- 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 October 12, 2008 - October 18, 2008
Total this week: 185
Los Angeles County Public Transit Could Face Blowback from Credit Crisis
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 10.18.08
Image from fredcamino
Add another potential victim to the long list of those already claimed by the rolling credit crunch: Los Angeles County's Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). Yes, in another sign of the financial crisis's pervasiveness, the public transit authority could be forced to slash services for its 1.5 million customers because of a series of (now toxic) deals it made with insurance giant American International Group.
Steve Hymon and Martin Zimmerman of the Los Angeles Times report that the agency may need to quickly raise hundreds of millions of dollars to repay investors. The financial woes will likely extend to other major transit agencies, such as Metrolink, that made similar deals in the past -- deals that were encouraged by tax laws until the early 2000s. ...
Minnesota Piloting "Productive Conservation on Working Lands" Program: Making BioFuels Compatible With Wildlilfe Conservation
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 10.18.08
Wise people in the US State of Minnesota are working on an program for rural landowners and/or farmers who would like a way to maintain bio-diversity without fully "idling" present, or prospective, cropland. It's called the Productive Conservation on Working Lands or "PCWL" program. Instead being stuck with the binary choice of using wet or erodible acres to feed the ethanol beast, versus a 5-year contract to keep land in "conservation reserve" (currently the only taxpayer supported program for protecting nesting game birds and other wildlife), farmers can "kill two birds with one stone" with PCWL, taking a long-term stake in non-corn biofuel and providing wildlife habitat. Per the PCWL announcement:- ...
Obama and McCain Discuss Global Warming, Environmental Views in Interview
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 10.18.08
Image courtesy of Backpacker
In an exclusive Backpacker Magazine interview, the presidential candidates discussed their prospective policies regarding a slew of environmental topics: global warming solutions, cap and trade policies, oil drilling, gun laws in national parks, and endangered species rulings were some of the subjects addressed. Plus, they each touched upon the origins of their environmental views, and what shaped their outlook on nature....
Greenpeace says "Break The Oil Addiction"
by Daniel Kessler, Greenpeace on 10.18.08
"Green" Apple Day & Go Green Lower East Side This Sunday in the Big Apple
by Emma Grady, New York, NY on 10.18.08
Image credit: LowerEastSideNY.com
Join TreeHuggers and Lower Eastsiders for New York City Apple Day & Go Green Lower East Side this Sunday October 19th, 2008 from 11am - 4:30pm for more than just free apples!
This year marks the first annual New York City Apple Day sponsored by the Lower East Side Business Improvement District (LES BID) and the Greenmarket. The festival will be held at what was once the Delancey Apple Orchard in the mid 1700's. Apple day will be a fun, and most importantly free, event for children and adults featuring everything from a live honey beehive to an old-fashioned apple cider press. As promised this event is more than just apples, Go Green Lower East Side and the Sierra Club will be giving away 500 energy efficient light bulbs and providing information on how to go green. Manhattan Borough President, Scott M. Stringer will be on hand with over 100 community members, organizations and leaders.
Read on for a complete list of the eco-friendly participants in NYC Apple Day!...
Let's Have a Coalition Against Climate Change in Canada
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.18.08
Word is that Stephane Dion is going to hold a press conference on Monday and resign as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada. Why? Who says Stephen Harper gets to form the next government? What if Dion made a different announcement? What if he got up to say:
"Climate change is too important for petty politics. The four parties with strong pro-environment, pro-Kyoto platforms got 61% of the vote and control 163 seats to the conservatives' 143. We are forming a Coalition against Climate Change and intend to ask the Governor-General to let us form the government."
It is a slam-dunk.
...
12 Colleges Chosen to Fight Climate Change
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 10.18.08
Photo courtesy of RMI
After receiving a slew of applications, the Rocky Mountain Institute (a “Think-and-do Tank”) has chosen 12 colleges to send a team of energy researchers to in order to collaborate in a search for breakthroughs in the fight against climate change. A diverse range of schools, from liberal arts universities to community colleges, has been selected for the initiative, which includes the conducting of progressive workshops with the Association of Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). The project will include mapping out ways for the colleges to go carbon neutral, involvement from the administration—and a slew of other “barrier-busting” initiatives. Which colleges made the cut? You might be surprised . . ....
Bats and Wind Turbines Don’t Mix – Researchers Look to Reduce Mysterious Deaths
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 10.18.08
Photo courtesy of Science Notes
A common complaint registered against wind turbines is that they kill too many birds. This has been largely revealed to be a myth, but it turns out that birds’ nocturnal winged counterparts aren’t so lucky. Bats have been dying in surprisingly high numbers around wind turbines, according to recent studies. The culprit seems to be sudden drops in air pressure that create internal hemorrhaging, but the precise cause is still a mystery. To get to the bottom of the strange phenomenon, an equally unlikely research group was formed: the BWEC—the Bats and Wind Energy Cooperative. ...
BPA Update: Canada Declares it Toxic, FDA Chair's Donor was Michigan's "First Polluter"
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.18.08
Health Canada has added Bisphenol A to the country's list of toxic substances, concluding that babies are getting too much of the gender-bender. It is stopping the sale of polycarbonate baby bottles and wants formula makers to switch to BPA-free packaging. The bottle issue is relatively easy to solve, but banning it in cans of formula will be tough- there are few alternatives for BPA in lining tin cans, and much of the formula sold in Canada is made in the states, where the Food and Drug Administration says that Bisphenol A is safe for babies. More from Martin Mittelstaedt in the Globe and Mail.
Health Canada concluded that Bisphenol A was not a threat to adults, despite recent research linking it to heart disease and breast cancer treatment problems. The North American Metal Packaging Alliance immediately issued a press release titled Health Canada Reaffirms Safety of BPA for Use in Metal Food Packaging Quel suprise.
Meanwhile, back at the FDA, it turns out that the donor of $5 million to FDA Chair Martin Philbert's University of Michigan Risk Science Center is not only an anti-regulation activist, but was once labeled the "First Polluter" by the State Attorney General" of Michigan.
...
What Does Gasoline Actually Cost Where You Live?
by greenz.jp, Tokyo, Japan on 10.18.08
I don't own a car, I'm fine with trains and subways, and I like walking. I do keep an eye on gasoline prices because they are in the news and mean a lot for the economy (and the global environment).
Yet, the way the oil has fluctuated in the past year makes me wonder how much people around the world are actually paying for driving. Cruel Fuel World has an interactive world map with prices as of August 2008 (Unit: $/gallon). How accurate are their calculations: what is the cost where you live? Do let us know in the comment section!
...
The American Museum of Natural History Tackles Climate Change
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 10.18.08
Photographs by Agaton Strom
The American Museum of Natural History is unveiling its much anticipated Climate Change exhibit today, giving the public an opportunity to take an in-depth, engaging look at the most notorious and ill-understood environmental issue of our time. It’s something of a landmark event—the AMNH is one of the first major museums to feature a comprehensive exhibit on global warming.
TreeHugger was invited to a behind the scenes preview last Tuesday, where the exhibit was opened to the press. We were given an opportunity to wander through the vivid, urgent, and often apocalyptic exhibit—here’s a fully photographed guide to AMNH's Climate Change.
...
Juara's 100% Vegetarian Skincare Line
by Emma Grady, New York, NY on 10.18.08
Photo credit: Juara
Skincare line Juara is in with the green scene with its 100% Vegetarian, non-animal tested products inspired by Indonesian Botanicals and ancient beauty rituals. While the price range is a bit on the high end these products make your skin feel amazing and don't include artificial colorants, sulfates, or pthalates.
Juara was founded and developed in 2004 by Metta Murdaya who says "We wanted to create a line that not only mixes the best of both worlds - the East and the West - but also addresses concerns of efficaciousness. Juara was our answer: a hybrid of traditional Indonesian elements with mordern formulations from the West, with high concentrations of active botanicals"....
Pure Yoga Opens—Eco-Conscious Yoga in New York
by Sara Novak, Columbia, SC on 10.18.08
photo: Pure Yoga
As a huge yogi, my feeling is that yoga is supposed to bring you closer to Mother Earth. But as yoga has exploded in the West, you can't escape the over commercialization of even this sacred practice. But maybe that is soon to change. Sustainable yoga studios are popping up across the country like Pure Yoga which recently opened in New York. Let's see how pure it really is....
A Green Bazaar for Istanbul
by Jennifer Hattam, Istanbul, Turkey on 10.18.08
Istanbul undoubtedly has one of the world's great market cultures. Salesmen (and they almost always are men) have been plying their wares at the now-4,000-shop-strong Kapalı Çarşı (Grand Bazaar) for more than 500 years, and in every neighborhood, small fish markets, produce bakkals, and street vendors selling everything from antique furniture to the latest knock-off sunglasses coexist with massive new shopping malls. If I wait to hear the right call coming up my street, I can buy pastries and potatoes, get my kitchen knives sharpened, even shop for carpets just by stepping outside my front door. Given all this, it may come as a surprise to hear that the entire city, home to 12.5 million people and stretching for 600 square miles, did not have a single organic market until two years ago....
Design Team Rodarte Creates Eco-Chic Candle & Bracelet with Lexus Hybrid Living
by Emma Grady, New York, NY on 10.18.08
Image Credit: 212DressingRoom.com
Design team Rodarte has joined forces with Lexus Hybrid Living and created an eco-friendly candle and bracelet to be sold at Barney's New York. The candle is made of natural soy contained in recyclable glass. The friendship bracelet is made from leather reclaimed from Lexus vehicles and designed by the Rodarte duo Laura and Kate Mulleavy. This is the first time that Rodarte has collaborated with Lexus Hybrid Living to create a luxury item with a "green" conscience. The candle was first shown to the public during Mercedez-Benz Fashion Week on September 9th, 2008 at Rodarte's Spring 2009 show where guests were treated to the candle and bracelet in their gift bags.
Read on for an interview with Kate Mulleavy, half of the Rodarte team, on the partnership with Lexus Hybrid Living. ...
Canola Oil Powered Car Wins Race from Berkeley to Vegas
by Alex Smith, San Francisco, California on 10.18.08
A Vegetable-Oil Powered Car in the Race, Photo Credit: SF Chronicle
Escape from Berkeley
Last week gasless cars raced across California to Vegas, in pursuit of not only a $5,000 prize but also the chance to show the world the possibilities of running a car without petroleum. The race, Escape from Berkeley, was officially called “Escape from Berkeley (by any non-petroleum means necessary)." More on the race and the winner below the fold....
Is that Extra Gas Money in Our Pocket, or are We Just Happy to see Residuals from Winter Gas Blends?
by Eric Leech, New York, NY on 10.18.08
Photo by Scorpions and Centaurs
Well, it is probably a little bit of both to tell the truth. Gas has of course been taking a noticeable dip in cost at the pumps, coming down to around the low $3 a gallon range. The initial reason for the price decrease of gasoline is because right now we are currently enjoying some above average supplies of the stuff.
The gulf coast refineries have once again picked-up gas production and future prices are looking like they will be taking an even greater dip during the winter months to come. The other reason for the price cuts, is this Friday symbolized the magical day that the pumps made the switch to their winter blend fuels. These blends will replace the more expensive summer blend that has been at the pumps up until now.
...
Skeptics' Claim of Cooling Climate 'Consensus'? Bull, Says New Research
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 10.17.08
Image from mikelens
I've started losing count of the number of times global warming skeptics have been proven wrong, but I'm sure the official tally must be fast approaching: skeptics 0, scientists 10,000 (give or take a few thousand). The latest talking point debunking comes courtesy of ScienceNews' Sid Perkins, who gently points out that the so-called "climate cooling consensus" of the 1970s, despite what those kooky deniers would have you believe, never was.
Because predictions of a cooling planet made during the 1970s -- a number of researchers then believed that increases in the emission of aerosols, such as dust and smog, could put the planet on a path of sustained cooling -- turned out to be wrong, climate deniers argue that the current projections could prove to be just as fallacious. That would be a powerful argument -- if it was true. ...
British Charity Launches Climate Change Green Guide for Muslims
by Eliza Barclay, Washington, D.C. on 10.17.08
Tomorrow in London the Islamic Foundation for Ecology and Environmental Sciences (IFEES) will launch a Muslim Green Guide to Reducing Climate Change at the Islamic Cultural Centre and the London Central Mosque. The 20-page guide explains the impact of climate change using Islamic references and encourages Muslims conserve water, heating, electricity, and consider public transport. The guide also promotes recycling and offers tips on the environmental impact of food products. The booklet has been printed in time for Ramadan, and IFEES says it hopes it will help Muslims reflect on their actions during the holy month while fasting. ...
Weather Channel Hosts Essay Contest for High School Students with Eye for Environmental Issues
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 10.17.08
If you’re a high school student with a passion for the environment and a way with words then we’ve got a contest that’s right up your alley. But you’d better hurry because the deadline for the Weather Channel's high school essay contest is just days away. ...
Stitch'T: Saving T-shirts One Quilt at a Time
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10.17.08
Photo credit: stitch'T
If you're inundated by T-shirts but are unwilling to part with them for sentimental reasons, consider turning them into a commemorative quilt. Sewing not quite your thing? Stitch'T is here to help.
The New York City-based outfit specializes in creating "one of a kind, handmade compositions" from your worn togs, which it can grant a second lease on life in the form of quilts, duvet covers, and pillowcases. ...
Don’t Just Take it From Me: IEA Warms Up to Feed-in-Tariffs for Renewable Energy
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 10.17.08
photo: Bernd Sieker
As Renewable Energy World correctly points out, the International Energy Agency “isn’t exactly a hotbed of progressive thought” when it comes to renewable energy. But it seems that the IEA is slowly coming around. In a recent report the agency touts the benefits of feed-in-tariffs as a comparatively inexpensive and effective tool in promoting renewable energy deployment.
This is what the agency says about the impact of feed-in-tariffs on promoting solar power:...
$1 Million, 8 Cities, Thousands of Trees: Root for NYC (or your own city if you must !-)
by George Spyros, New York City, USA on 10.17.08
Please pardon my tribalism, but we hope you'll help bring trees to New York City's streets. Alternately, if you must integrate your own inner tribesperson while taking action as a change agent, please help bring some trees to your own city's urban forest. Act quickly, though, as you have only 15 days left. Eight cities across the U.S. (listed below) are competing for the largest share of a 1 million-dollar tree-planting grant from American Express. The city with the greatest number of American Express Card transactions will get the most green. TreeHugger is not suggesting to purchase things you don't need or junk that will shortly wind up landfilled. However, if you happen to find yourself shopping for some necessary merch, look for the ROOT FOR NYC (or ROOT FOR YOUR OWN CITY *eyeroll* whatever) tree icon displayed at participating businesses until October 31, 2008, then pay with any American Express Card. Can you guess which city is in the lead right now?...
Cornell U. Creates Climate Action Plan
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 10.17.08
Image source: Cornell
Cornell University wants its students to all get zeros! Zeros in total emissions, that is. The university recently hired consultants to help develop a strategy to eliminate 320-kilo tons of greenhouse gas emissions from the university and get a perfect score in carbon neutrality. October 22, 2008 kicks off "Getting to Zero" Day on campus....
BuyOrganics: Bamboo Fleece Clothes for Kids
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 10.17.08
Image source: BuyOrganics
Chocolate. Ice Cream. These are flavors, er, colors that come to mind when one sees the new Bamboo Baby line now offered at BuyOrganics. Strawberry, Vanilla, Chocolate, Pistachio, Khaki (not a flavor) are just a few of the colors you can coat your child in as you keep them from getting frostbite or freezer burn this winter while wearing soft and durable bamboo fleece....
Could Turning Out Lights Ruin Your Relationships?
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 10.17.08
Well thats up to a jury of your peers (or a peanut gallery, if you prefer) to decide. The new site SideTaker.com allows roommates, coworkers, neighbors, siblings, and those in relationships of any kind to air out their differences in front of a global audience. Beware of using this site at work, as reading about one train wreck after another can be addicting....
From the Forums: Sustainable Christianity
by Alan Graham, Portland, Oregon on 10.17.08
nathancreitz asks:
Do Christians have anything to offer the conversation when it comes to the environment? Some would immediately say no. Many Christians have been unconcerned about climate and conservation issues. Many church leaders have spent time preaching against environmental issues and have spent all their time focusing on abortion and homosexuality to the point that they have alienated themselves from many. They have tended to think that environmental activism is not the answer to our problems, Jesus is the answer....
China Mulls Building Hydroelectric Dams in Southern Tibet
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 10.17.08
Brahmaputra River in Tibet, photo: Gerry Chu.
In a move that is sure to prove increasingly controversial as the details become more fleshed out, Chinese officials in Lhasa, Tibet have indicated that they are considering developing a series of dams in southern Tibet.
The Guardian reports that the director of the region's water resource department said, “Tibet is rich in water resources and has good potential for setting up more hydropower stations and dams. With the economic development of Tibet we need more resources. We will take great care in protecting Tibet’s natural life and consider the [impact] on society.”
Though the exact number of dams being considered has not been specified, the proposal has already aroused opposition:...
Origin: The London Craft Fair: Week 2
by Bonnie Alter, London on 10.17.08
It's the second week of Origin: The London Craft Fair and there are 140 different craftspeople showing their wares. This time around there is a whole different feel to the show; lots more yummy and unique jewellery, weaving and vessels with an eco bent to them.
We can't resist Adrienne Rogers' hand-knit throws, shawls and scarves. They are made out of yarns such as silk mohair, japanese silk, belgian linen and organic cotton. Using stitches with names like interlock loop, bridge or tunnel and flow, and big fat knitting needles, she makes decorative but functional blankets that are soft and luxurious. The palette is muted and drawn from nature; colours reminiscent of pine bark, driftwood, river rocks, and clouds.They make you want to cuddle up under them with a cup of tea and forget the world. ...
Clorox Green Works Reaches 40 Million Dollar Market Share In First Year
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 10.17.08
And perhaps most significantly, Green Works seems to be luring customers away from traditional cleaning products rather than from green rivals - expanding the overall market for green cleaners.Via:SF Gate, Clorox cleaners take big share of green market...
Renewable Energy Economy 101: Lester Brown Updates Us On the Story So Far
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 10.17.08
image: Trinifar
In case you’re new to the “new energy economy” debate—in short, figuring out how to transition the entire energy infrastructure of the world away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy—and want as about brief a summary as could be created of the progress made in the last year as well as some of the challenges ahead, this one’s for you.
Lester Brown, of the Earth Policy Institute, has done all of the heavy lifting on this one (New Energy Economy Emerging in the United States), but here are some of the highlights:...
Are Lucky Charms Better for You Than Granola?
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10.17.08
Scanned from the Oct 13, 2008 issue of Newsweek
The October 13, 2008 issue of Newsweek features a confounding face-off between Lucky Charms and low-fat granola. "If your first instinct is to reach for the granola, think again," writes reporter Tina Peng. "Compared with Kellogg's Low-Fat Granola cereal with raisins, one cup of General Mills' Lucky Charms is actually healthier, with less fat and sugar and fewer calories and carbs."
Sure enough, Lucky Charms has only 147 calories, 1.3 grams of fat, and 14.7 grams of sugar, compared with its crunchier cousin's 345 calories, 4.5 grams of fat, and 27 grams of sugar, respectively. Newsweek's assessment, while looking good on paper (literally), is nothing if not misleading, however....
Cancer-Linked Contaminants in Bottled Water Says EWG
by Alex Smith, San Francisco, California on 10.17.08
A report released by the Environmental Working Group this week provides yet another reason not to drink bottled water: disinfection byproducts, fertilizer residue and pain medication. All these chemicals and more were found in multiple brands of bottled water EWG tested. More on the report below the fold....
It’s Not Easy Being Green When You’re In The Red
by Earthwatch Institute on 10.17.08
By Eco-Ganik Shows Sustainable Fashion: Backstage at L.A. Fashion Week
by Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff, Los Angeles, California on 10.17.08
Eco-Ganik model/photo by Eco-Ganik
At L.A. Fashion Week on Wednesday night, Eco-Ganik showed a collection of gorgeous, flirty frocks, relaxed knits and flouncey short skirts that were on point with every spring fashion forecast from New York to Paris, with one significant difference: Every element used in the line is eco-friendly.
Get the eco-fashion scoop plus an exclusive backstage video…
...
5 Promising Biofuel Feedstocks Roundup
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 10.17.08
It seems like only yesterday that the only game in town when it came to biofuels was corn ethanol. When it was first introduced to the U.S. market, it was widely touted as the future of renewable fuels -- an alternative to gasoline that would help us move closer to energy independence. Despite its obvious disadvantages, corn ethanol was quickly embraced by the federal government, businesses and even some environmentalists. When an acute food crisis gripped the world earlier this year -- finally laying bare the folly of using food-based crops as fuel -- a backlash had already begun against corn ethanol.
Far from nipping the growing biofuel industry in the bud, as some had feared, the backlash helped pave the way for a new generation of advanced biofuel feedstocks and start-ups eager to develop the first viable alternative to gasoline. While there are too many to mention all of them, we'll focus on 6 of what we consider to be some the most promising feedstocks....
Plug-In Hybrids Address The OTHER Energy Security Issue: The Grid
by Rocky Mountain Institute on 10.17.08
Taproot Uses Wind Power for Web Hosting
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 10.17.08
Most everyone has a website nowadays, and we know that even though websites seem like they have zero impact, it takes a lot of energy to get one up and running, from data servers to computer energy used in managing the site, and even emailing.
We can add one more cool web host to the list of greener options out there. Taproot is a small start-up out of Portland, Oregon that aims to green up web hosting with some very cool energy sources and methods of operating. ...
Redeploying IT Hardware Boosts Businesses Bottom Lines
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 10.17.08
Redemtech has released a case study that shows businesses can gain serious savings by reusing the IT equipment they already have laying around. This may be a big “duh” statement to greenies, but finally bigger businesses are taking note that with the dreary economy, reusing what you have is green and cheap.
Redemtech looked at a “top five” bank that couldn’t figure out what of their IT equipment sitting idle was ready to get a revamp and head back into the company’s offices. This is a widespread issue among big businesses, and the results of Redemtech’s case study are astounding. ...
A Photographic Celebration of Turkey's Trees
by Jennifer Hattam, Istanbul, Turkey on 10.17.08
"To the End" by Erkan Yurt
Living in the urban jungle of Istanbul, it's easy to forget how lush and beautiful much of the rest of Turkey is. Forests cover 27 percent of the country, giving the photographers who entered the "Trees and Forests of Turkey" contest plenty of material to work with. Sponsored by the Delegation of the European Commission to Turkey, National Geographic Turkey magazine, and Radio Mydonose, the competition drew more than 900 entries from 530 amateur and professional photographers.
...
Cheaper, More Credible Carbon "Offsetting" through Permits, Says Village Green
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 10.17.08
Instead of funding tree planting in Indonesia, wind farms in China or methane capture right here at home, S.F.-based Village Green (of "Green My Vino" fame) is trying a different route - selling directly to consumers permits from the fledgling carbon cap and trade market just starting up in the U.S. Northeastern states.
Buy a permit, rip it up
The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) makes power plants hold one permit for each ton of carbon they emit. If a TreeHugger buys that permit instead through Village Green (which admits it will take a 10% cut of the transaction), that's one less available for the power plant - and theoretically one less ton emitted. Thus Village Green "offsets" will cost, it says (depending on current RGGI prices at carbon auction) around $4 a ton. But carbon offsets and cheaper Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) both are getting a bum rap because of less-than-scrupulous management by some companies involved - why trust Village Green?...
DIY Solar Heater from Recycled Campaign Signs
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 10.17.08
Keep Calm With Posters By Douglas Wilson
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.17.08
Letterpress is literally a dying art; the inks were toxic and printers often died young. It is almost completely extinct, practiced only by a few hobbyists and craftspeople. As a teenager I used to visit a neighbour who did letterpress in his basement; I loved watching his hands fly over the galleys of type and I loved the way you could actually feel the letters pressed into the paper. Graphic designer Douglas Wilson loves letterpress too, even though he acknowledges that "it will force us out of house and home."
Wilson delivers simple messages that resonate in these difficult times, preserving a technology that we may need again someday....
Redondo Beach House by DeMaria Design
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.17.08
This is a reconstruction of a previously published post lost when a Porsche crashed into our server farm.
A commenter at BoingBoing noted that our roundup of container housing did not include the Redondo Beach house by DeMaria Design; I am pleased to rectify that herein. The house is a hybrid design that takes advantage of the best attributes of containers, (cheap, strong and rigid) and minimizes their defects (narrow inside) by combining them with conventional construction to create impressive spaces between two rows of stacked containers. ...
US’s First Feed-In-Tariff For Solar Power Could Be Adopted by Gainesville, Florida
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 10.17.08
photo: Chandra Marsono
Now that the legislative dust seems to have settled and the issue of renewable energy tax incentives resolved, at least for the time being, in the United States it might be tempting to overlook the following announcement coming out of Gainesville, Florida, but you shouldn’t.
In a plan outlined on Monday, Gainesville has indicated that it is considering adopting feed-in-tariffs for renewable energy along the lines of the program which has enabled Germany to become a world leader in the industry.
If adopted, the plan would be the first of its kind in the nation:...
Survey: Would You Use an Electric Blanket?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.17.08
TreeHugger Alan was surprised by his gas bill and possibly surprised a lot of other TreeHuggers and bought an electric blanket. Was this wise?
...
London Array, World’s Largest Offshore Wind Farm, Gets Another Backer
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 10.17.08
One of the largest wind farms in development, onshore or offshore, the 1 gigawatt London Array just got one step closer to reality. Abu Dhabi’s Masdar— of self-proclaimed zero carbon city and alternative energy investment fund fame—just announced that it has acquired a 20% stake in the project.
The on-again, off-again, offshore wind farm has had a rocky road in the past few years, but hopefully with the participation of Masdar the £1.5 billion ($2.55 billion) facility's future is more assured. More on Masdar’s involvement:
...
Urban Agriculture Leader, Will Allen, Named MacArthur Genius
by Jeff Nield, Vancouver, British Columbia on 10.17.08
Will Allen fishing for tilapia by cpentecost via flickr
Earlier this year, Sami recognized the good work of the organization Growing Power. The John D and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation took the praise one step further and named the organization's co-founder and CEO as a "MacArthur Genius". Will Allen is one of over two dozen recipients - including doctors, scientists and artists - of the foundation's $500,000 no strings attached fellowship award for 2008.
Check out the foundation's video about Allen and why he was chosen for the award after the jump. ...
Recycled Pots from Sarah Thirlwell
by Bonnie Alter, London on 10.17.08
Sarah Thirlwell's wood and recycled plastic pots are a wonderful discovery at Origin: the London Craft Fair. These beautifully shaped vessels, made out of sustainable home grown timber and recycled plastic, are both functional and decorative.
Sarah Thirlwell uses recycled yoghurt pots, which look like cream coloured marble with flecks, and combines them with plywood or birch which is shaped on a lathe. The black vessels are made from the coffee cups from vending machines. Some are entirely black with dark flecks in them, and others are combined with wood. Some other pots are made from fridge lining. The recycled materials are created by Smile Plastics, a company which has been committed to creating new materials out of old plastic since 1994.
...
Tsukimi: Full Moon Viewing Celebration
by greenz.jp, Tokyo, Japan on 10.16.08
(Image from Kimonoyasan)
When I think of frugal living I am constantly reminded of how people were able to create fun events and celebrations in the past, even without a lot of expensive stuff. Humans just seem to love celebrations, no matter what. Right now, we are having full moon viewing events all over Japan. Called tsukimi, the festival is really not very fancy at all. Just a couple of friends getting together, enjoying some simple food such as full moon noodles or dumplings (recipe below the fold!), maybe playing music or enjoying a dance performance. The word "frugal" seem to mean "to go without" but could just as well mean "enjoy to the fullest."...
Swiss Ethicists Consider Plants' Feelings
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10.16.08
Photo credit: Getty Images
What does wheat want? That's a question scientists in Switzerland have to ponder now that the country is mandating that geneticists conduct their experiments with consideration to a plant's feelings, according to The Wall Street Journal.
"Unfortunately, we have to take it seriously," Beat Keller, a molecular biologist at the University of Zurich, tells the newspaper. "It's one more constraint on doing genetic research."
In order to obtain government permission to do a field trial of genetically modified, fungus-resistant wheat, Keller had to spar with university ethicists over whether his experiment would impugn upon the plants' dignity and then explain in a written application to the government why his experiment wouldn't "disturb the vital functions of lifestyle" of the plant....
From the Forums: Save BIG Money With An Electric Blanket
by Alan Graham, Portland, Oregon on 10.16.08
Did you know that the simple act of lowering the thermostat for 8 hours at night can save you 1%-3% in energy for every degree you drop? Turning your thermostat from 72º to 65º for eight hours a day can save as much as 10% on your annual heating costs.
I used to live in a 50 year old house with more leaks than a sinking ship. One winter we had a surprise bill of $400 for our natural gas heat. After a number of ever increasing bills, I had had enough. After trying plastic on the windows and other seemingly useless measures that didn't make a dent, I took a chance and spent $100 on an electric mattress pad and programmed the thermostat to drop to 55º at night.
Just cutting 14º off our heating for 8 hours a day helped cut our bill so much that the blanket paid for itself within two months. Flash forward 5 years, I live in a properly insulated house and even with a more efficient home and heater, I'm still using the same electric mattress pad. However now I use it more because I'm conserving resources, than just as a way to save money.
Read More in the Forums
...
Slow Motoring? Solar Powered Cruise Car Kudo is Street Legal
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 10.16.08
photo: Matthew McDermott
Though most of the time when TreeHugger covers electric cars, we’re talking about hybrids, plug-in electric concept vehicles—basically substitutes for vehicles now powered by fossil fuels—some of which even putting the Porsche 911 to shame in terms of speed. Well, the folks at Cruise Car are aiming at the other end of the electric automobile market.
By looking at it, you might not think that the Cruise Car Kudo Solar is street legal, but if you add optional seat belts, turn signals and some other accessories you can drive a solar-powered vehicle around your neighborhood...very slowly. Here are the specs:...
Put Green First & Promote Solar Power with the Vote Solar Initiative
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 10.16.08
image: Vote Solar
Though renewable energy in general, and solar power in particular, has really planted itself firmly in public consciousness over the past year, that doesn’t mean that individuals can rest on their laurels. One of the most interesting booths at Solar Power International wasn’t even on the exhibit floor, and wasn’t even staffed by anyone.
The Vote Solar Initiative is a San Francisco-based advocacy organization, working nationally to “bring solar energy into the mainstream” and focusing on “policies that will develop the economies of scale necessary to bring down costs, and help us transition to a renewable energy economy.” Here are some of the state campaigns they’re working on, and which you can help out with:
...
30-Fold Increase in Solar Power Possible by 2016, If Solar Industry and Utilities Collaborate to Make it Happen
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 10.16.08
photo: Schwarzer Kater
One of the renewable energy policy developments to come out of Solar Power International comes in the form of the Solar Electric Power Association laying down a gauntlet in front of US electric utilities. The industry trade group has outlined four policy guidelines which it says will allow the nation to “see an increase in solar capacity of more than thirty fold between 2009 and 2016. This is approximately three times the estimated amount of generation predicted to come online as a result of existing renewable portfolio standards and policies in states with existing solar carve outs.”
The specific recommendations to achieve this goal are as follows:
...
1.1 Megawatt Solar Array Installed on HP Printer Factory in San Diego
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 10.16.08
Though it won’t be competing for any world’s-largest records, the announcement by SunPower and HP that the latter’s printer manufacturing facility in San Diego will have a 1.1 MW solar array on its roof is one more example of the solar potential that just waits to be tapped on commercial buildings.
What’s more, HP has availed itself of the benefits of solar power without actually buying the solar power system itself; instead, the company has entered into a power purchase agreement with GE Financial Services, who actually owns the system.
Here are the rest of the project’s details:...
The TH Interview: 2008 Brower Youth Awards (Part Two)
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 10.16.08
This week we hear from two more of this year’s Brower Youth Award winners. Marisol Bacerra has been using Google Maps and other media to plot toxic sites around her home neighborhood in Chicago. In Washington, D.C., Kari Fulton was singled out for her success in reframing the discussion of climate change and race. Keep you eyes on these young leaders, folks. Also hear from two other winners of the Brower Youth Awards in last week's show. TreeHugger Radio Listen to the podcast of this interview via iTunes, or just click here to listen, right-click to download. Also check out our coverage of Brower Youth Award winners from 2007, 2006, and their collaboration with the Lorax....
Get Schooled in Renewable Energy: Green Education Courses in California, North Carolina
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 10.16.08
photo: Solar Living Institute
One of the certain things in renewable energy is that more and more people are interested in getting in on the act, from a careers perspective. In the two days of Solar Power International so far you can’t wander far without overhearing a conversation about someone who has attended looking to change career and get a job in the solar industry.
To that end, a couple of organizations have sent up booths promoting their renewable energy education programs. Two of these are the Solar Living Institute in California, and North Carolina State University’s Renewable Energy Technologies Diploma Series. Want to know more about renewable energy, but don’t want to commit to a degree program? These may be for you:
...
MRM Starting Up Electronics Recycling Plan in Oregon Three Months Early
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 10.16.08
Photo by greenbk
The Electronic Manufacturers Recycling Management Company is a group leading the way towards getting businesses to meet state recycling requirements. We saw a month ago that the group started up a user-friendly website to help companies keep up.
Apparently they’re making some serious progress because the Oregon MRM Group Manufacturer Plan is starting three months ahead of schedule. ...
Chance For A 7-Year Climate Do-Over: Baltic Exchange Dry Index Shows Material Flows Falling, Toward 2001 Level
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 10.16.08
The Baltic Exchange Dry Index or "BDI" (plotted 2001 to present) is considered an economic indicator of future economic growth and production, world wide. .…an assessment of the price of moving the major raw materials by sea. Taking in 26 shipping routes measured on a timecharter and voyage basis, the index covers Supramax, Panamax, and Capesize dry bulk carriers carrying a range of commodities including coal, iron ore and grain.Via:Wikipedia, Baltic Dry Index ...
Sharp Introducing World’s First LCD TV with Blu-Ray
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 10.16.08
Photo via Akihabara
Despite the crappy economy, Sharp still sees itself selling 11 million LCD TVs this year, beating their original target of selling 10 million LCD TVs this year. That’s a whole lot of TVs.
Samsung says the demand for LCDs is down, and as the world's largest manufacturer of greener LCD TVs, they just might know what they're talking about. They've actually cut production. LG Display also saw LCD TV prices fall.
Nevertheless, Sharp expects to do this with a little Ace up their sleeve – the world’s first LCD TV that comes equipped with Blu-Ray. ...
Will Green Design Retailers Survive the Recession?
by Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff, Los Angeles, California on 10.16.08
photo/A+R
With retail sales down and expected to continue plummeting, will buyers eschew green products in favor of less-expensive fare? Not if retailers expand their definition of “eco-friendly,” said Andy Griffith, one-half of the team behind the wildly popular A + R stores in Los Angeles, CA.
From an MP3 player from sustainable hardwood to vintage fabric stuffed animals: Find out more about the green gifts Griffith is betting on this season.
...
San Francisco Solar Map Wins 2008 Renewable Energy Innovation Award
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 10.16.08
image: SF Solar Map
Yesterday I wrote about CH2M Hill developing solar power potential maps for 25 US cities with the help of some US Department of Energy money. Though each will be tailored to the local requirements of each city, they will be based off the company’s innovative work in San Francisco on the uber-cool San Francisco Solar Map.
I’m not the only one that thinks the idea of solar (or any renewable energy...) mapping for the consumer is a great idea though. So does the Interstate Renewable Energy Council, which has awarded the San Francisco Solar Map a 2008 Innovation Award. Here are the details:...
Michael Pollan Proposes A "Sun-Food" Agenda In Open Letter To Next U.S. President
by Jeff Nield, Vancouver, British Columbia on 10.16.08
Michael Pollan in his garden. The New York Times via The Sydney Morning Herald
Writing in The New York Times, Michael Pollan has outlined the way path to a sustainable agriculture strategy for the next U.S. administration. The journalist and best-selling author of The Omnivore's Dilemma , explains how food policy is a cornerstone of many of the key issues in the current election campaign while remaining virtually unacknowledged by the candidates.
Pollan begins with a gentle warning for the president elect.
But with a suddenness that has taken us all by surprise, the era of cheap and abundant food appears to be drawing to a close. What this means is that you, like so many other leaders through history, will find yourself confronting the fact — so easy to overlook these past few years — that the health of a nation’s food system is a critical issue of national security. Food is about to demand your attention....
LIGHTEN UP lighting solutions by [re]design (Part 3)
by Petz Scholtus, Barcelona, Spain on 10.16.08
![Lighten Up [re]spond by [re]design image](http://www.treehugger.com/Lighten-Up-respond-redesign.jpg)
Image credit: [re]design
LIGHTEN UP is a sustainable lighting exhibition by the London-based organisation [re]design, who have previously exposed eco design and its various processes with shows such as Good & Gorgeous? and Sit Up, during the last London Design Festivals. This year they invited us to look behind the bulb and convinced us yet again that bright ideas matter. Here a few curious lighting solutions we believe have an interesting story to tell. Photos after the jump....
Could Solar Power Satellites Beam Down Gigawatts of Energy?
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 10.15.08
Image from NASA
How pie-in-the-sky is Ben Bova's space satellite scheme? Mr. Bova, the president emeritus of the National Space Society and a prolific science fiction author, penned a column in last Sunday's Washington Post calling on the next president to build an armada of solar power satellites (SPS) -- basically large accumulations of solar cells -- to help meet a substantial chunk of our energy needs. The idea of building orbiting solar systems in space is nothing new (see my posts about Japan's Space Solar Power Systems and India's space plans); the concept, as described by its creator, aerospace engineer Peter Glaser, would be a satellite in high orbit (where sunshine is always present) that would use microwave transmission to beam solar power to receiving stations on Earth.
The obvious benefit: a continuous 24-hour, 365-day supply of solar energy. Powered by solar energy itself, a single SPS could generate up to 10 gigawatts of power continually, according to Bova. If that's even remotely true, just imagine how much continuous power a group of these SPSs could provide. ...
Closing the Global Digital Divide: Technology for Developing Countries
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 10.15.08
Photo via Symmetry Magazine
The above map shows the densities of Internet connectivity around the world. It’s easy to see which countries are most connected, and which are left in the dark. And with this we can fairly easily figure out what areas of the world lack the technologies that give us the luxuries we experience in daily life.
There are many groups and organizations hard at work at closing the global digital divide and providing developing countries with the gadgets and gear we take for granted, from Internet connectivity to clean water. Collected here are some of the excellent groups and cool projects going on across the globe to evenly spread out access to computer technology....
Questions for the McCain / Obama Debate
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.15.08
Forget the town hall with the scripted questions, forget the one minute responses and the tight rules that make the debates so formal and boring, loosen up guys, and while you are relaxed and ready to rumble, how about answering some questions from the TreeHugger Team. No softballs here.
...
Tesla Motors Breaking News: Model S to be Delayed, Unknown Number of Layoffs, Elon Musk CEO
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 10.15.08
Straight from Tesla's New CEO
In a fairly short post on Tesla's blog, Elon Musk confirms what we posted about earlier today.
"These are extraordinary times. The global financial system has gone through the worst crisis since the Great Depression, and the effects are only beginning to wind their way through every facet of the economy. It’s not an understatement to say that nearly every business will be impacted by what has unfolded in the past weeks, and this is true for Silicon Valley as well." Read on for more......
Ecobee Smart Thermostat Lets You Dip Your Toes into Smart Home Integration
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 10.15.08
Smart Home systems are great ways to reduce your energy costs by giving you real time information about your home’s energy use and making it easy to conserve. But so far, a full home integration is pretty pricey. What if you just want to make your home a little bit smart for now?
Homeowners can take smaller steps to making a big difference with the new ecobee Smart Thermostat. This cool thermostat manages your heating and cooling system, and hooks up to your home’s WiFi to fully integrate into your utility system. ...
DIY Halloween Costumes, Lip-Smackin' School Lunches and Do-Gooder Dallas
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 10.15.08
:: Trash the idea of disposable costumes and make a cooler, cheaper one yourself.
:: Pack the eco-perfect lunch box for your little prince or princess.
:: Live large the low-impact way in Dallas, Texas....
Google to Data Centers: Raise the Thermostat
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 10.15.08
Hotter Data Center to Save Power
It's been quite mediatized in the past few years that data centers use a lot of power, a good portion of which is used to cool them down. New technologies are being used to save power, including consolidation and virtualization of servers and fancy sensors, but sometimes the low-tech approach works best: Simply raise the thermostat. That's what Google is doing.
Read on for more details....
Beautiful Bottle Caps, The Humble Rutabaga and The Real Financial Crisis
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 10.15.08
:: Artist Rick Ladd embraces the bottle cap in his furniture designs.
:: Eat. Drink. Better. rounds-up recipes using fall's "most overlooked and under appreciated vegetable."
:: TriplePundit calculates that the cost of deforestation is much greater than that of the financial crisis.
:: Will 'black silicon' be able to revolutionize solar energy generation?
:: Get with Green compiles a list of twenty things homeowners should know before installing bamboo flooring.
Most Huggable is a regular roundup of some of Hugg's top green news stories. Why not submit your own green news?...
Four Big Thinkers' Ideas on Going Green, Ending Poverty
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10.15.08
Today is Blog Action Day, and we'll be using our forum as a green blog to talk about this year's theme: poverty. Check the end of the post for links to all our Blog Action Day posts. Photo credit: greefus groinks
Poverty isn't a simple problem, and there are no simple solutions for it, but that hasn't stopped a handful of the world's smartest green thinkers from postulating on how to end poverty. While the bad news might be that poverty still exists, the good news is that these four theories, from four remarkable thinkers, all foresee a future without (or with much less) poverty and with a clean, green environment.
Read on to get details on ideas from Wangari Maathai, Bill Clinton, Van Jones, and Paul Hawken....
Innovative Ways to Make Taking the Bus More Attractive in Boulder, Colorado
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 10.15.08
Quote of the Day: Ian McEwan on The Hot Breath of Our Civilization
by Graham Hill, New York, NY on 10.15.08
Image credit: Belinda Lawley
The Big Cheese behind TreeHugger, Graham Hill, hit the Arctic as part of Cape Farewell's 2008 Disko Bay expedition to witness the direct environmental effects of climate change. In a science research boat, he traveled alongside over 40 artists, scientists and rock stars.
Ian McEwan, talented author of Atonement, On Chesil Beach and many more, was on the 2005 Cape Farewell expedition. The idea behind Cape Farewell is to inspire cultural change by inspiring artists to incorporate climate change in their work. The word on the street is that Ian's next book will incorporate climate change as a theme and is therefore a great example of the ongoing success of the project. (Well done David and team!) Here is a profound excerpt from McEwan's, An Essay for our Time: ...
More US Cities To Get Their Own Solar Power Potential Maps (UPDATED)
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 10.15.08
image: San Francisco Solar Map
UPDATE Correction on the number of cities developing solar maps.
There are a couple of online utilities that help you calculate the solar potential of your building, and one of the coolest ones is the San Francisco Solar Map. Developed by CH2M Hill for the city and county of San Francisco, the map allows you to enter in your address, and estimate the size and cost of putting a solar PV system on your roof.
At Solar Power International CH2M Hill has announced that it will be working with 25 US cities to reduce barriers to solar power adoption. Of those, sources say that it is likely that 10-12 will choose to develop solar maps like that already developed in San Francisco. Read on for more:...
Garbage Collector a Rare Bird in Turkey
by Jennifer Hattam, Istanbul, Turkey on 10.15.08
When I first moved to Istanbul, I asked the friend I was staying with where I could take out the trash. "Just leave it in that pile on the curb," she said. "Someone will come pick it up." Someone did, and although my current street has a dumpster on it, every neighborhood seems to have its own unofficially designated trash heaps. I've seen people tote their garbage bags a couple of blocks just to deposit them on a specific corner, and eventually, whether by city sanitation workers or scavengers, the trash generally gets carried away. (Although usually not before the stray dogs and cats have had a go at it.) So although this system of sorts seems to work, it was no real surprise to read in the local paper that the majority of Turkey's solid waste is disposed of improperly....
Tesla Motors CEO Replaced by Elon Musk, Layoffs Expected
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 10.15.08
Another Victim of the Credit Crunch?
It's not a 100% official yet, but a few sources are reporting that something big is happening at Tesla Motors, makers of the electric Roadster who have recently announced a new $250 million manufacturing plant in San Jose.
Layoffs, Elon Musk Back at the Wheel as CEO
What we know so far is that Ze'ev Drori is apparently out as CEO, and that Elon Musk (who's also busy sending rockets into orbit with his other company, SpaceX) is replacing him. Autocar also says that "100 staff" would be laid off, representing more than half of Tesla's workforce. Read on for more.
Update: Tesla Motors Breaking News: Model S to be Delayed, Unknown Number of Layoffs, Elon Musk CEO...
And I Even Like the Color: SolarSave Building Integrated Solar PV Tiles Blend in With Your Existing Roof
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 10.15.08
Available in a variety of colors, SolarSave roof tiles are designed to blend into a home’s roof. While not exactly seamless with the other roof tiles, from an aesthetic perspective, these are certainly an improvement over traditional solar panels. Photo: Open Energy
One trend which seems to be gaining momentum in residential solar photovoltaics which I’m glad to see happening is the integration of solar panels with roofing tiles. A number of exhibitors were showcasing their systems, Open Energy being one of them. The specific product they were announcing is a new 47” wide, 48-watt SolarSave PV tile. This is what they’re all about:...
Seven Green Jobs That Will Make You Rich
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 10.15.08
Image source: Getty
With the current instability in financial markets, negative jobs reports and general disarray in the marketplace, your mission now is bigger than just saving the environment. You need to get a job with great pay and inject some life back into the economy. But you will want to spend your big paycheck buying green products or services -- probably fewer in number but of better quality -- which will pay the higher wages of the people working the green jobs that supply your demands. A self-reinforcing cycle breaking away from the old debt-and-disposables economy and into a new, value-oriented green economy is just what Wall Street and Main Street need.
Are you up to earning that big paycheck? Then read on to see what you can learn from a roundup of TreeHugger leads on the highest paying green jobs. ...
Diane Keaton on How We Treat Old Buildings Like Plastic Bags
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.15.08
Besides being a terrific actor, Diane Keaton is a former board member of the Los Angeles Conservancy and is currently a trustee of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. She bemoans the loss of the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles.
"We've treated old buildings like we once treated plastic shopping bags -- we haven't reused them, and when we've finished with them, we've tossed them out. This has to stop. Preservation must stand alongside conservation as an equal force in the sustainability game. More older and historic buildings have to be protected from demolition, not only because it affects our pocketbooks but more important because it threatens our environment. Let's face it, our free ride at the expense of the planet is over."...
Blissoma BLENDS Organic Perfume Oil
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 10.15.08
Image source: Irie Star
Blissoma BLENDS just launched three new fall flavors in their perfume oil line. Maybe we should call these "scents" rather than perfumes because perfume has such a bad connotation. These petroleum-free, non-synthetic scents are created to help you smell like the season without many of the toxic additives common to traditional perfumes....
Closing the Digital Divide: Getting Cheap and Free Computers
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 10.15.08
Photo via Lizzardo
One of the major issues behind the digital divide is the expense of obtaining a computer. They cost a pretty penny and when you’re on a tight budget, it can feel impossible to bring home the latest in computer gear.
Thankfully, there is a way to get affordable computers to people who need them and improve our impact on the environment at the same time. ...
A Picture Is Worth: RIP George Cannondale
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.15.08
I thought after Igor the Bicycle thief was closed down that things might improve in Toronto, but alas it was not to be. However, Toronto cyclists seem to like leaving expressive messages (like Mike's lovely post last year) and this one says it all. via BlogTO
Time to Read on TreeHugger:
How to Prevent Bike Theft :
The Bike Thief: Video Exposes Cyclist's Vulnerability
7 Ways Cities Can Make Your Bike More Secure...
5 Eco-Cars Faster than the Porsche 911
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 10.15.08
Why the Porsche 911?
There's nothing inherently special about being faster than the Porsche 911 which can get from 0 to 60 mph in 4.5-5.0 seconds (I'm talking about the regular 911s, not the $194k GT2). It's not like you actually need that kind of acceleration in regular driving... But, it does strike the imagination of gearheads everywhere and create a halo effect. If that can help make eco-cars more desirable, why not?
Lets check out 5 green cars which are actually faster off the line than the Porsche 911....
Solar Power International Photo of the Day: Giving GreenVolts ‘Utility-Scale’ Concentrating Solar PV a Sense of Scale
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 10.15.08
author photo
Back in September, Jaymi reported on San Francisco-based GreenVolts raising $30 million in series B funding for their 2 MW concentrating solar photovolatic (CPV) pilot project. In her post there were some photos of GreenVolts’ innovative technology, but they don’t really give you a sense of the scale. Which is why I was happy to get a chance to snap the photo above at Solar Power International.
In case you missed it, here’s how GreenVolts touts some of the benefits of its variety of CPV:...
Crate Expectations: 12 Shipping Container Housing Ideas
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.15.08
Judging by the three most popular posts in TreeHugger, it seems that much of our readership wants to green their sex life in front of a pellet stove in a shipping container house. And why not? Shipping containers are cheap, plentiful and strong. I grew up surrounded by containers ( my dad's company designed the Kalkinesque warehouse shown above for Northern Canada in the seventies) and always thought the interior dimensions too small, the floors too toxic and the problems of insulating and making them comfortable too challenging, but dozens of architects and shipping container designs have proven me wrong. Let's count the ways. ...
Quote of the Day: Bob Lutz on What Could Kill The Volt
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.15.08
Tyler Hamilton at Clean Break reminds us of what Bob Lutz said a month ago when I asked him if a recession could kill the Volt, much of which seems to be coming to pass a lot more quickly than anyone might have anticipated:
"Let us say that over the next 18 months the world goes into a major recession, car sales and fuel use drop dramatically, the steel companies produce less steel and therefore use less energy, China finds it main export markets drying up, so they are into a contraction and use less steel and aluminum and plastic. And at the same time Canadian tar sands come onstream, and coal-to-liquids come onstream. All of a sudden there is a reduction in primary demand in petroleum plus all these additional new supply sources… And the oil barrel drops to $25 a barrel and we’re looking at gas pump prices at $1.25 a gallon. I personally don’t think that’s going to happen, but that would be a dramatic event for the Volt because everybody would say, ‘Ha!, why should I bother?’"...
Forbes Lists America's Hottest Green Job Markets
by Alex Smith, San Francisco, California on 10.15.08
Top Ten US Cities for Green Jobs
With constant news of the collapsing economy, last week Forbes focused on one area that still has hope: the green job market. According to Global Insight and the US Conference of Mayors, in 2006, 750,000 green jobs were created in the US and it is projected that millions more will be generated in the next decade. Check out the top cities for green jobs below the fold....
Five Poverty-Fighting Clean Water Projects and Designs
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10.15.08
Today is Blog Action Day, and we'll be using our forum as a green blog to talk about this year's theme: poverty. Check the end of the post for links to all our Blog Action Day posts. Photo credit: laszlo-photo
The intersection of green and poverty might be the most dramatic when it comes to water issues; no resource is more precious on this planet, and, yet, no resource is more abused, misallocated, polluted, or otherwise undrinkable; 2.6 billion people in the world lack access to sanitary toilet facilities and 1.1 billion people have no access to safe drinking water. Yet, some solid green projects are underway, bringing design to the forefront of green and poverty, around the globe, helping impoverished folks get their hands on the precious resource.
In honor of Blog Action Day, here are five projects and designs that have the potential to help end poverty and insure everyone has enough clean water to drink....
Fuel Poverty in UK, Government Faces Court Action VIDEO >>
by George Spyros, New York City, USA on 10.15.08
British PM Putting Unemployed To Work Insulating Attics
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.15.08
Civilian Conservation Corps Working With Bricks
We keep saying that the best source of energy is conservation and efficiency; by coincidence, Franklin Roosevelt set up the Conservation Corps to build ditches, plant crops and reforest America in the Great Depression. Now leader of the free world Prime Minister Gordon Brown of the UK is doing the same, creating a new Conservation Corps to conserve energy- training thousands to insulate attics.
"We are expanding in a very radical way our insulation and draught-proofing central-heating provision for the elderly and other people in our country. We are training large numbers of additional people to do that work in insulation. That will be one of the employment programmes that will grow."...
Flip a Strip Mall Redesign Winners Announced
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.15.08
Strip malls are in trouble across North America as the economy tightens and people aren't filling their new houses with junk any more. Even when they were busy, they were not exactly the most efficient use of resources. Late last year the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (SMoCA) invited architects to determine what ideas they had for urban farming, live/work, revitalization of strip malls in Scottsdale, Phoenix and Tempe. MOS architects of New Haven, Connecticut of all places, took first prize with its Urban Battery that charges us up with wind and solar power combined with a vertical algae farm....
Closing the Digital Divide: 5 Ways to Get Free Internet Access
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 10.15.08
Photo by Superfem
Today is Blog Action Day and this year's focus is on poverty. As the techy type, I'll be focusing on how the intersections of technology and poverty. But be sure to catch the many other angles of poverty covered today on TreeHugger. Check the end of the post for links to all our Blog Action Day posts.
Only about 62% of US households have computers. Only about 54% have high speed Internet access. And of people who don’t have a high school diploma or GED, Internet usage sits at about 15.5%.
In an age where job postings, social services, unemployment assistance and other government services have been digitized, lacking the access and ability to use the Internet can be a significant disadvantage.
So we gathered up a few ways that people who can’t afford the Internet are able to gain access and utilize the resources available online. ...
Bamboosk8 Makes First Bamboo Shortboard
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 10.15.08
Image source: Bamboosk8
Skateparks, street curbs, park benches and just about anything with a lip is no longer safe - safe from going green that is. Bamboosk8 has developed a shortboard skateboard desk out of 100% bamboo. Not a bit of maple in this deck. For those not familiar with skateboarding or shortboards, what does this mean for sustainable skating and how can you win one of these decks?...
Review: The Encyclopedia of Earth
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.15.08
When I first got my reviewers copy of the Encyclopedia of Earth, I thought, what a dumb idea, nobody uses encyclopedia anymore with Wikipedia or Google around. In fact, there already is an online version with the same name. Why bother?
Then I opened it up and memories of my childhood flooded back, the hours spent poring over every page of the Life Science Library and the Golden Book encyclopedia that I loved, or the time spent in Eyewitness Books when my kids were little. It may be designed as a reference book, but it tells the story of our planet like a great novel.
...
7 Portable Solar Laptop Chargers Worth Considering
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 10.15.08
Portable solar laptops chargers have been around for a little while now, and they offer a great way to extend the battery life of your laptop using renewable, clean energy. While we typically can't run our laptops solely on a portable solar charger the way we can when we plug into a wall outlet, we can get our batteries to last quite a bit longer, or recharge our laptop batteries while turned off.
However, portable solar chargers are not yet perfect, and have always had some sort of issue that makes them undesirable.
There are three key elements to the ideal solar charger: power, portability and price.
The consumer wants something that is strong enough to run or at least trickle charge their laptop enough to work on it while out and about, with the charger not being impossible to carry around, and also not costing an arm, a leg, and a first born child.
The options are getting better, but that doesn’t mean choosing the right solar charger has gotten much easier. So we’ve scoured the market for the best choices in solar chargers, trying to make sure each option is reasonable regarding the three key elements, and put them here for you to make shopping around a little easier. ...
Rising Seas and Powerful Storms Threaten Global Security
by Lester Brown, Washington, D.C on 10.15.08
Five Loaded Heiresses: Who is the Greenest of Them All?
by Kati Stevens, Sherman Oaks, California on 10.15.08
Image courtesy of Michael Buckner/Getty Images
Paris Hilton may be the most recognizable heiress on the planet, but is she the greenest?
It's not easy being green, Kermit once said, but then again, he wasn't talking about being born with a billion dollars. For heiresses, all that green paper should make it easier to live green too, but it's rare to come across an heiress who cares more about sustainable living than sustained partying. Still, there are a few who go beyond attending benefits to keep the earth happy and healthy, and here at TreeHugger, we think that's hot.
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MTV's Public Urination Water Conservation Ad
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 10.15.08
Name the New Greenpeace Balloon!
by Daniel Kessler, Greenpeace on 10.15.08
Greenpeace has ships, helicopters, a solar-paneled vehicle, and now? Our very own balloon. That’s right, a giant hot-air balloon shaped like the Earth. There’s only one problem. Our hot-air balloon doesn’t have a name yet. And just like any other Greenpeace vessel, our balloon needs a good name. That’s where YOU come in. ...
Four Argentinean Design Projects Helping those in Need
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires on 10.15.08
Picture: Collage of Minima Huella's work with El Ceibo cooperative. Credit: Minima Huella.
It's Blog Action Day! A special day for bloggers around the world to raise our voices on important causes from different angles. The theme for this year is poverty, and from Argentina we wanted to point you in the direction of some people that are doing amazing things that link environmental responsibility with helping those in need in the country.
Keep reading to see our picks....
New MacBook: An Elegant Green Computer?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.15.08
I know, everyone thinks we are just fanboys for Apple sucking up every new overpriced offering, but a lot of us use Apple computers and follow what they do closely. We also know that Apple has been criticized for not being the greenest computer maker. So now they bring one out that is in a milled aluminum body and is EPEAT Gold with no arsenic, PVC, fire retardants or other evil chemicals. I know it would be greener to be pecking out my posts in Wordstar on my Kaypro, but if I am going to use a new computer....here's what we have been saying around the water cooler and hearing in comments.
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Beauty: Home Spun & Woven Gifts
by greenz.jp, Tokyo, Japan on 10.15.08
These scarfs and mufflers from Michinoku Akanekai, Iwate Morioka caught my eye as the perfect gift for the winter season. They are hand spun and woven from domestic natural wool, dyed only with environmentally friendly dyes. They even wash the wool with Effective Microorganisms developed by Japanese horticulturist Teruo Higa, from the University of the Ryukyus in Okinawa. The company is promoting their goods as "slow" and long-lasting, and all items are hand-made....
Apple Day at Roots and Shoots
by Bonnie Alter, London on 10.15.08
It's Apple Day at Roots and Shoots--a double celebration. Firstly, Apple Days--every autumn there are a string of Apple Days held all over Britain which focus on the heritage of English apples. There are over 2,000 kinds of apples growing in small orchards across the country and in 1990 this special day was created to draw attention to the loss of the orchards and local varieties of apples. Apple bobbing, a hit with the younger set, creating the longest apple peel, making dolls out of straw, identifying the mystery apples and enjoying the brisk autumn air are the typical activities for the day.
And on Blog Action Day 2008, a tribute to the work of Roots and Shoots. It is a community garden which provides vocational training for young people from the inner city. Started as a charity 25 years ago, up to twenty 16 - 19 year olds, all with educational or social problems, spend a year at the school. Here they are offered courses, counselling, a work allowance and support to prepare themselves for a job in horticulture or retail sales....
Canadian Election Results: A Conservative Minority
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.14.08
Live-blogging the Canadian election. Above: Stephane Dion
11:00 EDT: Stephen Harper called this election to get a majority and didn't get it. The Liberals, under Stephane Dion, were running a campaign based on very strong environmental positions that didn't resonate. Was it the market meltdowns of the last two weeks that made people afraid to take a risk? Was it his poor communication skills in English? Was it the shift of power in Canada from Ontario and Quebec, formerly Liberal strongholds, to the West, with its oil and population growth, which is solidly Conservative?
Nobody won this election; the Conservatives wanted a majority and didn't get it; the Liberals wanted back in as the Natural Governing Party and didn't get it; the NDP did extraordinarily well but didn't really change anything; the Green Party made no impact at all.
But in the end the real loser is the environment. We have a government that does not support strong measures to reduce carbon emissions, that is in thrall to its base in Alberta, the home of the tar sands. We have a government without a single seat in the largest city in the country- it is a suburban party. We have a splintered opposition. And I have run out of wine....
When Cars Were Crap
by Eric Leech, New York, NY on 10.14.08
Photo by cmt2779
(pictured: 1975 Trabant)
There are two different viewpoints on the green front when it comes to new and old vehicles. Some people believe that newer vehicles are a waste of money, while others see them as more technologically advanced (better fuel economy, less emissions, etc.). Some people would rather have nothing to do any gas vehicles, while others don't mind unless it is an overly polluting gas hog.
Despite which side of the fence you reside, there are certainly some vehicles that were better than others throughout history. Sadly, many vehicles from the 70's and 80's were basically crap when it came to fuel efficiency and emission output. These were the years of trial and error as far as vehicle emissions systems went and quite frankly, it took them awhile to get it right.
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Ex-Tesla CEO Complains about Electric Roadster's Coolant Pump that Just Won't Turn Off
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 10.14.08
Tesla Roadster Reality Check
Martin Eberhard, the co-founder and former CEO of Tesla Motors has had his electric Tesla Roadster for a few months now (he blogged about getting it), and he has recently written a post on his blog about the Roadster's coolant pump.
Apparently it just won't turn off! Read on for more details....
SolarCity SolarLease Progam Expanding to Arizona and Oregon
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 10.14.08
photo: SolarCity
A few months ago fellow TreeHugger John Laumer wrote about a new option in solar power leasing for hownowners, the SolarCity SolarLease program. After visiting their booth at Solar Power International I can report that more residential customers can now avail themselves of SolarCity’s services.
At the time of John’s post, only California residents could take part in the no money down solar power program, but now some residents of Arizona, and soon Oregon will also be able to participate. In case you missed it, this is what the program is about:...
Buy Green: Baby Bottles, Organic Chocolate Cake and DIY Hair Remedies
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 10.14.08
:: Bottle feed baby? Seek out BPA-free and eco-friendly bottle brands.
:: Mocha Cocoa-lovers, delight in this sustainably sinful pair: organic Sumatran coffee and organic Flourless Chocolate Cake.
:: Revive dry and dull hair with this DIY beer-based home remedy....
MIT's CarTel Project Could Reduce Commutes and Save Gas
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 10.14.08
CarTel? Not Exactly the Best Name...
The CarTel Project might sound like it is something that has to do with oil price-fixing, but it is in fact a distributed, mobile sensor network and telematics system designed by MIT.
The goal, in their own word, is to "minimize the amount of time you spend in your car." Read on for more details....
Schoolhouse Rock "Energy Blues" Now 30 - An Annotated Perspective
by Mark Ontkush, Boston, Massachusetts, USA on 10.14.08
Study Finds Noise Pollution in San Francisco Harms People's Health
by Andrew Posner, Providence, Rhode Island on 10.14.08
New Solar Energy Potential Map Seamlessly Covers All of Western Hemisphere
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 10.14.08
image: 3TIER
TreeHugger likes maps; well, at least I like maps. And interactive maps which display the renewable energy potential of all of the Western Hemisphere are even cooler. Though 3TIER’s wind power potential map has been available for a few months now, at Solar Power International they’ve revealed their latest endeavor: A high-resolution interactive map that promises to enable wind developers, government policy makes and project financiers to make better decisions about where to site solar power projects.
Company CEO Kenneth Westrick had this to say in touting this new online tool:...
New Macbook Pro: What's the Eco-Impact of Building a MacBook from a Single Piece of Aluminum?
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 10.14.08
Photo via Gizmodo
Apple MacBook "Brick" Rumor Confirmed
Last week we speculated about the Apple Brick rumors circulating, and took a stab at what it would mean if Apple were actually creating a MacBook from a single brick of aluminum.
Turns out, those rumors were true. Apple has designed a way to make a MacBook from a 2.5 pound piece of aluminum. Their process is now fair game for some eco-impact analysis....
Isabella Rossellini to Make New Green Porno Films on the Sex Life of Marine Animals
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 10.14.08
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
8 New Episodes About Marine Animals
We recently wrote bout Isabella Rosselini's "Green Porno" short films about the sex life of insects. Well, seems like they found an audience because it was just announced that she's going to work on a new series about the sex life of marine animals. We can expect to learn about the shrimp, squid, anchovy, barnacle, limpet, starfish, elephant seal, angler fish and Right whale. Read on for more details....
Solar Powered Reef Keeping Oysters in East Coast Waters
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 10.14.08
Photo via beccaxsos
Oysters are disappearing from New York City’s waterways due to pollution, overharvesting and disease. But creative thinker James Cervino has come up with an interesting way to get them to return home and thrive.
He’s created a solar-powered electric oyster reef - a set of spiral-shaped metal bands that use the sun to charge up and create a chemical reaction in the water that seems to make oysters quite happy to call the reef home. ...
Ashden Awards 2009: Call For International Entries
by Kimberley D. Mok, Montreal, Canada on 10.14.08
Once again, the call for international entries is out for the Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy, due October 21, 2008. If you don’t know much about the Ashden Awards, these prestigious prizes are given out every year to innovative entrepreneurs and organizations developing local sustainable energy projects in developing nations. Entry is free, with up to seven winners receiving £20,000 each in prize money for project development, and one Energy Champion awarded £40,000 – there’s even a documentary film that will be made about the winning projects. According to their press release: “Analysis of 10 previous international Ashden Award-winning schemes showed that in 2008 they are reaching nine million people and saving 1.9 million tonnes of carbon emissions – equivalent to the total domestic emissions of more than 700,000 UK citizens.” Applications and information on past winners are online. Ashden Awards Related Links on the Ashden Awards Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy Bio-Digesters in India: Nothing Wasted, A Lot More Gained Waste-Powered, Award-Winning Stove Cuts Smoke in China's Countryside ...
The Masterful Beatboxing Shlomo: Music Without Instruments
by Graham Hill, New York, NY on 10.14.08
Beatboxin' Schlomo making some noise.
The Big Cheese behind TreeHugger, Graham Hill, hit the Arctic as part of Cape Farewell's 2008 Disko Bay expedition to witness the direct environmental effects of climate change. In a science research boat, he traveled alongside over 40 artists, scientists and rock stars.
At TreeHugger, we love less. Less is more, small is sexy, mini is magnificent. We love us some small houses, small cars and small bikes. The one thing smaller than small? Nothing, nada, zip. Enter Shlomo and his mouth of many instruments (includes vids!)......
Designing a Kitchen Without a Fridge
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.14.08
We agree with Donald Chong when he says Small Fridges Make Good Cities. Indian designer Nilay Shah and taken it to the next step, perhaps designing a kitchen for Vanessa Farquharson in mind and eliminating the refrigerator altogether.
The i Green Kitchen, designed with Italian kitchen company Veneta Cucine, "can be used for cutting, drying, preserving, measuring and serving food at the same time, makes use of trays that are developed from wood and bio-degradable plastic."...
The TH Interview: Van Jones - Founder of Green For All
by Kimberley D. Mok, Montreal, Canada on 10.14.08
Photo: Richard Hume, courtesy of Experience Life magazineEco-advocate, civil rights activist and social entrepreneur rolled into one, Van Jones was recently on tour promoting his latest book, The Green Collar Economy. As the founder of Green For All – the national initiative which aims to combat poverty, racial inequality and the environmental crisis through the building of a robust and all-inclusive green economy – we’ve covered Van Jones here on TreeHugger plenty of times before. But this time we have it straight from the source as he describes his perspective on how the “green economy” concept has gained significant cultural cachet recently, along with building a broader coalition at the intersection of race, class and environmentalism, and what his next steps are....
Off-Grid Grooming is a Little Easier with Piranha Dynamo Wind-Up Shaver
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 10.14.08
Wind up gadgets are typically silly because they require a lot of work for a little output - usually more than the average person is willing to put in. However, there are some ideas that still deserve a nod. Such is the Piranha Dynamo shaver.
...
84.66 MPG: Toyota Yaris Diesel Wins 2008 ALD Fleet World MPG Marathon
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 10.14.08
Update: Toyota to Sell a Yaris-Based Hybrid for Around $15.7k in Late 2011
2008 ALD Fleet World MPG Marathon
39 vehicles took part in a 400-mile fuel efficiency challenge last week in the UK. Road-types and driving conditions varied a lot, but the goal was simple: Get the best gas mileage possible.
The overall winner was a Yaris 1.4 D-4D (diesel) driven by Andrew Andersz and Gary Luton (they'd probably have gotten even better mileage with only one person in the car!) with a final MPG of 84.66 (in imperial gallons -- 70.49 MPG US). Read on for more......
Cartrider by Jaebeom Jeong Is, Um, Interesting
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.14.08
images by Sang-Sik Yoon
We love cargo bikes at TreeHugger, and this one by designer Jaebeom Jeong was inspired by seeing parents put their kids in shopping carts while shopping. It is not without its problems, though. ...
United Nations Protected Areas Get Own Database and Google Map
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 10.14.08
The United Nations Environment Program has gotten techy and partnered with conservation groups to put a database of protected areas online, along with Google map features for easy readability.
Their aim is to help businesses, like oil and mining companies, that are going into new areas make more eco-friendly decisions about their ventures...as eco-friendly as oil drilling and mining can get, I suppose.
Only scientists had access to the information, which was provided in very un-user-friendly ways, but now with the World Database on Protected Areas businesses that affect the land will be able to see the limits of protected areas and steer clear or make changes to their plans to limit their footprint.
But the database does more than just point out boundaries....
Garden Shed Made of Disposable Bottles
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.14.08
In the UK there is a rich culture of allotment gardens; no doubt because of the weather, there is also a culture garden sheds, where one can warm up a bit or get out of the rain. (we showed a lovely one made out of pallets earlier). One probably doesn't want to order up a fancy one in such a public place, so why not build it out of bottles? This one was built of empty lemonade, cola and ginger beer bottles. Instructions at Crafty People, via Shedworking. ...
How to Go Green: School Teachers
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 10.14.08
Photo credit: Image Source/Getty Images
School teachers, listen up! This is a call for help. You are one of the first lines of defense in the environmental movement. In a few short years, the upcoming generation will decide the fate of this planet. And when it comes to how to teach children science, math, and geography, you're the best at it. The interdisciplinary skills they learn today will be the planet-saving skills they enlist tomorrow. Now, we know that's a lot to bear on your shoulders, so we've put together a guide that will help you in the classroom -- and outside it, too.
Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to help children develop a connection to the environment, through both learning and experience. We know that most of you went back-to-school in September, but we have it on good intelligence that some teachers may have spent their summers traveling and golfing, rather than working out lesson plans. We certainly don't take issue with that, and with the Go Green Initiative's annual Earth Summit -- a national conference focused on going green in the classroom -- taking place in Syracuse later this month, it's a perfect time to start planning some eco-activities for your students. Enter our handy cheat sheet for school teachers.
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Gaming Consoles Finally Getting Attention from Energy Star
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 10.14.08
Photo via blakespot
Gaming consoles are finally getting some attention from Energy Star, whose new 5.0 specifications will take a look at the power consumption of these devices and set more stringent standards.
Starting July 2009, PlayStations, Xboxes, Wiis and similar consoles will at last have some requirements on how efficient they must be to earn an Energy Star seal of approval. ...
Less is the New More: Making the Most of Small Spaces
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.14.08
As people migrate to smaller spaces, good design helps a lot. This is something they figured out in Europe long ago, that if you don't have a lot of horizontal room you can go vertical. Tumidei in Italy makes some of the nicest stuff, like this unit with lots of storage under.
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Energy Seed LED Light Gives Alkaline Batteries a Last Hurrah
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 10.14.08
Photo Via Yanko Design
Yanko Design is always showing off interesting pieces. One that caught our eye yesterday is an LED street light that is powered by trashed alkaline batteries.
Sungwoo Park and Sunhee Kim realized the potential in the itty bitty bit of energy left in alkaline batteries that isn’t enough to power gadgets but is still enough to power something. They created the Energy Seed lamp that uses a handful of these dumped batteries to power the LED light. ...
Windation Generator Inspired by Ancient Wind Catchers
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.14.08
Thousands of years ago in Persia, wind catchers cooled the interior of buildings by sucking air out at the top (they would close upwind vents, creating a low pressure area on the downwind side) while sucking air in through underground qanats. Result: cool, moist air inside the heavy walls.
Mark Sheikhrezai was inspired by these windcatchers to develop Windation's 2Kw and 5Kw wind turbines. There is not much information on the Windation site, (in fact there is none) but Martin LaMonica of CNet writes that "There's a 8-by-8-foot frame around a 10-foot-high cylinder. Wind blows in the top and is directed to the bottom where the wind turns a turbine to make up to 5 kilowatts of electricity."...
FDA Chair Studying BPA Took $5 Million Donation From BPA Supporter
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.14.08
Let's see:
1) Martin Philbert is Chair of the committee looking at the safety of Bisphenol A (BPA.)
2) Philbert is founder and co-director of the University of Michigan Risk Science Center.
3) Philbert's Center receives $5 million (50 times its annual budget) donation from Charles Gelman, who thinks that health risks posed by BPA are exaggerated by "mothers' groups and others who don't know the science." According to Sourcewatch, Gelman also supports our favorite Competitive Enterprise Institute, famous for "CO2: We call it life" the CATO Institute, and Junkscience.com, although all of his previous donations to these types of organizations totalled $72,977; $5 million is a completely different ballpark.
4) Notwithstanding a mountain of new studies about the dangers of BPA, the FDA finds that BPA is safe for babies.
...
UK Conservatives Back Up New Runway Opposition
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 10.14.08
Image credit: Greenpeace
UK Opposition Party Continues Stance Against Aviation Expansion
The UK Conservative Party is not necessarily thought of by many as the party of protest, but it has already come out strongly against airport expansion, pledging instead to build a high-speed rail link between London and Manchester. And unless Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s recent efforts to rectify the global economy give him a significant boost in the polls, the Conservative’s chances of winning the next election are looking pretty good. So it is significant that, according to The Guardian, the party’s leaders are backing up their opposition to new runways by strongly warning potential contractors that they would not honour commitments on these projects, should they be elected to power. Needless to say, the British Airport Authority (BAA) is likely to be less than happy:
...
“The Big Issue” Sends Soccer Team to Homeless World Cup
by greenz.jp, Tokyo, Japan on 10.14.08
Many of you will be aware of the magazine The Big Issue founded in 1991 by London social entrepreneur John Bird. If you have lived or spent time in Tokyo, Osaka, Sapporo, or Kyoto you will have seen the Japanese version of the magazine being sold by individual street sellers at train stations and major intersections.
The Big Issue was founded as a way for homeless people to regain self-sufficiency and self esteem, and has spread throughout the world including Australia, South Africa, Kenya, Namibia, and as of September 2003, Japan. Not a charity, the magazine was created as a business model to allow individual homeless people to earn direct income through the sale of the magazine. In Japan, the price is 300 Yen per issue, and the seller keeps 160 Yen of that as personal income. A great deal of effort goes into each issue of the magazine, so if you read Japanese, please do pick up a copy.
We like that they sponsor a soccer team of homeless athletes now called Nobushi Japan, a reincarnation of The Big Issue’s previous soccer team that participated in the Homeless World Cup!...
Solar Power International 2008 Opens: Here’s How You Can Participate
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 10.14.08
photo: San Diego Convention Center
As Solar Power International 2008 , the self-proclaimed largest solar power industy event in US history, starts off today in earnest in San Diego its worthwhile noting for TreeHugger readers in Southern California that you don’t have to be involved in the business to take part in this year’s activities.
If you’re in the vicinity, and want to check out everything I’ll be writing about over the next few days, stop by the San Diego Convention Center from 5:30-8:30pm on Wednesday, October 15th to find out what over 400 solar companies are up to; investigate financing options that are available to install solar power at your home; explore how you can get a job in the rapidly growing solar industry. There are also three free workshops you can attend on the 15th:
...
Book Review: By Hand - The Fair Trade Fashion Agenda by Safia Minney of People Tree
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 10.14.08
The journey of the UK ethical fashion label People Tree has been a remarkable one. As founder Safia Minney says in the introduction of her new book By Hand the story started in Japan in 1991 "and 14 years later I found myself sitting at the World Economic Forum in Davos." It is an amazing achievement for a grass roots Fair Trade fashion company to have such an influential voice on the world stage.
In the intervening period between Japan 1991 and Davos 2008 Safia Minney and a team of dedicated creatives have placed People Tree at the top of UK ethical fashion tree, catering for a broad range of tastes from organic cotton basics to dramatic designer dresses. By Hand is an overview of People Tree's achievements to date, but is also an informative guide to Fair Trade, a beautiful photography book and a series of interviews with the farmers, artisans and designers. ...
Survey: Is Your Sushi Sustainable?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.14.08
Endangered fish like bluefin tuna; unsustainably harvested shrimp; what do do at a sushi bar? There seems to be one on every corner these days, but where do they get their fish? In the post Sustainable Sushi?, Alex tells us that a new sustainable sushi guide is coming out, but what do you do about sushi?
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US Solar Power Moratorium, Revisited: Public Comment on Bureau of Land Management Policy Summary Released
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 10.14.08
photo: The Goat
In case you missed it, back in June and July there was a bit of a fracas when the Bureau of Land Management first put a moratorium on new solar power developments on land under their management and then quickly reversed the decision while taking public comments on the matter. Well, a summary of the public scoping comments has been released. You can download the entire 30-page document at the previous link, but here are just some of the many concerns expressed by citizens and industry:...
Chipotle Mexican Grill Opens With On-Site Wind Turbine
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 10.14.08
Chipotle Mexican Grill is kicking up LEED a notch by opening a partially wind-powered restaurant in Gurnee, Illinois. The six-kilowatt wind turbine is capable of supplying up to 10% of the facility's electricity demand. The turbine, and several other green features, are being deployed as part of the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED for Retail pilot program.
Gurnee being several miles from the Lake Michigan shore, capacity factor for the turbine is likely to be sub-optimal. But, the novelty factor will certainly draw customer attention. Americans, after all, are new to the sight of a wind turbine in a retail or commercial setting. ...
White House Organic Farm VIDEO
by George Spyros, New York City, USA on 10.14.08
Wind Power Manufacturing Jobs Grow in American Heartland
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 10.14.08
photo: Terry Cantrell
One piece of information that got lost in all the news of financial turmoil last week which the American Wind Energy Association was quick to point out: The US wind industry is still going strong. Citing four recent manufacturing announcements, the wind power trade organization was keen to point out that “even in this time of economic uncertainty, America’s wind industry continues to invest in our economy, building new factories and wind farms across the country, and creating jobs.”
It’s worthwhile noting, as I am sure many readers inclined to comment would point out, that the companies behind two of the announcements are not US companies, but here they are:...
'Pocket Library': Book Storage for Small Places, by Ariel Jacubovich
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires on 10.14.08
Photos: Not made in China.
From our great archive of ideas that show less is more you get it: we love small spaces. Especially important in times of economic stress, they make us think about what we really need, give maximum usage to what we have, and they take a lot less energy to keep running. And of course, we love clever furniture that helps us live better in those places.
We've showed you the Kenchikukagu apartment from a box, the Cube 6 dining room furniture and the amazing BEDUP.
Now from Argentina comes a simpler but still beautiful idea, this book and CD storage device that folds into a 21 inches (55 centimeters) cube. Watch it roll in the extended....
Top Environmentalist Award to John Stewart
by Bonnie Alter, London on 10.14.08
The Independent on Sunday has rated John Stewart the top environmentalist in its Green List of 100 eco-activists. Little known outside of the UK, and not so well known here either, this recognition of his efforts is an example of the way the environmental movement succeeds. Deeply committed individuals toil without thought of personal reward in areas that were considered unfashionable. Like many others, for years he has been working, unknown and unrecognised except amongst a small circle.
As his latest cause, he is the head, and sole member of the Heathrow Association for the Control of Aircraft Noise (Hacan) which is opposed to the expansion of Heathrow Airport and the building of a third runway. This is part of a large coalition of people who believe that airports are becoming too big and destructive. The climate camp in 2007, where environmentalists were protesting at Heathrow, provoked a huge media response and brought him into the public eye.
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Santa Cruz, Ithaca, Sweden Consider Pod-Car Transport Systems
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 10.14.08
4 Ways to Reuse Guitar Picks, The Art of Leftovers and DIY Witch Costumes
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 10.13.08
:: Hey, rockers! Reuse your guitar picks with one of these four crafty ideas.
:: Clean out your fridge and master the art of leftovers.
:: Ladies, looking to be a good, green witch for Halloween? Make your own costume!...
Solarcentury: "Officially UK's Fastest Growing Energy Company"
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 10.13.08
Solarcentury Continues Explosive Growth
There’s certainly been a lot of talk recently of what the current market carnage means for solar and other clean tech industries. However, it’s not all bad news. UK based Solarcentury who regularly feature on our pages (see below for an extensive list of links) have just been named one of the top ten British clean tech companies by the Guardian, Library House CleanTech 100, as well as being featured in the Sunday Times Tech Track 100 a few weeks later. The Times’ feature claims that Solarcentury has seen sales soar from UK£6.0m (approx.US$12m) in 2005 to UK£19.4m in 2008. In fact, Solarcentury’s press release about these latest accolades claims that they are now “officially the UK’s fastest growing energy company”. Here’s a little more from the Solarcentury website about the recognition they’ve been receiving – let’s just hope that they continue to ride high through the present turmoil:
...
21st Century Green Farming with Wireless Soil Sensors
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 10.13.08
Wireless Soil Sensors^ to Improve Farming
Researchers at Iowa State University have developed wireless soil sensors that could bring agriculture in the information age (more than it already is) and make farming much more efficient.
The goal would be to put these sensors about 1 foot underground in a grid pattern (80 to 160 feet apart) and have them gather information about how water moves through a field, soil moisture, help understand the carbon and nitrogen cycles within soils, which nutrients are present or missing, soil temperature, etc. Read on for more details....
'Black Silicon' Breakthrough to Change Solar Power Forever?
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 10.13.08
Breakthrough in Light Sensitivity
Harvard scientists discovered black silicon by accident: They shone hyper-powerful laser — "briefly matching the energy produced by the sun falling on the surface of the entire earth" — on a silicon wafer, and then added sulfur hexafluoride. The result was a piece of silicon that looked black to the naked eye, but that upon closer inspection showed a bunch of microscopic spikes (kind of like the "hairy" nanowire solar panels).
The excitement started when they realized that this new material was 100 to 500x more light sensitive than regular silicon detectors. This could be a major breakthrough for night-vision equipment, digital photography, and... solar power! Read on for more....
Renewably Powered Microgrid Shelters for Locavoltists
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 10.13.08
Photo via IAN
Locavoltists take note, there may be more to managing your micorgrid than revealed at first glance.
Instant Access Networks has come up with some interesting technology to protect microgrids from electromagnetic pulses and future attacks, and while they favor scaring people towards their product and position it as somewhat of a bomb shelter for your “island of power,” we find it just a plain old interesting idea for protecting independent power grids. ...
The TH Interview: 2008 Brower Youth Awards (Part One)
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 10.13.08
David R. Brower was a powerhouse of the American environmental movement—in fact, it’s pretty safe to say that without David Brower, the green movement wouldn’t be what it is today. Certainly not a man who slept late, Brower founded the Sierra Club Foundation, the John Muir Institute for Environmental Studies, Friends of the Earth, the League of Conservation Voters, and Earth Island Institute, among others. When David Brower died in 2000, Earth Island created the Brower Youth Awards, honoring six young environmental go-getters each year, whose precociousness is on par with that of the young Mr. Brower. In addition to being swept off to San Francisco for a big award ceremony, the winners get $3000 and an arsenal of resources with which to carry on their work. This week we hear from two of this year’s winners. TreeHugger Radio Listen to the podcast of this interview via iTunes, or just click here to listen, right-click to download. Also check out our coverage of Brower Youth Award winners from 2007, 2006, and their collaboration with the Lorax....
ZigBee Gets an Upgrade, Offers Pro Version
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 10.13.08
ZigBee, so far, is the main standard by which smart grids are designed and smart meter companies design home automation products. Now, ZigBee has let loose new versions of their specifications, which includes a PRO version. But that doesn't necessarily mean easy street for new devices and networking....
Number of the Day: 168.03 Million Motor Vehicles in China
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 10.13.08
168.03 Million -- That's the number of motor vehicles on China's roads. The figure cover automobiles, motorcycles, tractors, trailers and other motor vehicles. By comparison, the US had 250,851,833 registered motor vehicles in 2006 according to a Department of Transportation study (in 1960: 74.4 million).
8.26 million -- In the past year, 8.26 million motor vehicles were added to China's road, a 5.17% increase. By comparison, between 2005 and 2006, the number of motor vehicles on US roads increased by 1.38%....
57 MPG Toyota iQ Goes on Sale in Europe, No U.S. Release Date Yet
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 10.13.08
Toyota iQ City Car
The Toyota iQ is making quite a few waves: Thanks to its 3+1 seating arrangement, it is the the smallest 4-passenger car in the world, its design has gotten lots of attention, even from the Royal College of Art, and it is also the first car with a rear curtain airbag for improved safety.
Now Europeans have a chance to buy one (though deliveries will only start in January). Read on for more details on available engines, MPG, and fuel-saving features....
Energy Star Getting Tougher on TVs, Tests Them When Turned On
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 10.13.08
Photo via eheçatzin
TVs suck up a lot of power. While LCD and OLED TVs are progressing, Energy Star is getting tougher on energy use standards for high powered displays.
While old standards required TVs to barely sip power when turned off, starting November 1, the new standards will be launched and TVs that want to sport the Energy Star logo will have to be a bit more efficient when actually turned on. ...
350: Bill McKibben Inspires UK Audience to Join His Campaign
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 10.13.08
"The most important number of your lifetime" is how George Spyros titled Bill McKibben's campaign earlier this year. Since 350.org was launched this clear number, referring to the target of parts per million of Co2 in the atmosphere, has ignited the imaginations of people around the world. Bill McKibben took time this weekend to bring his message to the UK, where an audience of 500+ green activists at the Schumacher Conference listened in rapt attention to his powerfully motivating speech. The image above shows Bill McKibben with his friend Satish Kumar of Schumacher College enjoying the verbal dexterity of poet Matt Harvey. Click over the page to hear Bill's message....
Green Eyes On: The Financial Crisis: Think Twice and Connect
by Sara Snow on 10.13.08
Image credit: greenjobsnow
No doubt, it has been a tough couple of weeks on Wall Street and on Main Streets all across this country. People looking at their retirement funds wondering where the money has gone. People looking at their health care plan wondering where it has gone. And too many people looking at what was once their job, their paycheck, their source of income and livelihood, and wondering where on earth it has gone.
There are two things that, as I sit here writing today, I hope come of this financial crisis.
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Thoughts on Global Warming Hosts Carnival of the Green
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 10.13.08
This week is Carnival of the Green # 149 and it's being hosted by Thought on Global Warming, a blog about global warming, alternative energy and green tech news and analysis, with special green reports.
So 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!...
Wattbot Puts Clean Energy in the Public’s Hands
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 10.13.08
Wattbot is a new website that makes clean energy and energy efficiency accessable to consumers in order to help quicken the pace at which we adopt better technologies.
It’ll take a whole lot of people getting a whole lot more educated about what’s happening with climate crisis, what is happening with clean tech, and what role we each play in the mix before we can get cracking on serious improvements world wide. So, Wattbot connects consumers to the folks behind solar installations, home retrofitting, residential wind power and the like. It’s a bit like the Sam’s Club solar kiosks, only better. ...
Whale Oil as Space Lubricant: Better than Anything We Can Create?
by Graham Hill, New York, NY on 10.13.08
The Big Cheese behind TreeHugger, Graham Hill, hit the Arctic as part of Cape Farewell's 2008 Disko Bay expedition to witness the direct environmental effects of climate change. In a science research boat, he traveled alongside over 40 artists, scientists and rock stars.
TreeHugger does surely not lack in its coverage of whaling. The proof is in our ocean-sized archive.
But did you know that whale oil was used to send a man to the moon? I learned this weird but true fact during my sea travels......
RONA Including Product Life Cycle Information in Stores
by Jenna Watson, Barcelona on 10.13.08
Life Cycle Stages According to the RONA Website.
Source: Market Watch. The Canuck version of Home Depot, RONA , has announced its new eco-responsible signage in all of their stores. The new signs will be placed on products that were selected using the life cycle approach
approach adopted by the largest distributor of home renovation and garden supplies.
This includes over 300 various brand name items and RONA's own line called RONA ECO. The brand name items were chosen in collaboration with the experts at the International Chair in Life Cycle Assessment because they have lower environmental impacts in one or more phases of their life cycle, while the RONA ECO products "have a smaller environmental footprint throughout their entire life cycle."
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Solar-Powered Media Player Ditches Chargers
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 10.13.08
The variety of solar powered gadget chargers is growing, but what about gadgets that use the sun to power up without the need of a separate charger? We know Apple is interested in providing this capability, and even Sharp is trying to go long with some big solar devices but in the mean time, Shiro Corporation is delivering.
The Shiro SQ-S solar powered portable media player is a gadget you want to have out in the sun with you, featuring a built-in solar cell that can charge up the gadget pretty darn fast, and play for a good long time. Best part is it doesn’t look to be a gimmick gadget that only shows off a solar cell to suck up to green-minded consumers. It has features that put it on par with other media players....
Chapter One Organics, The Green Eaters
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10.13.08
Photo credit: Chapter One Organics
An assortment of fun and funky baby and toddler clothing and accessories abounds at Chapter One Organics, a line that champions 100 percent organic cotton fabrics, low-impact dyes, and socially responsible manufacturing here in the United States.
Chapter One Organics works with a manufacturer that has training programs in place to help women who have "significant barriers to employment." Its current teaching site: A women's minimum security prison in the Midwest, where individuals can pick up new skills and earn fair wages. "The idea being once the women are released," says Jennifer Murphy, the company's founder and owner, "they will have a 'green' job opportunity."
Certainly, responses from the women, post-training, have been positive and heartwarming. ...
Pet Topic: Readymade Goes to the Dogs (And Cats)
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10.13.08
Photo credit: Readymade
The October/November 2008 issue of Readymade has seven creative projects for the DIY'er who loves critters. And you don't have to rush out to your nearest newstand to get the 411 on these projects—the magazine has helpfully published detailed instructions on its Web site.
Does Captain Fluffypants need a kitty condo, a critter carrier, a repurposed-luggage bed, catnip-laced toys, a quilted dog jacket, a litter box hideaway, or a pair of mod-looking scratching posts? Readymade has you covered. ::Readymade...
The Go Green Initiative's School of the Week: Westmount Elementary in Alberta, Canada!
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 10.13.08
The days of the week have taken on entirely new meanings at our Go Green Initiative School of the Week, Westmount Elementary School in Strathmore, Alberta, Canada.
Plain old Tuesdays became Trash-Free Tuesdays and mundane Wednesdays are dubbed Walk or Wheel Wednesdays. Students are encouraged to rinse and recycle milk cartons with the creative Squish and Swish campaign.
...
World Foodless Day
by greenz.jp, Tokyo, Japan on 10.13.08
Food activists and local farm groups are stepping up protests against sky-rocketing food prices, as more and more people are facing shortages, not only in "developing" or what used to be called "Third World" countries. Here in Tokyo, NGOs including Consumers Union of Japan will organise a forum, Another World Food Day, to discuss a wide range of current food problems and solutions. In the United States, World Hunger Year (WHY) holds an event at Great Hall of Cooper Union in New York City, in partnership with Food First, National Family Farm Coalition, Grassroots International, Agricultural Missions, Pesticide Action Network of North America, Small Planet Institute, Food and Water Watch, Coalition of Immokalee Workers, United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1500, Rainforest Action Network and others.
Step up to the Plate: Ending the Food Crisis...
Survey: Is Now The Time To Buy A New Car?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.13.08
Eric suggests that Now is the Time to Buy a New Vehicle, as the dealers are hungry and they they are tossing out incentives. If ever there was survey bait, this is it.
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Gen Art Highlights Sustainable Designers at L.A. Fashion Week
by Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff, Los Angeles, California on 10.13.08
Maggie Gyllenhaal at Gen Art's Fashionably Natural Show/photo provided by Gen Art
L.A. Fashion Week opened with a sustainable bang on Thursday, October 9th as Gen Art presented Fashionably Natural, an exclusive runway show featuring the city’s largest collection of eco-friendly designers showing their Spring 2009 collections. Actress Maggie Gyllenhaal hosted the show, which took place at a transformed Peterson Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, CA.
What do these designers have in common—besides a commitment to sustainable fabrics and fabrication? A shared fascination with miniskirts so short they flirt with indecency. Read on for more of Spring’s eco-friendly fashion sneak peeks—plus an exclusive video.
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Finally, a U.S.-Made Cargo Bike by Metrofiets
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 10.13.08
Photo Mark Stosberg @ flickr
The Dutch are the original designers of the "bakfiets" cargo bikes - though the Danish have a long legacy of their own with the "Long John" variety of cargo bikes. When you cruise the streets of either Copenhagen or Amsterdam you'll see lots of imaginative examples of everything from babies to plants to bags of flour carried around.
Cargo bike is made in the U.S.A.
Now a Portland, Oregon (of course!) bike shop called Metrofiets has started building their custom-made version of the "bakfiets" cargo bikes for between $2,700 and $3,200. Yes that price is high (and the bike takes six weeks to build) - enough to make your heart quiver at the thought of spending that much in a recessionary economy on a BIKE! But Metrofiets is comparable with an imported Dutch bakfiets. And what makes Metrofiets unique?...
Britain's Top 100 Environmentalists
by Bonnie Alter, London on 10.13.08
The Independent on Sunday has come out with its list of the top 100 environmentalists in the UK. It is a quirky list--many of the names are little known to people in Britain, let alone the rest of the world. They have been chosen for the impact they have made, many on local issues, rather than for their great fame. The top environmentalist is John Stewart, a man who has been working quietly for years on transportation issues and now spearheads the campaign against airport runway expansion at Heathrow Airport, outside London. More on him tomorrow.
Second is Professor Robert Watson, the chief scientist at Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) who has been involved on the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as chairman and scientist. Jane Davidson, Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing in Wales is third--she has plans for Wales to have all renewable electricity by 2020. And fourth is Monty Don (pictured), heart throb, gardening guru and now the new chair of the Soil Association. ...
Carbon-Neutral Delivery for Ice Cream Emergencies
by Jennifer Hattam, Istanbul, Turkey on 10.12.08
photo: Ben & Jerry's
Admit it, you’ve been there: curled up on the couch in your pajamas, watching a good movie, and thinking to yourself, "The only thing that would make this better right now is a pint of New York Super Fudge Chunk and a spoon—but then I would have to get dressed and go outside…” Istanbul residents living near the popular shopping street Bağdat Caddesi on the Asian side of the city now have a solution to such dilemmas that is as ecofriendly as it is effortless: Bicycle delivery from Ben & Jerry’s....
Yom Kippur = Carfree Day in Tel Aviv (A Photo Essay)
by Jesse Fox, Tel Aviv, Israel on 10.12.08
That’s right – Yom Kippur. A somber day of introspection in most of Israel, in mellow Tel Aviv the Day of Atonement is the closest thing to a day without cars in the Middle East. With all cars banished from the pavements for 25 hours, helmet-clad children take to the streets in their masses.
In contemporary Israel, where land is running out, asphalt is eating up the landscape, the air is thick with smog and gas isn’t getting any cheaper, a day like this is an absolute necessity, reminding us all that the car’s dominance of our living space is not a divinely-ordained decree, but a conscious decision that we have made - and that we can decide otherwise if we wish.
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The D&A Green Market - Sustainable Fashion Event Comes to LA
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 10.12.08
Image courtesy of D&A
Designers and Agents is launching their first Green Market, a sustainable trade event that will unite fashion, designers, and community in the name of green. Bono’s Edun imprint, Stewart & Brown, CAMPER, Loomstate and Namaste Green House are among the featured designers that will participate in the show, which will take place in Los Angeles on October 17-19. The focus of the event will be sustainable design—which is why the foremost brands have been selected on their being exemplary pioneers in the field....
Berlin Announces Plans for World's Largest Community Electric Car Infrastructure
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 10.12.08
On Friday, Chancellor Angela Merkel gave the green light to an ambitious infrastructure project, launching the world's largest community effort for climate-friendly electric cars. Electricity provider RWE will install 500 power-points, where electric cars can charge up. Daimler AG and Smart are partnering in the project, which aims to have100 electric Smart Cars on the streets of Berlin by the end of 2009.
But the announcement has started a battle of images. Click over the fold to see what the project looks like from two perspectives....
Emissions "Must be cut" by 80% by 2050 says British Climate Change Committee VIDEO>>
by George Spyros, New York City, USA on 10.12.08
How Will Future Hurricanes Respond to Climate Change?
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 10.12.08
There is no question the recent uptick in hurricane number and intensity is at least partially influenced by climate change. Why and how much will be the subject of a new long-term study unveiled last week by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and National Science Foundation (NSF); working with government agencies and several businesses in the insurance and energy industries, NCAR will examine how the pattern of hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico region will change by mid-century.
According to the Times-Picayune's Mark Schleifstein, the study will combine NCAR's powerful computer models and estimates of future greenhouse gas production to predict future hurricane activity. The models, which will help reconstruct past weather patterns in the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf, will focus on the following three 10-year periods: 1995-2005, 2020-2030 and 2045-2055. The first results are expected to be available as early as next January, with the first fully fleshed-out assessment due by mid-2009. ...
Shameless Publicity Stunt Dept. – Free Used Moving Boxes Offer for Packing up Your Foreclosed Home
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 10.12.08
Photo courtesy of Used Cardboard Boxes
UsedCardboardBoxes.com, a company last seen on TreeHugger flagrantly self-advertising via a comment on a post on green moving has now come up with another half-baked marketing move. They’re offering one ‘free earth-friendly moving kit’ to any family that has just lost their home due to foreclosure. The family just has to pay the shipping and handling (odd, since on the website, it says shipping is free for regular orders). If your thoughts instinctively conjured up keywords like ‘salt,’ ‘wound,’ ‘insult,’ or ‘injury,’ then you’re not alone....
The Hot Box: Eco-Cooking Without an Oven
by Eric Leech, New York, NY on 10.12.08
Photo by Gbalogh
And we are not referring you to the microwave...
We are talking about an age old trick of cooking that has been used for years underneath the sands of the beach, or the dark soil of the Mid-Americas. Recently I purchased a new home and it was void of one important appliance of which I had become rather accustomed to... an oven. Until we purchased a stove, we quickly learned that there are a variety of creative ways to cook with alternative energy, using a minimum of electricity or gas, and a hot box is certainly one of our favorites, least expensive, and most tasty.
...
Girls Gone Green – An Eco Calendar for Charity
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 10.12.08
Image courtesy of Habana Works
Girls Gone Green. This is the kind of sexy environmental idea that makes you wonder why it hasn’t been done much before. And it’s a wonderfully cheeky concept—a calendar full of girls posing for the sake of green....
Interactive Website Shows How "Acoustic Smog" Is Killing Whales
by Kimberley D. Mok, Montreal, Canada on 10.12.08
Image: Sons de Mar website (LAB)From the drone of a yacht to the sonar blast of a warship, the deafening noises of the military and commercial shipping industries have reached a point where it is seriously threatening whales, said scientists at last week’s World Conservation Congress. Already, the proliferation of these anthropogenic sounds in the ocean’s waters have impacted whales’ abilities to feed, mate and migrate on their long-established routes – resulting in increased whale beachings, strandings and collisions with ships. "The noises generated by ships create what I call acoustic smog," says Michel Andre, director of the Laboratory of Applied Bio-Acoustics in Barcelona. To understand how vast and potentially devastating the problem is, Andre and his team have created an interactive website that lets users see and hear the impact of this “acoustic smog” in relation to various whale species. ...
New Survey Explores Link Between Views on Politics, Economics, and Global Warming
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 10.12.08
Photo courtesy of Next Nature
American Climate Values Survey
Views on global warming may be more strongly politically and economically influenced than many may have hoped. The recently released results of the American Climate Values Survey, conducted earlier this year, yield some surprising revelations—and may perhaps reinforce some long held biases. But bear in mind as we parse some of the results that the very purpose of the survey was to determine how best to veer the national conversation on climate change towards apolitical territory, not to elicit head-shaking and ‘I told you so’s’ from liberal environmentalists.
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Quote of the Day: Barry Lehrman on A Green Lining to Our Financial Cloud
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.12.08
Image from My other car is a bright green city
Barry Lehrman, Architect and editor of the website Archinect writes an editorial that starts with a hilarious typo about how we cannot "maintain the Gordon Gecko greed and wonton consumption of the last 30 years."- but I love wonton! However he recovers to note:
"If we can rebuild our financial institutions and economy to care about the triple bottom line and the well-being of our world - the $700b will have been well spent.
If we can rebuild our government to serve the people and not wealth - the $700b will have been well spent.
If we can spark innovation and pay for basic science research to create a new green economy - the $700b will have been well spent.
If we can replace and repair our neglected infrastructure with state-of-the-art green pipes and systems - the $700b will have been well spent.
If we can teach our children, parents, and peers that the conservation of energy and resources is the simplest step to pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps - then the $700b will have been well spent.
If we take this moment to do right, to care about those without, to share our love and happiness, to appreciate life a little more – then there is hope." ::Archinect...
Now is the Time to Buy a New Vehicle
by Eric Leech, New York, NY on 10.12.08
Photo by Elrader
The stock market has been taking quite a beating for the past few months. This very problem has then of course trickled down to the consumer, who in turn has closed shop for the winter so to speak as far as making any major purchases. This in turn has affected car manufacturers who have been having one heck of a time unloading new vehicles into the marketplace. The fact that there is no buyer trickles down to the dealership who is really struggling right now to make ends meet.
While these are very unfortunate events we are living right now, that doesn't mean that there isn't at least a little sunshine peaking through the clouds every now and then. Purchasing a new car, just happens to be one of the rays of sunshine. You see, right now is a great time to take advantage of the struggling dealerships and get in on some of the deals they are slinging in the attempts to salvage what has become a real bad year....
Construction Starts on Sustainable Fellwood—A Totally Sustainable Affordable Housing Project in Savannah, Georgia
by Sara Novak, Columbia, SC on 10.12.08
photo: Sustainable Fellwood
The $50 million mixed-use, mixed-income redevelopment project sits on 27 acres in Savannah on the site of the state's first public housing project, and it serves as a principal component of the City of Savannah's Westside Development Revitalization Plan. What's makes this development one of the greenest of its kind?...
Three Wacky Danish Wave Power Projects
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 10.12.08
Danish pilot looks to boost wave transformer with wind turbines. Graphic Floating Power Plant.
Portugal gets the distinction of having both the world's first commercial wave power plant, Aguçadoura Wave Park, which officially opened last month and is expected to grow to 21 MW of capacity - it currently has 2.25 MW of capacity or about enough to power 1,500 homes.
Danish wind leaders want to be wave power leaders, too
But the Danes, who pride themselves on being leaders in both using wind energy (more than 20 percent of their electricity is wind-generated) and in wind technologies, are trying to catch up with some wave energy (and even a unique combined wave-wind energy project). Currently the Danes have 12 "active" wave power projects. Hit the jump to see the Wave Dragon, Poseidon's Organ and the Wave Star....
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.
- Ecotality Blog
- Ecostore
- Accidental Environmentalist Jolly Green Girl Confidential
- GreenShopper.com - Environmentally Friendly and Green Shopping Community
- Eco Investment Club
- Runaway Now
- Our Greener Life
- Sustainable is Good
- Variety Presents Green Hollywood
- Switchboard
- Architype Review
- Green Fertility
- The Blue Marble Blog
