- 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 December 28, 2008 - January 3, 2009
Total this week: 106
There's Nothing Religious About Smuggling Endangered Monkey Meat into New York
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 01. 3.09
Photo courtesy of Fondation Brigitte Bardot
Three years ago, customs agents discovered dozens of pieces of endangered baboons and monkeys hidden in a package filled with smoked fish at Kennedy Airport. (Guess huge pieces of monkey meat in fish filets are easier to spot than lead paint in kids' toys, huh?) Monkey skulls, limbs, and torsos were all discovered in the contents, which the package's owner, Mamie Manneh, apparently had shipped from Africa.
Her defense up until now was that she needed the rare, endangered primates for religious purposes. But now, according to Newsday, a judge has thrown out that defense, evidently deeming that keeping dozens of pieces of rotting, dismembered animals in your luggage was an act of bad faith—whatever that faith happened to be.
...
The Art World Evolves with Natural Selection Installation in San Francisco
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 01. 3.09
Image courtesy of Velvet da Vinci
Anyone familiar with the art gallery scene knows it's a dog eat dog world out there for artists—but Hilary Pfeifer's new exhibit "Natural Selection" gives a whole new meaning to survival of the fittest. Her "installation within an installation" opening on January 9th at the Velvet da Vinci Gallery in San Francisco appears at first glimpse to be a straightforward greenhouse—but step inside, and you'll find a vibrant, sometimes bizarre tribute to the forces of nature. ...
California Safe Schools Org Hosts Environmental Health Summit
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 01. 3.09
Image courtesy of California Safe Schools
To celebrate its 10th anniversary, the California Safe Schools organization gathered luminaries of the environmental health and children's education world together for a program called "Your Life is Now." The event featured speeches from high profile educators and environmentalists, and an award ceremony that honored two of the highest profilers of all—California EPA Secretary Linda Adams and Congresswoman Hilda Solis....
Was "Green" the Most Overused Word of 2008?
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 01. 3.09
Image courtesy of Good
Green has gone mainstream—there's no doubt about that now. Celebrities touting their "green" lifestyles, corporations announcing "green" initiative after "green" initiative, and politicians publicly calling for "green" legislation and policies all relentlessly graced the airwaves and internet pages throughout 2008. But was last year the year when eco-verbiage finally came to be much too much?...
Canadian Forest Agency Proposes Climate Strategy: 'Sharpen The Chain Saws'
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 01. 3.09
Chainsaw As Climate Adaptation Tool: Image credit:Chainsaw Art, Funny Part
As the Canadian climate has warmed, pine beetles have spread across vast acreages of Canadian forest land: estimated to presently constitute 7 percent of Earth's total forests. In response to the threat of expanding pine beetle infestations, forest managers set "back-fires" to isolate infested areas, liberating plenty of C02 and putting the climate feedback loop in a still more wide-open position. It didn't stop the spread, of course; and, it's just too big a problem to solve with pesticides. So...what do you suppose they are proposing?...
The Rat Apocalypse of Lehua
by Josh Peterson, Los Angeles, California on 01. 3.09
photo by C+H
The Hawaiian island of Lehua will soon be ratless or, if you prefer, without rats. It is not a piper, pied or otherwise, that is leading these rats to their demise. Instead, helicopters are the chosen harbingers of doom. Equipped with bait hoppers full of diphacinone pellets, the whirlybirds of the apocalypse shall descend upon the uninhabited island and discharge their poisonous payload. The Polynesian rats, deemed invasive and destructive, will gorge themselves upon these granules from heaven, and lo! The day of reckoning shall be upon them. ...
Citing Environment, China Delays World's Longest Aqueduct Project
by Alex Pasternack, New York, NY on 01. 3.09
China is delaying its construction of a massive earth-changing project that will divert billions of tons of water to its parched north, in an attempt to mitigate environmental damage. (Updated | 4 Jan 09 : Cleaner Greener China points to conflicting stories about the delay -- some say yes, others no -- for reasons unknown. Perhaps it could be national leaders overriding the concerns of local leaders.)
The four-year delay, reports the Wall Street Journal, will impact the central of three sections of the "South-to-North" water diversion project, which at $62 billion may cost three times what the Three Gorges Dam, the world's largest, cost. The project is designed to move water over hundreds of kilometers, from China's central and southern regions to the north using three massive pipes. It could mean the relocation of some 300,000 people and carry enough water along its three routes to satisfy half of California's water needs.
A project that moves that much water across such a large distance is going to present a little more than the usual kind of environmental problem. Forget Chinatown; this could turn water tensions into water wars....
Islands in the Gyre from Michael Barton
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 01. 2.09
Globe and Mail
TreeHugger readers will know of the Pacific Gyre, the "island of garbage twice the size of Texas" slowly spinning in the ocean. Like everything in life, it can be seen as a serious problem, or an opportunity. Michael Barton, in his graduating thesis at the University of British Columbia, proposes to gather it together for "the construction of a synthetic land commodity." He won an award of Excellence from in the Annual Canadian Architect Awards for "The Enthalpy of Empty Space."...
Hertz Rolls Out Car-Sharing Program to Compete with Zipcar
by Eliza Barclay, Washington, D.C. on 01. 2.09
Hertz, the world's largest car rental company, is entering the burgeoning car-sharing market with a new offering called Connect, as first reported in Budget Travel. Connect will first be available in New York City, London, and Paris, and will add 20 additional cities this year, challenging Zipcar's dominance in the market.
Hertz is hoping the car-sharing initiative will boost its eco cred, evident in the heavily green-toned web site. As a more concrete endeavor, this year, Hertz added 3,400 Toyota Prius hybrid cars to its rental fleet. Connect will also offer hybrid and the BMW Mini Cooper. The company also says Connect helps the environment by reducing congestion, emissions, and energy use....
Creative Reuse Project Wants Your Ideas
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 01. 2.09
Image via ExtremeCraft
ExtremeCraft.com is working on a project, gathering 1,000 creative ideas for reusing materials, and your ideas are wanted. But the deadline is fast approaching.
Read on for how you can contribute. ...
Toyota to Go Bold In Bid to Revive Flagging Sales
by Andrew Posner, Providence, Rhode Island on 01. 2.09
Toyota Goes Bold
Even Toyota, the maker of the much revered Toyota Prius, has been unable to escape the fallout from the economic downturn. In fact, Toyota just posted its first operating loss in 70 years, and the company is responding with bold plans for innovative new vehicles. For instance, we've known for a while that Toyota has been planning a solar-assisted Prius (a hybrid vehicle with a rooftop solar panel to help power onboard electronics). Now, however, there are reports that "Toyota Motor Corp. is secretly developing a vehicle that will be powered solely by solar energy." Read on for more. ...
Why Is There Still a Frog Disruptor In My Toothpaste?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 01. 2.09
For well over two years we have been wondering why they still allow chemicals like triclosan in products like soap, creams and even toothpaste. We know people are crazed about using antibacterial products, even though they do more harm than good. They are possibly gender-benders and may be responsible for killing amphibians. So why are they still so ubiquitous? Because the EPA continues to think that they are just fine. ...
NYC's Tekserve Holding 3rd Annual e-Waste Recycling Event
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 01. 2.09
Can a Snowboard be Green?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 01. 2.09
Mike Olson and Pete Saari, founders of Mervin Manufacturing. Image: Annette Veihelmann
Can a snowboard be green, or is that an oxymoron like a hybrid Hummer? As was noted previously, a sport where you a) drive two hours, b) get electrically winched up a hill to c) slide down artificial snow, d) repeat is questionable, but as an avid shredder (or as they used to derogate us grownups, "grays on trays") I will take anything I can get. Like Burton's new Eco Nico, which the New York Times tells us is:
...
Blu-Ray Player Earns Green Seal of Approval
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 01. 2.09
Photo via PC Magazine
Blu-Ray is starting to get popular, and while we greenies encourage keeping what you have before buying new gadgets, folks who want to adopt the new technology have a greener option for a Blu-Ray player.
The Sony BDP-S350 received a PC Magazine green thumbs up. Read on for why....
New York Times Predictions for 2009, from 1909
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 01. 2.09
Everyone is having fun looking at predictions made a year ago, but what about a hundred years ago? "Litterateur" Jules Bois made some interesting ones, some which are dead on and some hilariously wrong. Take his ideal of feminine beauty:
...
Survey: Which Words Should We Banish From TreeHugger?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 01. 2.09
Image: expiredmeter.com
Mr. Laumer alluded to Sault Ste Marie's Lake Superior University's list of banished words in his post on "green, sustainable, concrete." It is a challenge they have been running for 22 years where people write in and suggest words that should be "Banished from the Queen's English for Mis-use, Over-use and General Uselessness." (and I thought they were on the American side of the border). There were quite a few suggestions that have been found on TreeHugger. Which do agree are tired or expired? Multiple choices accepted, and please suggest your own additions, which we will add to the survey.
...
Janine Benyus on Biomimicry in Design on TH Radio (Part Two)
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 01. 2.09
How does an electric eel generate electricity without frying itself? How does a tree move water hundreds of feet up without pumps? If we quiet human cleverness and follow nature’s lead, says Janine Benyus, we see that most of our challenges have already been solved. Ask Benyus how to be a better biomimic. Two words: get outside! Listen to the podcast of this interview via iTunes, or just click here to listen, right-click to download, or read the text version of this interview after the jump. For part one, click here....
Vent Miser: Pass or Fail?
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 01. 2.09
Image via Coolest Gadgets
We're a little undecided on this one because this heating system gadget has as many cons as handy pros. So, read on for details and put in your vote on if this is a pass or fail eco-item. ...
New Cement Eats CO2 - Fights Global Warming
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 01. 2.09
Cement: From Carbon Source to Carbon Sink?
Lloyd has written before about cement as “the unheralded polluter” - in fact some estimates suggest that cement manufacture may be responsible for more global greenhouse emissions than the entire aviation industry. It’s no wonder then that we were excited when we heard about Eco-Cement, a greener cement that actually absorbs more CO2 than it produces. Now it appears that another company is also producing carbon negative cement. The Guardian reports that UK company Novacem has developed a cement with an overall negative carbon footprint of 0.6 tonnes per tonne of cement. This compares to an overall positive footprint of 0.4 tonnes per tonne of standard cement. So how do they do it? The Guardian explains a little more:
...
Nagoya To Host UN Biodiversity Conference In 2009, Facing Protests
by greenz.jp, Tokyo, Japan on 01. 2.09
(Traditional rice cake pounding, photo from GNJ)
Farmers and activists in Japan are surprised and increasingly upset that Japan will host the next UN Biodiversity conference (COP 10) in Nagoya. In Aiichi prefecture, large construction projects are reducing fertile soil and rice paddies to yet another highway or urban sprawl. As they brought the kids and gathered at Noda Farm for a New Years festival a couple of days ago, people were asking, "Why Nagoya?"...
When The Green Side of Israel Gets Tainted Black
by Karin Kloosterman, Tel Aviv on 01. 2.09
Once upon a time, I had a friend who was a glossy magazine writer working on a story for a yoga magazine. Reporting from Israel, she wanted to interview the Ethiopian-Israeli community in Beersheba and ask them why they weren't practicing yoga. For me that was a very Marie Antoinette sort of question.
How could these people, among the poorest in Israel, who are struggling to put food in their babies' mouths, and learning the basics about the western world –– like how to use a toilet –- consider for a second about breaking into the Lion Pose, and meditating? This is how I feel right in Israel. It just doesn't seem right to talk about the environment, when people from both sides of the green line are suffering and trying to survive. I'm really not in the mood. ...
Incredible Edible Food Revolution is Happening
by Bonnie Alter, London on 01. 2.09
Raised beds at the local primary school image from Incredible Edible Todmorden
What happens when two women in a small town realise that vegetables could be planted in the flowerbeds of the local parks and along the edges of the town's cemetery. A revolution, of a planting kind, is born. That's what happened in Todmorden, in Yorkshire. The women started planting rhubarb and chard and other vegetables in municipal tubs by the bus stop, on the railway platform, at the school, in the cemetery, outside the doctors' office. Their goal was to inspire others to start growing vegetables wherever they could: in their own back gardens, on balconies, outside their offices...
They launched their organisation "Incredible Edible Todmorden", with the goal of increasing the amount of local food grown and eaten in the town. Their aim is to have the town self-sufficient in food by 2018. The response has been overwhelming. The local council, to its credit, has given permission to plant 500 fruit trees around the local playing fields and is looking for plots to turn into new allotments. The town used to have 44 allotment sites and now it has only four. ...
TreeHugger Welcomes Alex Davies!
by Alex Davies, New York City on 01. 1.09
RIP "Green" - Lake Superior State University Reports It Should Be Banned In 2009
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 01. 1.09
Image credit:National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, "Concrete Is Green"
'Green' as a term of popular culture is on life support and barely hanging on: not just because some academic said so, and not because few "green" magazines of 2008 stayed around, and not only because of advert abuses (as pictured above), but because people are screaming to have Green taken off life support. Lake Superior State University, which, since 1971, has published an annual list of words or terms that need to be "banned" from the English language, reports that "green" was the number one balloted word to be rid of in 2009. ...
Divergence On The Corporate Front: Sustainability Shakeout Begins
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 01. 1.09
Ten Large Retail Corporations Profiled Using EthicalQuote
With regulatory teeth set to emerge in environmental and ethical regulatory regimes again (see explanatory post - The Pendulum Effect: Review And Prospects For Sustainability...), corporate sustainability efforts could soon receive notice among investors and in consumer markets. For examples of how indicators of ethical and environmental choices have been tracking lately, see the above graphic, drawn for this post using Covalence'sEthical Quote, Public Version, and explanation, plus further examples below the fold....
Teacher Recognized for Efforts to Educate, Inspire Kids and Parents to Better Care for Our World
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 01. 1.09
As a child growing up in Berkeley during the '60s, educator Patricia Donald loved reading National Geographic and Time magazines, where she says she learned about the pollution of the earth and its oceans, and the human-caused disruption of the balance of nature.
"There was a lot of scary stuff going on in those days," said Donald. "It just felt really important to try to empower people to understand the space and the habitat they lived in, to help protect it instead of fighting against it all the time. Luckily, I had a lot of people who helped me believe in my dream."
And what a successful venture her dream has become in Berkeley, California.
...
So Long 2008, and Thanks for All the Posts
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 01. 1.09
TreeHugger is providing more original content than ever, but also acts as a filter, reviewing hundreds of other websites. As the "about" page says: "Partial to a modern aesthetic, we strive to be a one-stop shop for green news, solutions, and product information." To do so, I look at over three hundred websites every day in many different fields; here are some of my favourites that I want to thank for keeping me in posts for 2008.
Design Jill of Inhabitat and Harry of Mocoloco have been around as long as TreeHugger, and continue to be the standards of excellence for design sites. Max and the Apartment Therapy family of sites are great resources. However in 2008, particularly for architecture, I found Preston of Jetson Green, Justin of Materialicious and Alex of Shedworking were finding the coolest stuff fastest. The joy of this business is that even though I have met few of them personally, I consider them more than sources or competitors, but friends....
Dale Vince's Electric Sports Car - Video Update
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 01. 1.09
Canadian Duo Runs Marathon Daily for One Year to Raise Eco-Consciousness Among Students
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 01. 1.09
Image Via: Steve King
While so many people are working so very hard to help educate kids about environmental issues and what they can do to make a difference, there’s a pair of Canadians who’ve been on the run, literally, since May 4 of last year to raise awareness and educate kids at the same time by putting in a full marathon daily to make their way across the continent of North America as part of their Run For 1 Planet.
...
Welcome to Tonic, the "good news" site
by Tonic, the "good news" site on 01. 1.09
eBay's Ban on Ivory Starts Today, But Will It Help?
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 01. 1.09
Photo via exfordy
Today is a happy day for elephants because eBay's ban on ivory sales begins today. We saw the ban pop up on the Hugg radar a few months ago and are interested to see what happens now that the rule is in effect. ...
Welcome to Jebediah Reed, The Infrastructurist
by Jebediah Reed, The Infrastructurist on 01. 1.09
TreeHugger Welcomes Ariel Schwartz of Fast Company!
by Ariel Schwartz of Fast Company on 01. 1.09
Concept LED Device Gives Air Quality Alerts
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 01. 1.09
Photos via Yanko Design
A concept device by designer Yasuhiro Akama would be pretty handy to have while walking in cities. It uses different colors of LED lights to alert users to the quality of the air they're breathing....
Big Surprise: Bike Sales Drop in Winter
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 01. 1.09
Wendy Carlson for The New York Times
Who would have thought that cyclists were fair weather friends and that that bike sales would drop over winter? Many bike shops laid in extra cold weather gear, expecting "legions of new bike commuters." But the recession, cheap gas and the traditional sales pattern for bikes have conspired to make it a hard winter.
According to the New York Times, bike industry analysts say that what bike shop owners perceived as a commuter trend was probably not....
2009: Year of the Gorilla
by Petz Scholtus, Barcelona, Spain on 01. 1.09
2009 has been declared the Year of the Gorilla (YoG) in order to avoid the extinction of the largest living primate, by the UNEP Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), the UNEP/UNESCO Great Ape Survival Partnership (GRASP) and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA). After similar schemes for dolphins and turtles, "the Year of the Gorilla 2009 will place gorillas on a higher pedestal," says John Mshelbwala, U.N. Convention of Migratory Species expert. Gorillas, whose DNA is almost 100% identical to that of humans, are one of the most endangered species on the planet....
Land Sharing is a New Trend
by Bonnie Alter, London on 01. 1.09
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall is a national treasure--a writer, organic farmer, chef, t.v. personality and passionate believer in local communities. His latest venture is "Landshare"--a scheme which puts people with large unused gardens in touch with gardeners wanting space. He calls it a "food revolution destined to be the next great thing." With more people wanting to grow their own food and allotments being harder and harder to come by, he just may be right.
It is a simple and optimistic idea. People register their interest as a grower, a spotter --someone who has seen land in their area that may be suitable for growing--or an owner. The register, once it is up and running, will put these people in touch with each other. ...
Epic Environmental Fail: Landowners sue Tennessee Valley Authority for $165M over Coal Ash Spill
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 12.31.08
Clean Coal Fans, Take Note
As reported here on TreeHugger and on Discovery News last week: "Monday night 2.6 million cubic yards (the equivalent of 525.2 million gallons, 48 times more than the Exxon Valdez spill by volume) of coal ash sludge broke through a dike of a 40-acre holding pond at TVA's Kingston coal-fired power plant covering 400 acres up to six feet deep, damaging 12 homes and wrecking a train." Read on for more....
Tick-Borne Diseases May Spread More Easily with Global Warming
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 12.31.08
Photo via Getty Images
While some studies say global warming is not to blame for an upswing in tick-borne disease occurances, a new experiment shows that warmer temperatures are indeed a problem when it comes to ticks turning towards humans for lunch. ...
Demanding Broader Carbon Footprint Calculations
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 12.31.08
Photo via tomsaint11
Carnegie Mellon University researchers are asking companies to do what is only absolutely reasonable in the face of a big global goal of reducing emissions - broaden the terms on which they calculate carbon emissions.
And that means factoring in the emissions of suppliers....
Shoebox is 100% Recycled. But Wait, There's More...
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.31.08
Here is a neat demonstration of good packaging design. You take the crappy coarse 100% recycled pulp that egg cartons are made of and you mould it around the shape of shoes so that you still have packaging to protect the shoes, but because it is the shape of the shoes rather than the shape of the box. Like an egg carton, the moulding adds strength so you can probably stack them pretty high.
And why fill the shoe with disposable tissue? Newton Running sticks a pair of socks in one and a reusable shoe bag in the other.
Don't know anything about the shoes, but love the box.Via PSFK ...
Make a Dollhouse Chair from your Champagne Corks
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.31.08
Here is a way to keep busy when everyone else is having a good time and you are the designated driver: Take all of those champagne corks with their wire cages and recycle them into little models of "the chair that has seated millions"- a classic Thonet cafe chair. Learn how at Instructables.
And don't forget, champagne corks can travel up to 50 miles per hour-remove them safely:...
Wal-Mart Offers Cheap HFA Asthma Inhalers
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 12.31.08
Photo via Brave New Films
Earlier this month we reported that ozone-friendly HFA inhalers are to be the norm as CFC-based inhalers are banned. Two chief complaints about this move are that the prices for HFA are much higher and that dose counters aren't usually included - dose counters help users know when the inhaler is empty of medication.
Well, Wal-Mart of all companies has solved those two problems by putting out the cheapest HFA inhaler on the market, and it includes a dose counter....
Swedish Town Recycles Heat from Cremations
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 12.31.08
Image: Hub Pages
Arts and Literature have given us Soylent Green and The Matrix, suggesting human bodies as raw material. Usually this makes people grimace and shiver. But in the Swedish town of Halmstad, it will soon make people warm and cozy. Halmstad officials required improvements at the local crematorium after environmental monitoring indicated too much smoke was going out the chimneys. After planning for the improvements started, well...one thing just lead to another. ...
Urban Chicken Keeping Boom in the UK
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 12.31.08
Credit Crunch Drives Increase in Backyard Flocks
Jeff said it before – urban chicken keeping just makes sense, even if we’ve previously referred to backyard chickens as a ‘weird ecohabit’. But if you could have a pet that not only gives you entertainment and companionship, but eggs (and great compost) too, then why the heck wouldn’t you? OK, I must admit I’m biased - I’m a chicken keeper. And despite a recent case of weasel/raccoon attacks, I can say without a doubt that chickens make wonderful pets. It seems I’m not alone either. According to The Guardian, the number of small scale chicken keepers has mushroomed in the UK in the past year. Kirsten Halley, of seed manufacturer Allen and Page, says the phone has been ringing off the hook:
...
Creating New Jobs by Investing in Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency
by Lester Brown, Washington, D.C on 12.31.08
Ooh-la-la Organic Panties (Slideshow)
by Emma Grady, New York, NY on 12.31.08
Image from Stella McCartney
Sacrifice neither your pantie line, nor the planet with 7 sexy organic cotton thongs. That's right. Now you can invest in cotton undies that help support organic agriculture and impress that fella you met at Green Drinks. Ladies, we’ve rounded up the top panties that that will help you stay in green style the next time you need to strip down to your skivvies. Guys, we think you'll want to take a peak, too. Curious to see this, er, cheeky, collection? Click on through to our essential Ooh-la-la Organic Panties image gallery. ...
Shade-Grown Coffee Protects Tree Biodiversity
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 12.31.08
Photo via prince_tigereye
We know that shade-grown coffee is much easier on the environment than sunny coffee plantations. They require less fertilizer, prevent soil erosion, require fewer or zero pesticides, the list goes on. NPR's Science Friday has a cool podcast up about how shade-grown coffee farms also help with the upkeep of biodiversity of the areas, with a higher number of native tree species flourishing in the areas....
Discover Launches First U.S. "Biodegradable" Credit Card
by Sara Novak, Columbia, SC on 12.31.08
photo: Nature Repurposed
We've discussed greener credit cards in the past at TreeHugger. Major credit card companies offer cards that provide donations to nonprofit organizations whose logo or image is featured on the card. But that's not what we're talking about here at all. Discover is boasting a new "biodegradable" credit card made from biodegradable PVC. But can PVC really degrade and what is it anyway?...
Survey: What Are You Doing New Years Eve?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.31.08
There are sensible times for New Years holidays; Iranians and Bahai celebrate it with the equinox and spring in March. Jews celebrate it with the harvest, in fall. Celebrating it on January 1, simply because that was when the Consuls of ancient Rome assumed office, does not make much sense. Staying up late to celebrate the end of a pretty horrible year and the start of a difficult one makes even less sense. Or maybe right now what we need is a good excuse to get drunk.
...
Orchid House Near Buenos Aires Is Eco-Concious, But Is It Green?
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires on 12.31.08
Photos: AndresRemy.com.
The Orchid House is one of the first to be built under environmental concerns in Buenos Aires. Designed by architect Andres Remy, it is certainly beautiful and loaded with neat energy saving features, but, Can a house in the middle of a private neighborhood about one hour from the city be green?
Click through for more details and great pics in the extended....
Ford Parking Assist Technology Makes Lincoln MKT Crossover (Slightly) More Efficient
by Eric Leech, New York, NY on 12.31.08
Photo credit to Willrad
Well folks, another basic function of life has now been taken away from us, as if we were stumps on a log not able to think and function for ourselves. But perhaps Ford is right. Maybe the public has forgotten the art of parallel parking......
Kenyan Cowboy Shirts are Recycled
by Bonnie Alter, London on 12.31.08
Kijiti image from kila kitu
Kila Kitu is swahili for "everything" and it's the name of a new company that makes cowboy shirts out of old clothes from Kenya's markets. Started by a Canadian, Bart Sullivan, a former development worker who came back to Kenya for a visit and wanted to stay. His favourite cowboy shirt was dirty, he asked a tailor to copy it and so begins a story.
He and his tailor comb the depths of Nairobi's sprawling second hand clothing markets to find the best patterns and fabrics. They reuse these to make a very cool range of cowboy shirts, each with a different name and provenance. The shirt pictured is called the Kijiti which is Swahili for stick and is the name of a boy's game. Each one comes with its own matching bag. ...
Herding The Ox: A New Year's Parable for Zen Buddhists and Greens
by greenz.jp, Tokyo, Japan on 12.30.08
According to the ancient Chinese calender, that is popular all over Asia, 2009 is the year of the ox. This calm and trustworthy animal is a symbol of prosperity through fortitude and hard work. When even the Wall Street Journal follows the lead of Treehugger, and introduces frugal advice for How to Fix Your Life in 2009, it may be a good time to take a moment and heed the wisdom of the ages.
(Image: Charging Bull by Arturo Di Modica)...
Adrian Grenier Hosts Charity Water Ball 2008 (Slideshow)
by Emma Grady, New York, NY on 12.30.08
Image Credit: Emma Grady
The gorgeous and green Adrian Grenier, of HBO's Entourage and Planet Green’s Alter Eco, hosted the third annual ball for Charity Water at NYC's Metropolitan Pavilion earlier this month. More than 1,200 guests--including celeb Matthew Modine and eco-model Summer Rayne Oakes--attended the fundraiser, which raised $400,000 for the construction of wells and sanitation projects in Africa, India, and Central America. Go Charity Water go!
Drink in the entire event at our dripping-with-goodness Charity Water Ball image gallery.
...
The 2008 Eco-Matrix: Who's Hot, Who's Not in the World of Green
by Meaghan O'Neill, Newport, R.I. on 12.30.08
Wondering who’s news and who’s so last year? TreeHugger’s 2008 Eco-Matrix is here to inform and entertain. If you’ve been pondering whether Al Gore is in or out, whether ethanol is still a worthy news item, or which green celebs have fallen on hard times, just click through for our handy cheat sheet to what happened in the world of green over the past year, and what and who are on the rise for ’09. (That’s just a sneak peak above; head below the fold for the real deal.) ...
2008: Gone in Forty Seconds
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.30.08
The Top 10 Un-Treehugger Events of the Year
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.30.08
Men Set Grassland on Fire Trying To Blow Up Gophers
Two Calgary men wreaked environmental havoc trying to kill gophers with a Rodenator, a device which pumps propane and oxygen into their holes and then blasts them out. Unfortunately the grass is really dry and flammable, and 160 acres, including several outbuildings were completely torched, with a value of C$200,000 (US$197,000 and falling) More ...The Seven Most Un-TreeHugger Products of 2008
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.30.08
Wherein round up our favourite un-TreeHugger Products of the Year:
Poop Freeze: The "Enviromentally Friendly" Way to Deal With It
Dogs can be wonderful creatures, but they do tend to leave deposits, which in most places have to be picked up, usually in plastic bags, and then disposed of. It is often an unpleasant task; that is why we are so excited about Poop-freeze, the new way to keep the environment clean of unsightly dog poop by spraying it with something that freezes it on contact. More at More...2008: The Year in Pictures and Images
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 12.30.08
2008 was a banner year in the green world, and with events like the economic recession came some pretty interesting pictures. Sometimes funny, occasionally sad, always poignant, check out our gallery for 2008: The Year in Pictures and Images
to see if your favorite made the list....Reddit Yet? TreeHugger's Top 25 Posts from 2008 on Reddit.com
by Chris Tackett, San Francisco on 12.30.08
You may have seen 75 Stories You Dugg: A Year of TreeHugger on Digg.com and Thumbs Up! The Top 20 TreeHugger Stories You Stumbled Upon in 2008 as well as our Most Discussed Stories of 2008 and Top 10 Stories of 2008 overall. Now it's turn for a look at what TreeHugger blog posts were most-popular on Reddit.
Click through for the Top 25 Most-Popular Posts......
The Hostel With Wings Going Nowhere Soon
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.30.08
We wrote earlier about the creative recycling of a 747 into a hostel at Stockholm Arlanda Airport. After all, if you can't afford the five thousand bucks to sleep on a 380 to Dubai, you can squeeze into the former queen of the skies for fifty bucks if you share with two others, "one to sleep with and one who promises not to watch." What a great idea!
It is now two weeks from opening and Doug Lansky of the Guardian gets a sneak preview. Watch an interesting four minute video here.
See also:
Creative Recycling: 747 Turned into Hostel
Recycled Hotels
Recycled Hotel Rooms from Wine Barrels for the Oenophile...
Google Motherboard Design Could Get 93% Efficiency
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 12.30.08
Photo via Visual Velocity PC
Google is well known for its intensity around data center efficiency. However, what isn't well known are all the ins and outs of how it gets everything running so effectively. It seems, though, that a little information has come out that gives us insight into a specially designed motherboard that is a key ingredient to an excellent PUE. ...
Has Obama's Inauguration Speech Been Leaked?
by Jeff Siegel, Green Chip Stocks on 12.30.08
So it looks like a copy of Barack Obama's inauguration speech has been leaked. Here's an excerpt...
“Energy will be the immediate test of our ability to unite this nation, and it can also be the standard around which we rally. On the battlefield of energy we can win for our nation a new confidence, and we can seize control again of our common destiny. Our excessive dependence on OPEC has already taken a tremendous toll on our economy and our people. It's a cause of the increased inflation and unemployment that we now face. This intolerable dependence on foreign oil threatens our economic independence and the very security of our nation. The energy crisis is real. It is worldwide. It is a clear and present danger to our nation. These are facts and we simply must face them.”Now for the truth......
Ruscombe Green Hosts Carnival of the Green
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 12.30.08
This week is Carnival of the Green #160 - the last Carnival of 2008! It's being hosted by Ruscombe Green, a blog hosted by Philip Booth, Stroud district councilor from across the pond in the Cotswolds, England.
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! ...
Bright Built Barn is Built, Bright and Beautiful
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.30.08
All images by Naomi Beal via Kaplan Thompson Architects
Perhaps I should just rename these design posts the "Jetson of the Day" since I am getting so many from Preston at Jetson Green. Back in September he introduced us to the Bright Built Barn; Now Naomi Beal's latest pictures of it almost completed are up and it looks great. The designers are very proud of the "light skirt" around the building; I think it makes it look pimped out like a tuner Honda. However they serve a purpose:
...
Football Fans Can Help Plant Trees
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 12.30.08
6 Alternative Green Investment Strategies for 2009
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 12.30.08
Photo Unhindered by Talent @ flickr
The question of where to put your money in 2009 is something even the biggies like Warren Buffet are definitely grappling with. The problems of the economy - astounding debt and an uncertain dollar - are such that not even geniuses know exactly which way the money winds will blow.
Unfortunately, so-called green or socially responsible stock funds as a whole didn't do remarkably better (and sometimes they did worse) than the S&P 500 or other stock indexes. That might be in part because, as Paul Hawken presciently noted way back in 2004, many SRI funds can be indistinguishable from regular run-of-the-mill mutual funds -- they nearly all own many of the same large-cap companies. And the picture's been grim for clean energy stocks--the Nex tracking index of these clean energy stocks shows a 66% drop in 2008! So, while we emphatically don't pretend to be giving any investment advice, here are some alternatives worth your further research and consideration:...
Bargain Prices on Small Cars as Oil Gets Cheap
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 12.30.08
Image Credit: Nissan
Small Cars Selling for Under $10,000
The New York Times has already noted that without a gas tax to keep prices high, small, efficient cars may never take off in the States. And now ABC tells us that this hypothesis may well be correct, with sales of small cars tumbling as oil prices dropped and the economy went into turmoil. But for those of us heretics who don’t believe that gas is going to stay cheap forever, or who listen to the IEA Chief Economist’s warnings of imminent peak oil, now may very well be the time to pick up the small car of your dreams as dealers slash prices in an effort to boost sales:
...
No Infrastructure Investment for Concrete!
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.30.08
This is what you get for your infrastructure investment dollars. Texas A&M
Making cement creates 5% of the world's greenhouse gases. Putting it into roads promotes consumption of fossil fuels. And where is the infrastructure investment going? States are lining up at the trough to invest in- highways. According to Heidi Przybyla at Bloomberg,
Missouri’s plan to spend $750 million in federal money on highways and nothing on mass transit in St. Louis doesn’t square with President-elect Barack Obama’s vision for a revolutionary re-engineering of the nation’s infrastructure. Utah would pour 87 percent of the funds it may receive in a new economic stimulus bill into new road capacity. Arizona would spend $869 million of its $1.2 billion wish list on highways.Supporters say, with a straight face, that this will be good for the environment because it will reduce congestion. “If you can eliminate the congestion, you can dramatically reduce greenhouse-gas emissions,” said Jeff Solsby, a spokesman for the Washington-based American Road and Transportation Builders Association....
CSI: Thermal Police Looking For Leaks
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.30.08
insulating a soffit: Steve Ruark for The New York Times
How many cliches can we throw at this subject? It is truly the low-hanging fruit, the cheapest negawatt. Matthew Wald of the New York Times describes how 140,000 houses will be weatherized this year, with a goal of doing a million,
to reduce energy consumption and cut energy costs for households and taxpayers, who often absorb those costs for the poor. This would represent a historic shift in emphasis for the federal and state governments, reducing poor people’s energy bills instead of helping to pay them....
Meet The Deeply Sexy EnerTech No One Is Talking About: CHP
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 12.30.08
When energy experts periodically promote combined heat and power (CHP) (sometimes referred to as "cogeneration" or "district heating,") generally speaking, it 'don't get no respect.' This needs to change, as CHP's potential to increase energy efficiency is very high; and the technology offers returns for investors and municipal taxpayers.
Perhaps CHP is commonly overlooked because it lacks novelty and is hard to explain in a sound-byte. Also, because the engineering and layout requirements for CHP often require collaboration among public and private sectors, the US media has no celebrity figure to characterize it with (like the Pickens Plan does, for example). Finally, CHP historically has been more of a downtown thing, rarely found in the exurban setting. Hopefully with US President-elect being from Chicago, where there are plenty of CHP examples, like this one, there will be a greater follow up. Look below for details....
Survey: Have You Ever Used a PSS?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.30.08
Alex Steffen of Worldchanging once asked, "why buy a drill when what you really want is a hole?" , making the case for Product Service Systems, a regular subject on TreeHugger. Yet tools have become cheap, DVDs are cheap, Car share are not on every corner and the PSS just might not be as convenient. And really, borrowing a cat? Have you used one, outside of the most common PSS, the public library?
...
Seriously Cool Boots from Recycled Plastic Bags
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires on 12.30.08
Photos: Guillermo Gomez via Dacca blog.
We've talked about plastic bags fusing before as a way to keep polyethylene bags going, and even pointed you to a tutorial to DIY, but so far we hadn't seen the material applied to footwear and in such an elegant way.
These boots are the work of Chilean industrial design student Camila Labra, and made mostly of recycled plastic bags. Keep reading to find out about the process, prices and more models....
Spain's Trees of the Year
by Bonnie Alter, London on 12.30.08
This lovely tree has been sheltering the square in the town of Pareja Spain for almost 500 years. It was so famous that it was mentioned in a 1946 travel book: "They call it lady oak because it is rounded, full-bodied, matriarchal, an elm as old perhaps as the oldest stone in the town."
Then in the 1980's, the "Lady Elm Tree of Pareja", known in spanish as "La Olma de Pareja" developed the fungus that had wiped out almost all of the country's elms. The townspeople treated it with fungicide and pruned it and saved it. For that they received the prize for Tree of the Year: 3,000 euros towards its continuing care. ...
DIY Mittens, Deliciously Cheap Dinner Recipes and Post-Holiday E-Waste Tips
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 12.29.08
:: Not sure what to do with that really embarrassing reindeer sweater from Aunt Susan? Make mittens!
:: Ring in the New Year with the best of Kelly's easy, economical and eco-friendly dinner recipes from 2008.
:: Consult the consumer guides for e-cycling tips before you give your old gadgets the boot....
BYD Delays Sale of Electric Cars in North-America to 2011
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 12.29.08
After the Tesla Model S, Here Comes BYD's F3DM...
It was only a couple weeks ago that BYD's F3DM plug-in hybrid went on sale in China. At that time, BYD still said it had plans to "bring the F3DM to the US in 2010", but that has now changed without much in the way of explanations. Read on for more....
Acorn/ Deck/ Empyrean Born 1947 Died 2008
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.29.08
image: empyrean
After World War II, many designers tried to apply the techniques developed for wartime industry to housing; Fuller with the Dymaxion House and the Lustron houses were attempts in steel; in 1947 Acorn structures tried it in wood. Their first experiments were in a form of sandwich panel; Like almost every other builder who has attempted that since, they ran into trouble with the inspectors. Soon they were building kits, with small, Scandinavian-modern designs. They expanded, merged with Deck House, got into sustainable efficient design early, joined up with Dwell Magazine to introduce new architects and ideas into their mix. Now, 61 years after the first little cabin, they are bankrupt and closed. ...
Toyota Passo Sette: Yaris-Sized 7 Seat MPV
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 12.29.08
The Amazing Shrinking car
It seems like Toyota has learned quite a bit from building the Toyota iQ (follow link for photos), the "Smallest Four-Passenger Car in the World". But the question really was, if they can fit 4 people in a car that small, how many people could they fit in a car that is still small, but slightly bigger.
It seems like we're getting an answer, because Toyota has unveiled in Japan a 7-passenger MPV that will be about the size of a Yaris (compact car)... Read on for more....
Seven Over-Packaging Sins: Images That Drive Us Nuts!
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 12.29.08
Photo via Tom Bullock
One thing that is a constant thorn in the side of efficiency lovers is over-packaging. Using more cardboard, paper, plastic, space, and fossil fuels than necessary to get things from one place to another is an ubiquitous eco-sin. Here are seven instances--illustrated in a photo gallery--of when packaging has gone awry. Click through to see the images....
EEStor Ultracapacitors Coming to a Tailor Near You
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.29.08
Image from Patent Application
EEStor may not be having much luck getting their ultracaps into cars, but Lockheed is working hard at getting them into your pants. They have made a patent application to build them into armoured clothing. According to BariumTitanate, it is:
a new form of utility garment that includes body armor among other things. Specifically, the application discusses that the electrical energy storage unit "substantially conforms to an armour plate." The plate in turn may be "contoured to better fit a person wearing armor."...
Cabin Kits from Copeland Casati
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.29.08
images from Green Cabin Kits
I find it interesting that so many women have become leaders in the prefab movement. Pioneers were Jennifer Siegel, Rocio Romero and Michelle Kaufmann (this year's Residential Architect of the Year). Two years ago we were big on a Cusato; now we have Copeland Casati, who is offering Green Cabin Kits. And judging by the picture, you don't want to mess with her.
...
iGo Debuting Energy Efficient Chargers at CES 2009
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 12.29.08
Image via iGo
iGo Technologies provides solutions for charging up gadgets more efficiently by ditching standby power. They’re debuting a few more cool looking products at the upcoming CES. Read on for a glimpse of what tech we’ll get to see in just a couple weeks. ...
Recycled Donkey Dump the Dumbest "Green" Gift From the Holy Land
by Karin Kloosterman, Tel Aviv on 12.29.08
6 Clean Tech Start-Ups to Watch in 2009
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 12.29.08
2008 was a banner year for green tech start ups. While the economy crashed, investments in clean technology stayed relatively strong. We're taking a look at the top techy start-ups to follow as the new year begins....
Janine Benyus on Biomimicry in Design on TH Radio (Part One)
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 12.29.08
Janine Benyus is the woman who opened our eyes to the practice of modeling technology after nature, a discipline she calls biomimicry. Drawing on nature’s design library has given birth to glue inspired by lizards, coatings inspired by beetles, turbine blades inspired by whales, paint inspired by leaves, fans inspired by the sycamore, power cells inspired by eels, bulletproof plastic, and bone repair. Nature is overflowing with sustainable solutions, she says, but the designers, engineers, and architects “who make our world” aren’t taught how to tap in. Janine’s latest project, AskNature.org, is her effort to “organize the world’s biological information by design and engineering function.” Listen to the podcast of this interview via iTunes, or just click here to listen, right-click to download, or read the text version of this interview after the jump....
Tool Lending Libraries: A Product Service System Success Story!
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 12.29.08
Photo credit: geishaboy500 @ Flickr
Here's a nice story, in the spirit of Christmas and the goodwill of man. TechShop, in Menlo Park, Calif., is "a 15,000 square-foot membership-based workshop that provides members with access to tools and equipment, instruction, and a creative and supportive community" -- many readers will recognize that as a product service system, or PSS, where you purchase the service of a product, rather than the product itself (learn what makes a good PSS if you haven't heard of them before. Anyway, when TechShop first started, there was a concern that some of the tools available for use would follow their users home. The reality, as it turns out, is that the exact opposite is true. ...
Midnight Rule-Change Opens National Parks to Mountain Bikes
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.29.08
Bush on Bike in Beijing, Reuters via China Daily
George Bush loves his mountain bike, so it should be no surprise that one of the midnight rule changes being proposed by the Interior department is to make it easier for park administrators to open up trails. According to the New York Times, hikers are outraged....
The Big Squirt Will Save Us
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.29.08
John Laumer wrote earlier about shale oil in Colorado, that finding the energy to both heat oil shale to 700 degrees while simultaneously freezing the surrounding rock with 30 feet of ice was not a big problem, but finding the water to do it all is. But he forgets that Science Will Save UsTM and that technology like the Big Squirt can easily shoot all the water they need down from the Great Lakes. ...
More Companies Support Green Tax Than Oppose It In Japan
by greenz.jp, Tokyo, Japan on 12.29.08
Photo from AP Can you identify the people in this photo?
Surprise, suprise: Not all companies are opposed to taxes. Mainichi reports (belatedly) from a survey by Japan's Ministry of the Environment, done in July 2008: More than 40 percent of major enterprises in Japan favor the introduction of an environment tax to curb global warming. But I wonder why so few companies bothered to reply to such an important survey. ...
Quotes of the Day: On SUVs, History, and the Volt
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.29.08
What is the best selling vehicle in America this month? The Ford F-150. Edmunds says:
"Despite all the public discussion of fuel efficiency, SUVs and trucks are the industry's biggest sellers right now as a remarkable number of buyers seem to be compelled by three factors: great deals, low gas prices and winter weather"George Santayana said:
Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it....
Steinway Installs Solar-Powered Air Conditioning
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.29.08
Photo: Robert Stolarik for The New York Times
Solar-powered air conditioning just makes so much sense; it is usually hottest when the sun shines brightest. Now piano maker Steinway has installed an 80 ton absorption chiller that is powered by hot water from tracking solar panels. In the winter, the solar collectors provide water for heating.
...
More Gyms Are Tapping into Pedaling for Power...and also for Profit
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 12.29.08
Photo of the Ridgefield Fitness Club by Green Revolution.
It is now officially a trend. While human-generated energy has previously been mostly limited to one-off solutions rigged together by inventive tinkerers, at least four gyms globally have now gotten in on the act, using the power from their members pedaling to reduce their energy bills, and in one case, even give back a little bit of the savings to gym goers! Started last year at Hong Kong's California Fitness, the idea of saving energy through human power is spreading. Read on.
...
BBC's Jeremy Clarkson Produces Deceptive Tesla Review (Video)
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 12.29.08
Survey: Should Outgoing Gov'ts Be Allowed To Pass "Midnight Regulations?"
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.29.08
After Franklin Roosevelt was elected he had to sit around until March 4 for the inauguration. Obama only has to wait until January, but it is still over two months, during which time the outgoing administration has been passing all kinds of "midnight rules" on farm regulations, mountaintop removal mining and more. Perhaps the question should be why other countries manage orderly transfers of power in far less time, but should lame duck governments be allowed to change the rules of the game during this time?
...
Oil on Water: Shale Oil Industry Mixing It Up With Aid of Federal Bailout Package
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 12.29.08
Carla Bruni Does Fair-Trade Bags
by Bonnie Alter, London on 12.29.08
Carla Bruni is a former model, pop-singer, sex-pot and, oh yes, the wife of the President of France. So when this ultra-stylish and stunning First Lady carries a handbag--people look out for it. Bruni went to South Africa with her husband the President and visited a South African township, Khayelitsha, near Cape Town. She was given a cotton and hessian stitched bag in the six colours of the South African flag. She started to use it, and suddenly the most fashionable boutique in all of Paris, Colette, takes it on to sell in their shop. Since there were only 421 of them made, it becomes an instant cult status symbol: for once a fashion statement that’s both stylish and socially conscious.
...
LED Umbrella Is Powered by Rain
by Eric Leech, New York, NY on 12.29.08
Photo credit I'mClaude
Part of creating the ultimate sustainable planet will be our ability to find sustainable energy sources in a variety of means, such as sunlight, water flow, wind, and yes, even rain. We are of course speaking of the kinetic energy which can be harnessed from rain, which up until a few months ago, was not being considered for use in a consumer product...
...
Big Food’s War on Biofuels
by Josh Peterson, Los Angeles, California on 12.28.08
photo by zorilla
In 2007, the Grocery Manufacturer’s Association launched a campaign to “change the perceptions about the benefits of biofuels” by linking ethanol production with rising food costs and global food shortages. Ethanol producers defend their product, saying that biofuels do not cause soaring food prices and meal shortages and insinuate that the GMA is the one reaping the benefits of high food prices by scapegoating biofuels. Who exactly is telling the truth?
...
BamGoo: Bamboo on Wheels
by Eric Leech, New York, NY on 12.28.08
The Bad News of 2008 Is Also the Good News
by Trevor Reichman on 12.28.08
Photo Credit: Dan Bush, McFall
It has been a rocky year for many in 2008. With an ailing economy, viral job loss, busted mortgages, roller coaster oil prices and stock markets, and a grim forecast , it is easy to neglect the good news. But the good news is the same as the bad news, depending on how you look at it or phrase it:
Read further for 7 bad AND good news events of 2008...
Middlebury College Produces Its First Green Newspaper
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 12.28.08
Image source: Albany Aerial Photos
You've heard of both national newspapers and glossy magazines hosting a green issue. Well, now Middlebury College is getting in on the act with a special issue of The Middlebury Campus. All content, cartoons, articles and ads are on environmentally-related topics.
For the issue, writers reached out to environmental thinkers to pen Op-Ed pieces, and got staff writers to discuss issues like organic food, environmental art and sustainable design. In addition, actual development and editing of the paper was all done using computers instead of paper. Distribution of the paper around campus was all done via foot-power and offsets were purchased from Native Energy to cover the trip from the printer to campus. But, the budding journalists did not stop there. They used the production of this green issue to learn more about their craft, its impact on the environment and the importance of news media going green....
Superfood Mixes: For Those On the Go But Not the Faint of Heart
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 12.28.08
Image source: Amazing Grass
Recently I sampled several Superfood products from Amazing Grass. Superfood - those green, vitamin-packed food and drinks that look like someone just cut a swatch out of your front lawn, juiced it and served it up to you in a glass. Amazing Grass now offers several handy nutrition bars and mixes to blend in drinks, all claiming to give lots of health benefits with few or no downsides. This holiday season I sat around with a few family members (eco-friendly and not-so-eco-friendly alike) and sampled the items. This is what we had to say:...
What Else Happens Under the Mistletoe
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 12.28.08
Image: GETTY
Mistletoe Growth as an Indicator of Toxic Metal Contamination
Just in time for the Christmas season, the Julius-Kühn Institute, aka the German Federal Research Center for Cultivated Plants, brings us these interesting tidings: there's more going on under the mistletoe than just kissing. Scientists at JKI suggest that the amount of toxic metal contamination in soils can be known by looking at how much mistletoe is growing on the trees above. ...
Adventurer Todd Carmichael Has Reached the South Pole Unassisted
by Sara Novak, Columbia, SC on 12.28.08
photo: DeSmogblog.com
Like "fighting your way through a junkyard that is 20 miles long . . . blindfolded" is how 44-year-old eco-adventurer Todd Carmichael describes his recent trek across Antarctica to the South Pole. The temperature was a mere 35 degrees below zero and white outs were common....
