 13 MPG city, 20 MPG highway for a 2WD)......
Green Eyes On: Luna Fest
by Sara Snow on 09.15.08
It is not with any infrequency that I get asked the “what else can I do” question. People and families who are already buying local and organic foods, being conservative in their fuel and electricity consumption, composting and recycling, and plenty of other “beginner” steps, email me to ask, “so what else can we do?” To this I give two answers: get others on board (as in, encourage your neighbors) and volunteer.
There are hundreds of thousands of worthy organizations out there doing tremendously good work, but they could do so much more with a little extra help – your time, talents or money. I have a few favorite organizations that I support: The Organic Center (of which I am a board member), microfinance institutions like FINCA, other food and environmental groups, and another recent favorite: The Breast Cancer Fund. Here’s why I’m so into The Breast Cancer Fund....
Only In America: Billboards Have Rights, Trees Don't.
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.15.08
Before: Evil city trees blocking view of billboards
In Sao Paulo and Buenos Aires, they ban billboards. In America? They pass laws to chop down trees that might block their view. In Florida, they passed a law in 2006 that gave billboards guaranteed views. One Osceola, Florida legislator said "Those billboards are important, they feed lots of families,This is a tourism corridor. Tourism depends on billboards, not on trees."
...
Ethanol Mandates: The Single Most Misguided Agricultural Program in Modern American History
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09.15.08
photo: Robenalt via flickr
It’s all but conventional wisdom at this point that corn ethanol isn’t the renewable energy savior that it was once cracked up to be. Several power farm lobby groups still portray corn ethanol as the answer to the United States’ energy problems and this is why Robert Bryce argues in a new Yale Environment 360 piece that Federal ethanol blending mandates have not be scaled back or repealed. Bryce gives a good overview of the issue:
...
Fisker Raises $65 Million for Karma Plug-In Hybrid Sports Car
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 09.15.08
Cash From Quatar for Fisker
Fisker, the maker of the upcoming Karma plug-in hybrid sports sedan (all-electric range of 50 miles with gas engine kicking-in to charge batteries over that, similarly to the GM Volt), has announced it has closed a $65-million round of financing led by an affiliate of the Qatar Investment Authority, a state-owned, state-funded sovereign wealth fund. Apparently the QIA wants to "strengthen the country's economy by diversifying into new asset classes." In any case, this new hydrocarbon-money should help Fisker put electric cars on the road......
LCD Monitor with ECO-Features and LED Backlight Uses 28% Less Power, Contains No Mercury
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 09.15.08
Greener LCD Monitors
Typical LCD monitors contain a cold cathode fluorescent bulb (CCFL) used as backlight, and while it is relatively efficient, like other fluorescent lights it contains some mercury. OLED displays can help fix that problem, as well as further increase efficiency. But while we wait for them to become more affordable, the in-between step is LED-backlit LCDs. The Eizo FlexScan EV2411W-H (pictured above and below) is a good example.
It has a LED backlight and some interesting power-saving Eco-features......
Sustainable Solutions Expo 2008
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 09.15.08
Image Source: UNC Charlotte
How do you green a village all at once? Well, if you live on a college campus these days with tens of thousands of other students, staff and faculty, the challenge can feel just that daunting. Never fear, the Sustainable Solutions Expo, held jointly with the Association for Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) 2008 conference and co-hosted by Sustainable North Carolina, can hep you find out how to go green on a large scale. ...
The Limits To Voluntary, Self-Reporting Of Greenhouse Gases: Third Party Verification Is Imperative
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 09.15.08
How Representative Are Voluntary Industry Greenhouse Gas Emission Registries? When USEPA or a US trade group promotes a voluntary environmental standard for industry, they'll get participation from the usual sector leaders. The rest pretty much lay back in the weeds, content to do what minimum the actual law requires, until some sort of market advantage becomes obvious or it becomes a requirement to do business in some other nation. That's just how it is: some US companies are "proactive" and others are "reactive" when it comes to the green stuff. Voluntary standards appeal to the "proactives."
Those cmpanies which can measure and cost effectively manage without being told to will; those with more difficulty - more carbon intensive or less technically adept - are unlikely to voluntarily report and manage greenhouse emissions. As a result, the voluntary approach likely provides an imprecise indication of what is being emitted, and and possibly an over-representation of what is doable for emission reductions, by the average industry in a sector. For the first half of the problem at least, there is a prospective solution on the horizon; and, it looks a lot like the best practices for financial accounting.
Practical Problems With Voluntary, Self-Reporting
Voluntary standards for estimating and reporting greenhouse gas equivalents (GHG-e) are available from consortia, trade groups, states, and for-profit entities (see below for example listings). These tend to be described under the catch phrase "climate registry," but implicitly include protocols for measurement, estimation, documentation, and reporting. For North American industry, USEPA has a voluntary standard under development for greenhouse gases. ...
Farnsworth House Flooded Out
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.15.08
We have posted about the Mies Van Der Rohe's Farnsworth House a number of times, often as an example of how NOT to design a building. Today it is under water. It was already elevated on risers, but the Fox River near Chicago has risen two feet above that.
...
Farmers Could Reuse Saltwater With Reverse Osmosis Technology
by Kimberley D. Mok, Montreal, Canada on 09.15.08
Photo: Cypress graveyard due to saltwater intrusion (Paul Goyette on Flickr)One of the biggest problems with the scarcity of freshwater is the over-pumping of groundwater aquifers (especially for agriculture), leading to intrusion of saline water. But Australian scientists at the University of New South Wales and the University of Sydney are now developing another method that could allow farmers with arid and marginal agricultural lands to transform useless, salty groundwater into precious water that could be used to grow crops....
La ‘Taxe Pique-Nique’ Est Ici: France Proposes Tax on Disposable Plasticware
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09.15.08
photo: Duane Romanell
At the beginning of the summer France unveiled its so-called ‘bonus-malus’ system for taxing polluting vehicles and, hopefully, encourage people to purchase less polluting transportation options. Now a similar scheme has been unveiled that would similarly apply taxes on other consumer goods based on their environmental impact.
Cutlery and dinnerware made from plastic and non-biodegradable cardboard has been confirmed to be on the list, hence Le Figaro dubbing it ‘la taxe pique-nique’. How much more will your luncheon in the park going to cost:...
Toronto Considering Deposits On Everything
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.15.08
photo by racineur
Fully 77% of the garbage pulled out of municipal street bins is fast food waste, much of it labelled with the name of Canada's dominant coffee chain. Councillor Gord Perks noted last year: "the city of Toronto, both in households, in street cleaning and in our parks, is paying for the fact the province will not regulate packaging and will not make the manufacturers and producers of that waste pay the cost of cleaning it up."
Now the City is considering some radical moves. According to the Star:...
Canadian Election Update: Economy Trumps Environment
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.15.08
Stephane Dion and Al Gore
Stéphane Dion has based his campaign on the Green Shift, a strong environmental stance that should be drawing all the Canadian Treehugger types to his side. But there is so much history of the Liberals as the Natural Governing Party that many environmentalists just have trouble considering a vote for the Liberals. In fact, the numbers are staggering: in British Columbia and Ontario, Green Party Leader Elizabeth May is outpolling Dion on some questions.
...
How to Go Green: In the Bathroom
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 09.15.08
Photo credit: Getty Images/Peter Dazeley
The bathroom is the room where we begin and end each day, with a variety of cleaning routines designed to help keep us healthy. Odd then, that the room in which we clean our teeth, our skin and the rest of our bodies (not to mention dispose of our waste) is often filled with toxic chemicals, and, even then, not very clean itself. So, how do you stay clean, promote good health, and go green in your bathroom?
We've answered these questions (and more) in the all new How to Go Green: In the Bathroom guide over on Planet Green. Check it out for all the details about going green in your bathroom, and keep reading for a taste of the green bathroom tips....
Sao Paulo Office Building With Green Walls by Triptyque
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.15.08
Triptyque has built an office building in Sao Paulo that proudly wears its services on the exterior with a very industrial aesthetic, but is also full of planted "pores", complete with a misting system. They write:
"Like a living body, the building breathes, sweats and modifies itself, transcending its inertia. The walls are thick and covered externally by a vegetal layer that works like the skin of the structure. This dense wall is made of an organic concrete that has pores, where several plant species grow, giving the facades a unique look."...
Design Your Dwelling Competition Winner Selected
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.15.08
I am a big fan (and used to be a big user) of Sketchup, the easy-to-use drawing software that Google now gives away. They teamed up with Dwell Magazine run a design competition encouraging designers to "think about your idea of a comfortable and sustainable dwelling, and to share it with the world."
The winner is Drew Wilgus, whose entry "stood out for its sustainable elements, integration into the local landscape, keen material use, and striking aesthetic."
...
Can PRT, or Podcars, Replace the Automobile?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.15.08
All images from Advanced Transport Systems- the ULTra
Personal Rapid Transit, or Podcars, are controversial; Catherine G. Burke of USC's School of Policy, Planning and Development makes a spirited defence of them in the Los Angeles Times. She notes that oil and emissions are not the only problems with cars:
"In the near future, 70 million of us will enter retirement, and inevitably some of us will lose the ability to drive a car, whether from physical disability, poverty or denial of insurance. We will need something better than the auto -- and better is here, now."...
Offshore Drilling Graph Speaks for Itself
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 09.15.08
Via Architecture 2030
See also: “Drill Baby Drill” Screams Punctuate McCain’s Energy Policy in Acceptance Speech and Offshore Oil Drilling Will Still Not Lower Gasoline Prices: Barack Obama and Legislative Compromise...
Worldwatch Institute Reports that Sustainable Fish Farms Can Feed the World
by Jeff Nield, Vancouver, British Columbia on 09.15.08
"Lake Sebu tilapia farms" by fragment of angry candy via flickr
We've reported on farmed Atlantic salmon escaping into wild Pacific salmon habitat, and how farmed fish threaten marine life and human health . At the other end of the sustainability spectrum we've also highlighted the benefits of backyard aquaponics.
In Farming Fish For the Future Brian Halweil of the Worldwatch Institute looks at the state of aquaculture around the globe and offers insight into how farming fish can help feed people as well as facilitate the recovery of wild fish populations.
Fish farming has expanded to meet the soaring global demand for seafood. On average, each person on the planet is eating four times as much seafood as was consumed in 1950. The average per-capita consumption of farmed seafood has increased nearly 1,000 percent since 1970, in contrast to per-capita meat consumption, which grew just 60 percent....
MTV Switch Video Targets Greenwashing
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 09.15.08
Straw Bale Eco House at US Botanic Garden
by Eliza Barclay, Washington, D.C. on 09.15.08
Last week, we noted the excellent Sustainable Schoolyards installation at the One Planet--Ours! Sustainability for the 22nd Century exhibit at the United States Botanic Garden, just a stone's throw from the Capitol in Washington, DC. The enlightening exhibition is showcasing a wide variety of garden and home-oriented solutions for sustainable living.
This week we'd like to highlight the very cute straw bale house, sponsored by Builders Without Borders. At 12 feet by 16 feet it's snug but solidly built for a mere $620. On the exterior, the bale walls are protected by a traditional lime plaster and a long-lasting standing-seam metal roof. Nearby is a bamboo shade structure and an adobe arch.
Builders Without Borders is an international network of ecological builders who advocate the use of straw, earth and other local, affordable materials in construction. ...
Sounds Like Science Fiction: Japanese Beam-Down Solar Power System To Be Tested in Abu Dhabi
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09.15.08
image: SENER
When I first saw a headline about “beam-down” solar power the first thing that popped to mind was a Japanese plan which would involve solar panels in space which would generate power which would be transmitted to the Earth’s surface via microwaves. This next post isn’t about that, it is still about scientists in Japan and it is about solar, but that’s pretty much where the similarities stop.
Researchers at the Tokyo Institute of Technology are reporting that they have developed a new Beam-Down solar thermal technology which they say could reduce the cost of solar thermal power. So how does this differ from your garden variety solar thermal power plant?...
Galveston on Stilts
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.15.08
We have all seen the pictures of Galveston under water because of Hurricane Ike; The last time this happened six thousand people died. Instead of moving to higher ground, they moved higher ground to Galveston. Back in May, landscape website Pruned posted on Cornelia Dean's Against the Tide: The Battle for America's Beaches:
"Rather than retreating from the shifting sands to points higher elsewhere, the city instead decided to fence itself off from future disasters with a seawall; raised everything inside — houses, churches, offices, trees, gardens — by as much as 17 feet; and then flooded the revealed negative stratum with silt.
It was a “plan that even in an era of engineering daring stood out for its size, cost, and audacity.”...
Ban Against Plastic Bags: Buenos Aires Province Joins
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires on 09.15.08
(Photo: s2art.) The government of Buenos Aires province (a territory separate from Buenos Aires city but accounting for about 37% of the country population) has approved a law to ban shops and supermarkets to give polyethylene plastic bags in its territory.
In a two-year period, the bags will have to be replaced by recipients from biodegradable materials, such as paper or special plastics that decompose. When that period ends, shops that still give plastic bags could face bills and even closure of their venues.
Find out about repercussions to the measure and other initiatives that are taking place on national and provincial levels in the extended....
Mexican Border Wall Stops Animals Pretty Well, Not So Good On Humans
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09.15.08
Sandwich Bike by Bleijh
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.15.08
The Sandwich Bike, designed by Pieter Janssen and Basten Leijh of Bleijh Concepts and Designs of Amsterdam, was such a hit at the Salone de Mobile in Milan that someone broke in and stole the prototype....
Hey, Big Spender: Discretionary Income Buying Patterns
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 09.15.08
We often hear the complaint that it cost too much to ‘go green.’ This is, of course, a blatant untruth. Those that spend the least, by and large, consume a lesser amount of the world’s many precious and finite resources.
We know that for developed countries, the money spent on essentials like food has been steadily dropping, as their spend on short-lived fashion, energy greedy gadgetry and exotic holidays increases. For example, in figures just released by the the US Department of Agriculture, the average US citizen was found to spend less than 10% of their total income on food, during 2007..
Now the New York Times has put up a remarkable graphic, which clearly indicates what countries spend in the categories of clothing, electronics, recreation, household goods, alcohol and tobacco. The chart shows the per capita consumption of many ‘western’ countries. It is kinda obvious who the big spender is.
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Electrolux Finalist: Kitchen Works In A Drawer
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.15.08
We have shown a lot of small kitchens but this one, designed by Nojae Park for the annual Electrolux Design Lab Competition, takes (and bakes and stores) the cake....
Survey: How Honest Are You?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.15.08
While visiting an organic farm yesterday I was shocked to find a fully stocked store, coolers full of pies, a box full of twenty dollar bills and a sign saying "total up your bill and put the money in the red box" and not a person in sight. As my wife carefully counted out $16.75, I wondered what one might do if they did not have the right change.
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Insulate! Insulate! Insulate!
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.15.08
Bloomberg suggests, and Joe Romm reiterates, that McCain's plan to build 45 nuclear reactors by 2030 might cost the taxpayers almost a third of a trillion dollars, or $ 315 billion. Now that's not much these days, considering what is being racked up for the Iraq war and the Fannie Mae debacle, but to paraphrase Everett Dirkson, a trillion here, a trillion there, pretty soon you're talking about real money.
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Mountain Hardwear Nuts Out Some Green Moves
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 09.15.08
Somehow we missed Mountain Hardwear’s move towards more sustainable practices. The outdoor gear and apparel company, which was started about 15 years ago by old hands from Sierra Designs, has been up to some interesting green type stuff this year.
Giving the initiatives pride of place in their PDF newsletter, they describe how almost half of their laminates for waterproof/breathable shellwear are now solvent free, how 20% of their Mountainwear line is made what they designate as ‘sustainable fibers’, meaning organic cotton, hemp or wool. And finally, on the product side of things, that their anti-microbial (low pong) treatments are derived from Chitosan, which while admirably biodegradable, will not endear itself to our vegan friends, as it is normally made from the exoskeletons of critters such as crustaceans.
And as the above pictures indicate they’ve also been busy greening their built environment. More on that after the fold.
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Respect For The Green Senior Citizens
by greenz.jp, Tokyo, Japan on 09.15.08
(Photo: US Marines of Camp Schwab and members of the Henoko Senior Citizens’ club joined together to beautify a portion of the beach in Okinawa, Japan. Source: Japan Update)
Today we celebrate a public holiday here in Japan, known as "Respect for the Senior Citizens" (also marking the harvest full moon). Demographically speaking, Japan is an aging society, with an increasingly old population. Many of them are actively participating in different activities to save the environment, educating others about sustainable development, or - at least - shaking their heads at the mass-consumption and wastefulness of the younger ones.
According to research by Japan NGO Council on Ageing (JANCA), many seniors are interested and involved in environmental issues, ranging from garbage disposal, maintenance of the natural environment to global environmental problems (e.g., global warming). Their efforts are mostly local and/or the range of their activities may be limited, but, having experienced poverty and pollution, a lot of today’s seniors are apprehensive about the recent “culture of wasting.”
JARC & JANCA started actively encouraging more senior citizens in Japan to tackle environmental problems. They note that JANCA members have brought the green back in the ruins of a fire after the World War II.
We also have the experiences in overcoming pollution due to the industrialization as well as in developing energy-saving technology. Above all, we have the Mottainai spirit that derives from Japanese life culture. As the first generation of the longevity society at a global level, we senior citizens strongly hope that the efforts in environmental protection would be spread worldwide in order to pass the sustainable global environment to the future generations....
Swedish Green Train Project Breaks Speed Barrier
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 09.15.08
Swedes want their future trains to do a lot - go faster (at least up to 250 kilometers per hour, 50 Kph faster than the current X2000) using less energy; easily navigate stretches of bad tracks and sleety, snowy weather; be pretty and comfortable, AND cost less to operate. And oh yeah, they should do it by 2015.
Green Train breaks two Swedish speed records
To achieve those goals, the Swedish Railway Group is counting on a two-car electric-driven (Swedish electricity is mostly from hydro and nuclear) train type called Regina (Swedish designed from Canadian company Bombardier) retroffited with better bogies (wheel-carrying chassis) and noise-proofing to be faster, energy-efficient and comfy. One reason the country wants to get ahead in fast trains is because of the great (somewhat empty) distances between different population centers. Another is that the government realizes it needs to reduce the cost of fast, efficient train travel to compete with low-cost airlines. This summer the hyped-up Reginas got lots of testing, and last weekend broke two previous Swedish records (287 and 295 Kph) by travelling at 303 kilometers per hour. Poor Regina didn't get anywhere near the global record, however....
Martha Stewart's Eco-Chic Ideas for the Home
by Bonnie Alter, London on 09.15.08
We have all had our "Martha Stewart moment" when somehow we pull off something so fashionable and stylish that it seems to be an out of body experience. For your very own Martha moment, we offer the following eco-chic ideas to spruce up your apartment. Don't sneer yet; there are some very cool decorating tips to be found amongst the chaff.
For example, new cushion covers for the dining room chairs made out of old recycled sweaters--very cozy. Rustic candle holders which are made by melting down old candles and putting them in clay flower pots. A few of them together on a table can look very stylish. For displaying cookies: a funky tiered tray made out of mix and match old dinner plates with old tea cups glued in between (pictured).
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Green Student Design Challenges Status Quo at SRD Change 08 Exhibition
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 09.14.08
If profound statements are said to issue from the mouths of babes, then it may be that important and significant innovation springs forth from the pens and computer mice of design students. At least that is the view of the Society for Responsible Design.
The almost 20 year old SRD, which merged with the equally venerable EcoDesign Foundation some years ago, has for five years been gathering up all the sustainably minded students from the myriad universities of Sydney, Australia, and holding a joint exhibition of their work. Over 16 works will be on display this year, including the solar powered, Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) louvre window from 23 year old Damian Savio, (pictured above)
Damian’s 'Lightway' window has a nanotechnology solar film printed on the glass louvres. If these can suck up at least four hours of direct sunlight and another two of daylight it will powered the OLED-enable inner surface of the window for about six hours. Apparently the it will output as much illumination as a 60 watt bulb, but only by drawing five watts. All the while still working as a normal transparent window. And there are more bright ideas from David’s fellow students....
Get Rid of Coal and Use Trees Instead, Urges Hansen
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 09.14.08
Image from *Micky
It's not a sure-fire bet, but NASA climate scientist James Hansen and several colleagues have published an article in the latest issue of Global Biogeochemical Cycles making the case that curbing coal emissions alone could forestall a full-blown climate crisis. While they also recommend reducing the use of oil and gas, they estimate that phasing out coal, which has accounted for roughly 80% of emissions growth since the pre-industrial era (and still contributes a healthy slice), over the next few decades could prevent the planet from entering a prolonged period of climate change.
Instead, humans should grow more trees and burn them to produce electricity, capturing and storing the carbon dioxide generated during the process to further mitigate the environmental toll, Hansen told The Independent's Geoffrey Lean. ...
Power Vote's Nonpartisan Push for Clean Energy
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 09.14.08
Image Courtesy of Power Vote
The Energy Action Coalition is spearheading Power Vote, a political movement focused on getting young voters to register and to support clean energy initiatives in the upcoming election cycles. The concept is simple: interested or concerned youth log on to the Power Vote website, and sign a pledge to make voting for clean and renewable energy their priority this election. And it’s gaining traction fast—Power Vote went from 2,802 to 102,412 pledge signatures in two weeks. At that rate, the organization’s goal of one million pledges seems like no problem. But what, exactly, will the youth of Power Vote do?...
Update: Lammas Ecovillage Initiative Squashed by UK Planning Committee (Again)
by Jesse Fox, Tel Aviv, Israel on 09.14.08
Lammas' eager pioneers: tied up in red tape.
The Lammas ecovillage initiative, labeled "Wales' greenest planning application" by its supporters, has once again been turned down by a local planning commission. The plan, which was rejected last October but has since been revised and resubmitted, envisions a 74 acre off-the-grid and off-the-pipe village, organized based on permaculture principles.
The Design Commission for Wales, an organization established by the Welsh government in 2002 to promote excellence in design, supported the project, calling it "inspirational" and a "benchmark for environmental rural regeneration."
However, the local Pembrokeshire County Council planning committee voted on September 9 not to approve the plan, based on the claim that "some of the activities and structures on the site are not low impact, the proposal may not be able to provide sufficient livelihood for the residents without working off site and not all adults are necessarily required for the proposal to function." ...
Community Based Eco Clothing Line nvohk Unveils New Logo, New Ambitions
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 09.14.08
How nvohk works
The pioneering community based eco-clothing line nvohk (invoke) announced its official logo had been chosen from a pool of 50 submitted designs. Grason Ratowsky was awarded $500 for creating the winning design—check out nvohk's website to see the logo flying high....
Open Green Map - Real-Time Mapping of Growing Green Communities
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 09.14.08
There's a Green Map hanging in my hallway at home, and once in awhile I glance at it and think oh yeah, I should use this more, have it with me in the bike bag. But the problem with the Green Map is that it can show you where a bike collective is located (and that's great) but gives you little to no info on the place itself.
Green Maps to become interactive green social networks
Until now. The Green Maps non-profit is taking their maps along with a system of icons, and a dedicated group of map-makers interactive. Over 450 cities, towns and other areas already have a Green Map in printed or online format. When Open Green Map debuts a little later this year, map users will be able to unite as green communities. As Wendy Breyer of Green Map Systems commented to the Media Shift Idea Lab blog, with Open Green Map: "It happens, it becomes data, it gets mapped."...
Eden Home: Luxury Organic Goods Emporium Online
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 09.14.08
Eden Home should be a boon to all the eco-enthusiast online shoppers everywhere. Touting everything from clay cookware to organic bathroom linens to soap made of shea butter and olive oil, Eden Home seems like a classier, eco-friendlier online version of Bed, Bath & Beyond. ...
Climate Change Adaptation: Businesses Already On Point; Is Government Capable Of Long-Range Planning And Budgeting?
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 09.14.08
Follow the Adventures of Team Wonderbike on its Wonderblog
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 09.14.08
New Belgium Brewing, the creator of that beloved Amber Ale Fat Tire has launched a blog devoted to supporting and promoting the social movement it launched in 2005: Team Wonderbike. Apparently, boozing and biking go hand in hand (well not literally) for the Fort Collins brewmasters—and it’s a good thing they do....
Science Meets Art in the Black Cloud Citizen Science League
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 09.14.08
Mike over at Inhabitat tipped us on Inhabitat's review of the Black Cloud Project. The group's name, the Black Cloud Citizen Science League, glows with the promise of super-heroic aid in the time of need.
But are you in need? Indeed, if you consider that what you don't know can hurt you. The students at the Manual Arts high school in Los Angeles certainly learned an interesting lesson. What started as a game has now grown into a community project. If you want to know the secret identities of the Black Cloud Citizen Science League, read on....
Study Finds USDA Child Nutrition Commodity Program Lacks Nutrition
by Jeff Nield, Vancouver, British Columbia on 09.14.08
"Public School Meat" by cowboy_montgomery via flickr
We've reported about the lack of nutrition in school meal programs before, and a new study backs us up. The study, by California Food Policy Advocates (CFPA) and Samuels & Associates (S&A), gives the USDA's child nutrition commodity program a failing grade.
The USDA program aims to "support American agricultural producers by providing cash reimbursements for meals served in schools and other child nutrition institutions." And while this may be good for commodity farmers, the program study, which focuses on California, finds that the way the program is implemented may not be so good for school kids. ...
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.
