- 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 February 22, 2009 - February 28, 2009
Total this week: 218
GM Volt Versus Toyota Prius: Which Design Type Will Be More Effective At Reducing Stack & Tailpipe Emissions, And Energy Consumption?
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 02.28.09
220 Volt Heavy Duty Receptacle. Image credit:Angiogram
This is one of those comparison posts that that could draw many angry comments: like Could Hype Sell An Inferior Hybrid? - Ford Fusion versus Toyota Camry did. Please carefully read the caveats.
Investigators from Carnegie Mellon University, in Pittsburg PA, have made a Volt-type v.s. Prius-type design comparison which flags a big differentiator when emissions and efficiency are normallized: battery price, or, more properly, battery cost-effectiveness. Detailed findings will be published in a peer reviewed journal next month....
National Geographic Slams Tar Sands – Canadian Politicians Pissed
by Kimberley D. Mok, Montreal, Canada on 02.28.09
Before and after?: a forest in northern Alberta staked out by tar sands prospectors and the Suncor Millennium tar sands site, Alberta in the March 2009 issue of National Geographic (Photo: Peter Essick)Some are calling it a “smear job”, while others are applauding the National Geographic’s rather sobering 20-page publication on the Alberta tar sands, titled “Scraping Bottom.” Either way, the timing is brilliant. Dubbed by some as the “most destructive project on Earth” - scarring it visibly from space - there’s no doubt that the tar sands extraction industry has a huge environmental footprint, which even President Obama could not help but acknowledge during his visit to Ottawa last week, to the chagrin of some Canadian officials. Many of them, from Prime Minister Stephen Harper on down, are attempting to control the potential damage in the lead up to the ministerial visit to the U.S. next week - but it's almost like watching the frantic efforts of a doctor as the patient is hemorraging to death....
Time to Buy a Quad - Biggest Sand Dunes Get Bigger with Climate Change
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 02.28.09
Image via: Getty Images
One of the many other "changes" (benefits?) to come our way, scientists now predict, is the growth in the worlds largest sand dunes, reports New Scientist this week. We're talking sand dunes that are 500 meters or greater and we're definitely not advocating for racing quads over sand dunes this tall (or any height for that matter)....
Will Stimulus be Enough to Bring High-Speed Rail to America?
by Jesse Fox, Tel Aviv, Israel on 02.28.09
Rail station in Shanghai, China (photo via thetransportpolitic.com)
About a year ago, TreeHugger interviewed Andy Kunz, an urban designer, New Urbanist and rail advocate. Kunz laid out a pretty convincing case for high speed rail as the solution for a number of problems facing American transportation, including outdated infrastructure, peak oil (or "energy independence," depending how you look at it), out of control carbon emissions, and more.
In fact, Kunz said, we were at a fork in the road, and building a new national high-speed rail network was the "single most important action we can do to get us off the oil and change the direction of the nation for the better." TreeHugger decided to catch up with Andy Kunz for another conversation about rail and high-speed rail in America, now that it seems the idea is finally catching on. ...
February Eco-Tidbits from Turkey
by Jennifer Hattam, Istanbul, Turkey on 02.28.09
Istanbul opened four new metro stops, while cherry production dropped in Konya. Photos by grimmet (left) and AIIDA (right) via Flickr
This month saw the Turkish Parliament finally ratify the Kyoto Protocol on climate change. But there were plenty of smaller steps on (and off) the road to sustainability too. Once again, we wrap up some of the month's news from Turkey, developments that prompted reactions of both "süper" (yep, just like in English, but with an umlaut) and "maalesef" (unfortunately):
...
Chace Crawford's Good Jeans, Gwyneth Paltrow's Yoga Practice, and Julia Louis Dreyfus' Green Diet
by Terri MacLeod on 02.28.09
Photo Credit: Via Google Images
The Gossip Girl hunk wants your jeans! Well sort of, the green-hearted actor knows a gently worn pair of jeans can be recycled for a good cause. The actor teamed up with Do Something and Aeropostale clothing shop to launch the second annual teens for jeans campaign. It's a national campaign to collect jeans for homeless teens. Drop off a pair of your old (but still wearable) jeans at any Aeropostale by March 1st and they'll get donated to to a local homeless shelter or charity. Last year the campaign collected over 125 thousand pairs. Learn More: Do Something...
The World's First Fuel Cell Scoreboard Unveiled at the University of South Carolina
by Sara Novak, Columbia, SC on 02.28.09
photo: University of South Carolina
I have to admit that I was thrilled to see this story as I am a resident of Columbia, S.C. (home to USC) and we aren't often the "the world's first" at much related to the environment. But it's great to see that USC is making moves toward some greener technology for their athletic department especially with something as important as its scoreboard! Though there is still much work to be done and this is mostly an educational exercise, USC is proving that the potential to apply fuel cell technology across the board is there and ready for the taking.
...
Quote Of The Day: “put down those handguns and pick up those caulking guns.”
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 02.28.09
Teaching Kids How To Make Lunch Boxes Reduces Food Waste
by greenz.jp, Tokyo, Japan on 02.28.09
Image from blogadilla
Bento, the Japanese lunch box, is a social phenomena that you could say reaches deep into the psyche here, touching on deep strings between children and their mother, wife and husband, lonely salarimen and their usb-powered meal (not that common, really), and almost everyone else. Now, a project is underway to educate kids to make their own bento. What are the benefits?...
Mexico City to Require Students to Take School Bus To Reduce Traffic and Pollution
by Eliza Barclay, Washington, D.C. on 02.27.09
Photo credit: Vivir Mexico
Mexico City's minister of the environment, Martha Delgado, announced Friday that in August a pilot project requiring students to take school buses instead of private vehicles to school at 10 private schools would commence. The initiative was spurred by the success of a study carried out at the Colegio Oxford private school, which managed to get many of its 751 students to ride the school bus beginning in August 2008, El Universal (Spanish link) reported. As we've noted in the past, car use has doubled in Mexico City in the last seven years, complicating other efforts to cut pollution, so any initiative getting more cars off the road is a welcome change.
According to Víctor Hugo Páramo, director of air quality management for the ministry, the average velocity of cars circulating in the school zone increased from 16.8 to 25.7 kilometers an hour after the program began. The study also revealed reductions of 13% in the concentration of carbon monoxide and 8% in nitrous oxides around Colegio Oxford. ...
Transparency for Green Brands - to Biodegrade or Not
by Jerry Stifelman, The Change, Chapel Hill, NC on 02.27.09
Image credit: The Change
Transparency Means Openness About Everything - Warts and All
The goal of sustainability is clear. The means are debatable. This creates challenges for marketers (my company, The Change, works on brand creation and design for green businesses and nonprofits). Traditionally, brand value is created with confidence, not uncertainty. But the sincere pursuit of sustainability requires reviews and readjustments - all while maintaining forward movement. If you're a business in sincere pursuit of sustainability, you're going to have to make frequent course corrections. We've experienced this ourselves - and it's up to us to share our decision making process, even when the reality is not what we might hope it was. ...
Legalizing Marijuana in California Could Be Good for the Environment
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 02.27.09
Photo via SF Gate
As you might have heard by now, there's legislation brewing in California to legalize marijuana. And no, the purpose of Assemblyman Tom Ammiano's bill is not to legally allow the entire state to get high and forget all about its budget woes—the point of the bill is to fix them. By making the sale of marijuana legal to those 21 and up, and taxing each ounce sold with a $50 fee, California could rake in an estimated $1.3 billion dollars a year. But what would it mean for the environment? ...
FoxFury LED Headlights Light Up Trails, Protests and Wildfires
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 02.27.09
Image via: FoxFury
FoxFury, maker of lights of all shapes and sizes, has just come out with their heavy-duty Fire Figher Rated Headlamp. If you're in the market for a headlamp that is fire resistant, impact resistant and water proof up to 20 feet, then this is the headlamp for you. If you're more in the market for a bike helmet lamp or a new flashlight, don't worry, they have plenty of LED options to light your way....
Jargon Watch: Steven Holl Raises Eyebrows With a "Social Bracket" and "Shade Machines"
by Alex Pasternack, New York, NY on 02.27.09
Steven Holl Architects
4+1=2?
When Steven Holl Architects announced this week that it had won a competition to design a corporate master plan in China's southern financial capital Shenzhen, near a new tower by OMA, it immediately raised some eyebrows. It wasn't its "4-in-1" tower design that was so striking. It wasn't the sustainable touches. It was the jargon.
Notes Metropolis, the firm's design would feature a "social bracket" and "shade machines." Who's going to argue with those -- whatever they are?...
High Voltage Direct Current Explained.
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02.27.09
Whenever we write about the benefits of direct current at either high voltage or low, we get comments like "You are an idiot and KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THE GENERATION AND TRANSPORTATION OF ELECTRICITY! QUIT TELLING LIES!!!!!!!" . Then we have other commenters who get worked up.
Over at Worldchanging, Andy Lubershane uses his trademark humour and comic skills to explain all about this issue. Check out his Earthly Comics site as well:
...
Ford Re-Opens Cleveland Plant to Build 'EcoBoost' Engines
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 02.27.09
Part of Ford's "Green Strategy"
Ford is trying to adapt to the new car market (what's left of it, anyway) by bringing over European cars like the frugal Fiesta, and by building new more efficient engines which it calls "EcoBoost". What makes them better from a fuel economy and CO2 emission point of view is the combination of direct injection technology with turbocharging. ...
Guide to the Green in Obama's Budget: Dept. of Transportation
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 02.27.09
Photo via the Huffington Post
Yesterday, Obama delivered his ambitious budget to Congress. It's packed with loads of new spending that will land the US in a projected deficit of a whopping $1.75 trillion. So it'd better be good. Over the next week or so, we'll be sifting through the massive budget to reveal what the plans mean for green. First up, a look at what Obama's got in store for US transportation—like more funding for a massive high speed rail system and ideas for a controversial tax that will charge car owners a fee for every mile they drive....
Ed Begley, Jr. Campaigns for Solar Energy and Green Job Creation
by Roberta Cruger, Los Angeles on 02.27.09
Standing on his roof, Ed Begley, Jr. supports solar energy. Photo via: Living With Ed/Planet Green
“You could call me a strategic opportunist as much as an environmentalist,” says Ed Begley, Jr. The actor and host of Living with Ed on Planet Green, harvests his trash for mulch and the sun for energy for his eco-friendly home. Now he wants Los Angeles to be the solar capital of America—or rather, the capital of “sun power re-users.” Not surprisingly, he’s supporting the Green Energy and Job Creation Program, Measure B, on the city’s upcoming March 3rd ballot. Also known as Solar 8, the proposed ordinance authorizes the installation of solar panels by the Department of Water and Power (DWP) throughout the city, connecting them to the existing electrical grid to produce 400 megawatts of power....
Private Cars in China Up 28% in 2008
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 02.27.09
That's a Lot of Tailpipes
It wasn't so long ago that we wrote about China's 168 million motor vehicles (if you count everything), or about how taxes went up on big vehicles (though fuel is heavily subsidized, encouraging waste). Well, China's not a country to stand still, even in this economy. The latest numbers for "private cars" are out and 2008 saw a 28% increase....
Natalie Jeremijenko’s Urban Space Station (Part Two)
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 02.27.09
Photo: Mark MahaneyThe Rhinoceros Beetle is the world’s strongest animal, able to lift more than thirty times its own weight. To Natalie Jeremijenko, this sounded like an invitation to wrestle. Via some clever technology (she is an engineer, after all), Jeremijenko is wresting the Rhinoceros Beetle, as well as issuing “formal challenges to swaggering museum directors and Hemingway-esq literary heroes.” She’s also told us about turning Manhattan into a wildlife park, as well as her model urban development (MUD) for birds, complete with ferris wheel, food court, and high-powered rifle. Listen to the podcast of this interview via iTunes, or just click here to listen, right-click to download. Listen to Part One here. Our music comes from Feist. ...
Bill Clinton Denied Tesla Roadster Ride by Secret Services
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 02.27.09
"President Clinton announced he was eager to take the Roadster for a ride"
On President Day, Bill Clinton was at a luncheon moderated by Paul Hawken in the only LEED platinum-certified airplane hangar in the world in Burbank, California, to discuss how "clean technology and “green collar” jobs could kick-start our sputtering economy." The 42nd president of the US expressed interest in taking the Tesla Roadster electric car that was there for a ride around the block, but......
Green Roof Mashup: Golf Course, Filtration Plant, Park and Prison
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02.27.09
The Bronx NIMBYs went nuts when it was proposed that a water filtration plant be built in a park. So the architects, Grimshaw, followed what is becoming a common strategy: put a green roof on it and show it from the air. Building? What building?
And in this case, it's BIG, nine acres big, and they are putting in putting.
“The distinction here is it’s not just a green roof, but a performative green roof that needs to provide all these functions,” [Landscape Architect] Smith said in an interview. “I think we’re pushing both the design of the green roof and the design of the golf course in new directions. We’re working to see how far we can push the diversity of the ecology and still adhere to the constraints of the golf course.”...
Stingaree Nightclub Brings the Green to Partygoers
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 02.27.09
Image via: Flickr
Stingaree Nightclub in San Diego is hosting weekly events titled "The Green Side of Sting" each friday in March. Each week a new, local, green group will host a green event at the club, bringing green fashion, sustainable energy and other green concepts to the young and the young at heart....
Trend Watch: New Skins on Old Icons
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02.27.09
Blair Kamin calls the Sears Tower " a symbol of Chicago's urban might, not only because of its dark, masculine color but also because its exterior boldly expresses the structural system of "bundled tubes" that support it."
It's not for nothing that Skidmore, Owings and Merrill were nicknamed the "three blind mies"- it has a bit of that Miesian elegance. And now, to save energy, the owners are considering painting it silver.
...
Organic Beauty Magazine Makes Green Glamour Gettable
by Naturally Savvy on 02.27.09
Images courtesy of Organic Beauty.
Move over Allure. Watch out Glamour. There's a new beauty bible in town. For years, eco-conscious women have been sifting through product reviews in magazines, always hoping to discover a new eco-friendly or organic product amongst the deluge of not-so-good-for-you items. But the search is over. ...
Timesaver DIY: Combination Cutting Board and Bird Feeder
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02.27.09
Why didn't anyone think of this before? Instead throwing out crumbs or carefully collecting them for the birds, this self-cleaning bread board delivers them directly to the bird. I mean, it has to be the greatest thing since, well, sliced bread....
First Solar: Our Solar Panel Manufacturing Costs Are Now Below $1 Per Watt
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 02.27.09
Breaking the $1/watt Barrier
The $1 per watt price point has been a goal of the solar industry for a long time: First Solar announced that "it reduced its manufacturing cost for solar modules in the fourth quarter to 98 cents per watt". It's a bit unfortunate that it is happening to First Solar at a time when the economy is in bad shape and fewer people and corporations can afford solar panels, but it is nonetheless a great achievement....
TreeHugger Deals: Last Chance to Save!
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 02.27.09
For the past few months we've been bringing you our TreeHugger Deals column, which have been exclusive offers for our dear readers. A few of the deals will be expiring at the end of this month, a.k.a. tomorrow, so we wanted to post a little reminder letting you know that you can still save big with some great, green companies....
Cool Earth Solar's Cool-Headed Approach to Saving the World
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 02.27.09
Rob Lamkin of Cool Earth Solar; Photo via Cool Earth Solar
Last year we covered Cool Earth Solar's snagging of $21 million in venture funding for its solar concentrating balloon project. CEO Rob Lamkin was at Clean Tech Forum this week and we spoke with him about how they came up with this seemingly odd idea. Turns out, its a big-picture model that we admire, and that other start-ups may want to consider before setting out on new projects. ...
Downloadable Designs: Make Your Own
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02.27.09
dip n' dots; love the camera
Making toys from paper cutouts is an old craft, but the internet and computers changed it completely as papercraft evolved into downloadable designs, where designers around the world produce lovely things that anyone can download for free.
Now they are becoming uploadable designs as well; Scion and Giant Robot Magazine are having a contest where you download a papercraft Scion, paint it up and send it back. Best one gets five hundred bucks and a trip to the Interactive Paper Art show in LA in April.
And why is this green? ...
Outdoor Nonprofits: Apply by March 1 to Receive $50,000 in the Greater Outdoors Project
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 02.27.09
Hey, outdoor-oriented nonprofits, want $50,000? Of course you do. To earn it, you can enter the Greater Outdoors Project, presented by Redwood Creek wines and Planet Green. Each year, nonprofits across the country take to the great outdoors planting trees, cleaning up hiking trails and working to keep our water clean -- the grant went to Trout Unlimited last year. Redwood Creek wines, along with Planet Green, are giving back to one of these organizations through the Greater Outdoors Project grant.
The last day to apply for the grant is Sunday, March 1, so hop to it; applications can be submitted through the Greater Outdoors site. Voting goes from April 1 to May 31, and then the judges -- including TreeHugger founder Graham Hill -- will pitch in to award the grant. Get all the details and fill out an application at the Greater Outdoors Project....
EPA Holds The Key To Clean Cars
by Greg Haegele of Sierra Club on 02.27.09
Hold up your car key, photo montage. Image credit:Sierra Club Flickr upload site.
I'm a 40-something who doesn't own a car. I live in San Francisco and manage to get around quite well using the various public transportation options available to me here.
Still, I'm on the edge of my seat about the March 5 hearing slated by the Environmental Protection Agency as it considers whether to reverse the Bush administration's decision to block California and 14 other states from imposing auto-pollution standards that are stricter than those set by Congress. President Obama favors granting the waiver, so this hearing is a real step toward getting us there, and potentially curbing massive amounts of global-warming pollution since these states comprise 40% of the auto market. Public comment is being taken through April 6. (Check out the Sierra Club's photo petition on the subject--and then get out your keys and camera!)...
Jargon Watch: "Recyclable"
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02.27.09
When Collin and I covered the stunning new Valcucine Invitrum kitchen at ICFF last year, the distributor said in the video that it would last forever: "this is a kitchen that your grandchildren will be using."
It is all made of glass and aluminum, which according to their site, "the exclusive use of glass guarantees full recyclability of the unit" But what does that mean? According to our Warren, not much.
...
Verdiem's CEO Jeremy Jaech on Corporate Energy Efficiency Changes
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 02.27.09
According to Jeremy Jaech, CEO of Verdiem, PCs represent 40% of the energy consumption of a buisness's IT department. What's worse is that on average, 66% of the time that a PC is turned on and running, no one is actually at it using it. Verdiem is on a mission to change these facts and make PC energy use far more efficient. Jaech sat down with us to talk about where businesses are at in terms of getting serious about efficiency, and Verdiem's role in it all....
Get Out Now! 8 Places Soon to be Uninhabitable Because of Climate Change (Slideshow)
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 02.27.09
photo: Matthew McDermott
It's very tempting to think that sea level rise caused by climate change is something which won't be a problem for at least a couple of decades. And for some places that's probably true. However, for some islands around the world, sea level rise is either already displacing people or will be in not too long. I wouldn't want to venture a guess on when exactly some of these islands will have to be abandoned, but a quick look at any of the sea level rise simulators out there can tell you the future looks watery for a lot of people.
...
Yellow is the New Green
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02.27.09
Swedish no-mix toilets
Over a hundred years ago, Teddy Roosevelt noted that “civilized people ought to know how to dispose of the sewage in some other way than putting it into the drinking water.” We still don't get it right, building huge networks of pipes that dump everthing together into one pipe, when both bodily waste products are considerably more useful if kept separate.
Rose George does an op-ed in the New York Times that expains why. ...
Grain Fed Beef is Off the Menu as Recession Bites
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 02.27.09
Consumers Shunning Steak - For Burgers
We've long had debates here at TreeHugger about whether recession will help the environment, or whether an economic downturn will derail our green efforts. At least one effect of constrained household budgets that may prove a huge boon for our stressed planet is a change in meat consumption habits. We've already seen middle class families around the world limiting their meat consumption, and now CNN reports that consumers are shunning steak, and grain fed steak in particular. But it's not all good news.
...
New Calls for Eco-Election in Turkey
by Jennifer Hattam, Istanbul, Turkey on 02.27.09
Flags and banners for various political parties abound in Turkey during election season.
Local elections are coming up next month in Turkey, and so far we've seen politicians' opponents accuse them of grandstanding for votes by storming out of a debate in Davos and speaking Kurdish in Parliament. Rival political parties have complained about each other distributing everything from appliances to coal to the poor as a way of getting votes. But, to me, one of the most surprising aspects of this campaign season have been the calls--faint as they are--for a greener, not just cleaner, election.
...
Five Scary Fall New York Fashion Week Faux Pas
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 02.27.09
What not to wear. Photo via: styleserver/Flickr
We usually don’t like to point out the negative aspects of things here on TreeHugger, but when it comes to New York’s just ended Fall Fashion Week, I am forced to ask, “Wha’ happened?”
Maybe my expectations were too high thanks to last year's kickin’ green fall fashion goods—from the famous designer displays at the FutureFashion show to the slew of eco-designers who strutted their sustainable stuff (Stella McCartney, Ali Hewson and Hessnatur). Or maybe I was just plain wrong when it came to thinking that the sucky economy would actually effect the runways for the better.
Whatever the case, one thing is for sure—we wish the tents at Bryant Park could’ve heeded Blythe’s advice. Read on for the five things we definitely wish we didn’t see at this year’s fall fashion week. ...
Wishbone Bike Grows With Kids
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02.27.09
The Wishbone Bike evolves from a tricycle to a bike to a bigger bike- usable by a child from one to five years old. Try and get that out of a typical kids toy....
London Fashion Week - 3 Outstanding Talents at Estethica
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 02.27.09
As I mentioned earlier in the week Estethica has found its way into the spotlight this season, opening London Fashion Week with Noir's catwalk and the launch of the Sustainable Clothing Action Plan. The bar has most definitely been raised in design terms as well, with some very forward looking collections on show from hot new fashion talent. Unquestionably three of the brightest stars are Christopher Raeburn, Ada Zanditon and Mark Liu. Click through to find out more about their innovative work......
Transformer Furniture: Desk Becomes Bed, Sort Of
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02.27.09
If you are going to live with less stuff, it's nice if it serves multiple functions. Here is an interesting looking desk from French designer Florian Jouy that turns into a bed....
Can You Live Without A Car?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02.27.09
We recently saw ideas for designing suburbs without cars in Melbourne; Near Freiburg, Germany people do it in Vauban. It doesn't have to be only a downtown urban thing.
...
Easy Way to Reuse Your Corks: Bakus by Ciclus
by Jenna Watson, Barcelona on 02.27.09
Bakus Cork Mat by Ciclus Designs
We told you about an innovative wine-lamp box Cavallum: a sustainably designed holiday gift commissioned by a Spanish company. The designers at Ciclus have recently announced another simple, yet practical design to extend the life of your wine bottle corks while protecting your surfaces from heat.
...
Topshop Celebrates London Fashion Week
by Bonnie Alter, London on 02.27.09
It's London Fashion Week, February edition, and while TreeHugger Leonora is joining the fashionistas at this year's Estethica exhibition and the catwalk shows, another TreeHugger has gone (window) shopping at Topshop. Topshop has shown its greener side periodically, and for London Fashion Week they are serving food and fashion together.
First the food, from the famous Judges Bakery in East Sussex. Started up by the former owner of Green & Black chocolates, Judges has won awards for their delicious organic goodies. Since they sell very little out of their native Hastings because they want to keep the food miles down, it's a treat to munch their organic pink meringue pigs whilst browsing the green couture on display....
'CO2 Emissions, Good For Mankind'; Real Problem Is A 'CO2 Famine'
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 02.26.09
Auction: Ocean-Inspired Jewelry
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 02.26.09
Image via: Too Precious to Wear
Famous designers are coming together to auction of ocean-inspired pieces to raise funds for coral reefs. As part of SeaWeb's "Too Precious to Wear" Campaign, pieces designed by Frank Gehry and others will be available for auction starting today through the end of April.
More images after the jump....
Cleaning Up the Capitol: Reid and Pelosi Want to Power DC with 100% Natural Gas
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 02.26.09
Photo via Inhabitat
Sen. Harry Reid and Speaker Nancy Pelosi have very publicly put the wheels in motion to stop the famed Capitol Power Plant's dirty coal burning ways. In a move perhaps designed to counter the upcoming massive civil disobedience demonstration, which will protest a lack of action against climate change at the plant, the two high profile Dems have sent a letter to the Acting Architect of the Capitol, Stephen T. Ayers. The unmistakable message of the letter? Switch the Capitol Power Plant, which burns around 17,000 tons of coal a year, to 100% natural gas. ASAP....
Pedestrian-Friendly Improvements Coming to NYC's Herald and Times Squares
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 02.26.09
photo and all images: NYC DOT
While not quite as radical an idea as making all of New York's 42nd Street pedestrianized and get a light rail system, a new pilot program to turn sections of the Times Square and Herald Square into pedestrianized zones is worth checking out:...
Twin Bridges (Population 400) Loves Cycling Tourists so Much they Built Them a Campground
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 02.26.09
Twin Bridges <3 Cyclists
Twin Bridges, Montana, has a population of 400. There are probably more people backstage at a Rick Astley concert... But the town is on the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail and over the years they've come to appreciate the cyclists that went through. Bill White of Twin Bridges said: "I have met dozens of cyclists passing through and they were some of the nicest people I ever have met." He and others decided to make a campground for the cyclists, but not being touring cyclists themselves, they didn't really know how......
Clean Tech Forum 2009: Smart Grid Panel is the Most Important of Event
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 02.26.09
Well, according to moderator Tom Cain, that is. But we have to agree it was pretty darn important. Experts in the smart grid industry gathered to talk about the roadblocks and strategies for the smart grid, and how vital it is to get it up and running nationwide as soon as possible. Click through to hear their talk....
Organic Wedding Gowns by M.L. Marsh That Look Awesome
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 02.26.09
Image via: M.L. Marsh
Thats right. We've covered organic wedding gowns in the past, and love them all for their simple elegance, timeless beauty and the ability for them to be worn more than just on the wedding day. But, if you're in the market for something a little, well, bigger, bolder, puffier, a more traditional-looking gown, then have a gander at the gowns from M.L. Marsh.
More images after the jump....
Small Cars Are Big in Canada
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 02.26.09
Less is More When it Comes to Cars in Canada, At Least When Compared to the US
Canadians buy smaller cars than Americans. The top 3 best selling cars in the country are the Honda Civic, the Toyota Corolla, and the Mazda 3. Out of the top 10, seven are small cars. According to data from DesRosiers Automotive Consultants: "In 2008, 51.5 per cent of all light vehicles sold in Canada were entry-level — i.e. small — cars." But what explains such a big difference with the US?...
Ilumina Organics Head-to-Toe Baby Wash
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 02.26.09
Photo credit: Ilumina Organics
That ubiquitous no-more-tears formula may have been the go-to baby shampoo since you were a baby, but suspect synthetic additives can cause your own infant's body burden to get a little, well, hairy.
Ilumina Organics' Head-to-Toe Baby Wash leaves toxic chemicals where they belong—in a lab. Comprising organic and naturally farmed ingredients such as apple cider vinegar, calendula, and lavender, the oh-so-gentle soap is perfect for sensitive or eczema-prone skin. ...
Clean Tech Forum 2009: GE Ecomagination Presents their Green Strategy (Video)
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 02.26.09
Steve Fludder, Vice President of GE Ecomagination gave the keynote that kicked off the final day at Clean Tech Forum. He discussed what he thinks is this generation's defining challenge, and what GE Ecomagination is doing to address and hopefully solve major issues like energy generation, water management, and decreased fuel consumption. Click through to watch video clips of the speech....
Commercial Shipping Particle Air Pollution = Half of That From All the Cars in the World
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 02.26.09
photo: Daniel Ramirez via flickr
Commercial shipping (which includes much more than container ships, but also cruise ships, ferries, tankers, etc.) has a dirty little secret: Its effect on air pollution. A new study by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the University of Colorado, Boulder shows that the amount of particulate emissions caused by commercial shipping is equal to about half of all the world's cars:...
Report: Now 4 Climate Change Lobbyists for Every Member of Congress
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 02.26.09
Photo via Web Community Forum
Everyone loves to hate lobbyists —after all, they seem to embody the special interests and shady dealings that underline the modern perception of politics. A lobbyist for Big Tobacco is about as loved as a killer of puppy dogs. But his station as 'most despicable political figure' could soon be supplanted—by the Climate Lobbyist. This newish breed lobbies against measures to fight climate change on behalf of the likes of oil, electricity, and coal firms. And their numbers are growing. There are now estimated to be around 2,340 climate lobbyists in Washington—more than one for every four members of Congress....
Lotus to Show OMNIVORE Engine Concept at Geneva Motor Show
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 02.26.09
Showcasing the OMNIVORE Engine, Ideally Suited for Flex-Fuel Operation
I recently wrote about a promising variable compression ratio engine by MCE-5. Of course, they're not the only ones working on that concept; Lotus Engineering will demonstrate a 1-cylinder variable compression ratio OMNIVORE engine at the Geneva Motor Show. But what makes it special?...
Clean Tech Forum 2009: Experts Discuss the Impending Water Crisis (Video)
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 02.26.09
A panel of experts gathered at the Clean Tech Forum this week to talk about technologies that will help with the impending water crisis. The panel was drawn together to discuss water's role the "iron triangle" of water/energy/food, especially in light of how by 2025, there will be major fresh water shortages across the world, and yet we are completely unprepared for it. They covered why water technology isn't getting the investor attention it needs, and how water awareness is juuuust barely beginning to increase. Click through to listen to the panel. ...
Clean Tech Forum 2009: California Getting Tough on Toxic Materials
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 02.26.09
Maureen Gorsen, Director of California's Department of Toxic Substance Control gave a brief presentation on what the state is doing to crack down on toxic materials being used in products we consume on a daily basis, and outlines how the state is particularly poised to influence how products are manufactured. Click through to watch her presentation. ...
6.4 Gigawatts of Offshore Wind Farms Slated for Scotland
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 02.26.09
photo: m.prinke via flickr
A couple months back it was announced that the UK's Crown Estate would be helping out with financing pre-construction costs for offshore wind farms . Now comes word that The Crown Estate—which owns development rights in UK waters out to 200 miles—has offered exclusive agreements to nine companies for the development of offshore wind farms in Scottish waters totaling more than 6 GW of power. There are 10 plans on the table under these agreements: ...
Clean Tech Forum 2009: Clean Tech Start-Ups Vying for Funds
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 02.26.09
During the Clean Tech Forum, start-ups were given time to present their ideas to investors. We listened in on some of the presentations. Here are some of the cool start-ups that we just might see in the near future....
Mike Turner's Do-It-Yourself 95 MPG AeroCivic (Slideshow)
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 02.26.09
Click on the image above to see the slideshow.
95 MPG at 65 MPH, Coefficient of Drag of 0.17
After hurricane Katrina destroyed a good part of the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, gas prices shot up and Mike Turner decided to modify his 1992 Honda Civic to make it much more fuel efficient. He was inspired by old super-aerodynamic experimental German cars from the 1930s, and using $400 of materials, he made the 95 MPG Aerocivic, a car that might not look good from all angles, but it beats the crap of even modern hybrids when it comes to gas mileage. We liked this project so much, we made a slideshow. Click on the image above or on the button below to see the photos.
...
BREAKING: Coen Brothers Clean Coal TV Ad (Video)
by George Spyros, New York City, USA on 02.26.09
San Francisco Mayor Orders Departments to Include Carbon Offsets in Travel Budgets
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 02.26.09
photo: Mike Fernwood via flickr
San Francisco probably tops many people's lists of cities with a high level of green awareness. Here's another reason to think that: Mayor Gavin Newsom has not only ordered city departments to declare how much money they spend on air travel, but to pay 13% of their air travel costs into a carbon-offset fund to pay for local emission reduction projects:...
US to Create a Department of Food Safety?
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 02.26.09
Photo via Daylife
As it stands, the US food safety system is something of a bureaucratic mess: through an awkward process, 20% of our food gets inspected by the Department of Agriculture, and the other 80% by the FDA. Within the two departments, there are over 10 different agencies responsible for regulation. And the FDA is underfunded, inefficient, a little shady, and must also oversee drugs and medicine. What we get here is a failure to communicate--and one possible result? Salmonella-laden peanut butter gets sold in stores and kills nine people. To try to ensure that doesn't happen again, the new Secretary of Agriculture wants to streamline the fractured system—and create a single agency that handles food safety exclusively....
Better Sex Better for the Environment - This Swede Says So
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 02.26.09
Starting with the humorous (and horrifying) statistic that Swedes on average remodel their kitchens every four years (got to be IKEA's fault), relationship expert Eva Sanner says better sex would help save the environment. TreeHugger thinks so, too. It's all about consumption, Sanner says. If we turn off the TV with the ads making us think we never have enough, and tune into the (well, hopefully) person sitting right next to us, we'll feel sexy and fulfilled. Seriously? ...
Celestial Seasonings Wants Your Help Planting Trees for Teas
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 02.26.09
Image via: Celestial Seasonings
No sooner did we post on the Tees for Change "You Buy a Tee, They Plant a Tree" program, than Celestial Seasonings said, hey we're also in the Teas (Tees) for Trees business too. Turns out when you buy a box of Celestial Seasonings before March 31, 2009, or when you're idly surfing the net, you too can help plant one million trees (for free) through the Trees for the Future program....
Dept of Interior Cancels Bush Administration Oil Shale Leasing Plans
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 02.26.09
There's oil in them thar hills, but it'll be environmentally ruinous to get it... photo: Doc Searls via flickr
Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar may think that oil shale has great potential but at least he's scrapping plans put in place by the Bush Administration to lease additional lands in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming for more development of the carbon nightmare fuel. The reason the leases were rescinded? It's not about the environment and all about the royalties:...
Monbiot on Theft of our Past, Kunstler on our Future
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02.26.09
Jim Kunstler notes that people want change, but only so much at a time....
The American public is deathly afraid of the kind of changes we actually face -- such as, the end of consumer culture, the gross loss of value in suburban real estate (which forms the bulk of the middle class's private wealth), the prospect of food and fuel scarcities, the need to re-localize our lives, the need to physically shape up to stop the costly and unnecessary drain on our medical resources, to grow more of our own food, to work harder at things that actually matter, and to save whatever we can for a difficult future....
Clean Tech Forum 2009: Sunengy Shows Off Water-Based Solar Concentrator Concept...Again (Video)
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 02.26.09
Sunengy is a Sydney company that has come up with a solar concentrator concept with an interesting twist - it uses water as its bodyguard. We saw the concept back in 2006, but haven't heard much from them since then. So we stopped to talk with them at their booth at the Clean Tech Forum to find out more about how it works. Click through for the video. ...
Welcome Laura Michalchyshyn to Planet Green!
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 02.26.09
Discovery Communications today announced the appointment of veteran television and film executive, Laura Michalchyshyn, to President and General Manager of Planet Green. Michalchyshyn will report to CEO David Zaslav, who made the announcement. Hit the jump for the full release....
Clean Tech Forum 2009: Intel Looks At Tools for Getting Through Tough Times
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 02.26.09
Photo via Intel
Intel's Sean Maloney, Executive Vice President and Cief Sales and marketing Officer for Intel Corporation, gave the closing keynote at the Clean Tech Forum. Pulling from a famous quote, he says this really is the best of times and the worst of times. While we face global climate disaster, impending water crises, species loss and more, it's the best of times for innovation because that looming future is what drives creativity. He shared some of the things Intel is working on that can help us get through our current problems. ...
New Trend: Hospitals and Manufacturers Buying Wind Power Direct & In High Volume
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 02.26.09
Opening of Locust Ridge Wind Farm in Mahanoy City, Schuylkill County, PA. Image credit:The Daily Item, Sunbury PA
Announcing that an entire facility has gotten 'into the wind,' Dell Computer is using that news to highlight a climate action plan that's sure to please the environment market: see Dell Powers Oklahoma City Campus with 100 Percent Green Energy; Plans to Reduce Global Absolute Greenhouse Gas Emissions Additional 40 Percent by 2015 for details.
Health care, one of the few sectors left relatively stable in the economic downturn, isn't missing out on a chance to save money by doing the right thing. See below for an especially innovative new approach: a collective hospital "direct buy" of wind power from a local wind farm, as pictured....
Umbrella Cabinetry Builds a Greener Kitchen
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02.26.09
TreeHugger has shown a few kitchens that make nods toward sustainability before, but they are usually very expensive and Italian like the Valcucine. In fact, most kitchen manufacturing is a local business where they cut up particleboard for boxes, order doors for the fronts and stick granite on top. That describes the majority on display at the National Home Show.
Umbrella Cabinetry uses the same technologies, but with very different results.
...
Airscape Fan Takes A Load off the Air Conditioner
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02.26.09
A lot of people run expensive air conditioning when it is actually pretty cool out- after the sun has been baking a California house all day it can be cool in the evening but the house is still holding a couple of hundred thousand BTUs of heat. In more temperate parts of the country, just moving the air and having good ventilation could eliminate the need for AC much of the time.
What would keep a lot of people cool and comfy is a good attic fan, but they have usually been noisy and a big leaky hole in the ceiling come winter. Until this little thing, the Airscape, came along....
Clean Tech Forum 2009: OLED Association Gives Us an OLED Status Update
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 02.26.09
Photo of TVs via edkohler
OLEDs Association's Managing Director Barry Young knows just about everything about OLEDs, so he was the perfect person for us to sit down with at this year's Clean Tech Forum and pick his brain about where OLED technology stands today, and when and where we can expect to see it on the market. ...
One Big Laugh - Technological Familiarity Breeds Contempt
by Mark Ontkush, Boston, Massachusetts, USA on 02.26.09
Solar Hot Water First. Then Photovoltaics.
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02.26.09
The solar power subsidy is an equal opportunity employer; according to Brian's post, "any solar system you purchase this year is 30% percent off, thanks to the government (or at least, you'll get a tax rebate for that much). Solar powered water heaters are eligible for 30% off, too."
But what do you get for those dollars?...
Rolling Out New Super-Fast Trains (Video)
by greenz.jp, Tokyo, Japan on 02.26.09
EcoWordly on Bamboo, LinguaVerde on GMO, Green My Style on London Fashion Week, and More
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 02.26.09
EcoWordly: Can Bamboo Save Our Forests and Help End Poverty? by Bryan Nelson
"According to the Hanoi-based Prosperity Initiative, a shift toward more bamboo production by small scale farmers in Vietnam could bring 750,000 people out of poverty by 2020. It could also help circumvent worldwide demand for timber as a building material."...
What Should We Do About the Car Industry?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02.26.09
In his speech the other night, the President said:
We are committed to the goal of a re-tooled, re-imagined auto industry that can compete and win. Millions of jobs depend on it. Scores of communities depend on it. And I believe the nation that invented the automobile cannot walk away from it.Notwithstanding the fact that the Germans at Daimler who invented the automobile have no intention of walking away from it, what should Americans do? ...
Australia Coughs Up $26 Million to Investigate Livestock Burping
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 02.26.09
It has often discussed on TreeHugger that a diet of less meat will help reduce our contribution to greenhouse gas emissions (See links below). And one of the reasons for this is that chewing a heap of grass, as most cattle and sheep are prone to do, results in intestinal gas with a high methane content. And methane is actually a meaner greenhouse gas than the commonly mentioned carbon dioxide.
So much so, that the third largest greenhouse gas emitters in Australia turn out to be our 120 million sheep, cattle and goats. With this in mind the Australian government announced yesterday that they will be spending $26 million AUD to fund 18 research projects to limit these emissions....
Battlestar Galactica’s Tricia Helfer Builds a Green Home
by Roberta Cruger, Los Angeles on 02.26.09
Tricia Helfer, of Battlestar Galactica, considers green home plans. Photo: via PRNewsFoto
Number Six heads to a green space. Tricia Helfer, star of Battlestar Galactica, the Sci-Fi Channel’s award-winning sensation, is planning an off-the-grid retreat in her native Alberta, Canada, joining the throngs of other celebrities with eco-homes. Though her role as a Cylon humanoid appears in various incarnations, we’ll see how the actress juggles living in both Los Angeles and her green house.
...
Shocking Socks: Electrifying Changes Come to Wool Production
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 02.26.09
Yesterday we talked about the marvels of sheeps wool, and how its microsopic scales (image above) help make it one of nature’s warmer fibres. We also mentioned how super fine merino is bred so its scales are tiny enough not to become a skin irritant.
The same scales that make coarser wool prickly also result in some friction between fibres, will can lead to felting, a form of shrinkage due to fibres matting up. Some wool processing uses chlorine washing to reduce the effect of scales on shrinking and prickling. But a new process by a Canadian company is said to use electricity to zap their wool, instead of water and chemical intensive baths....
White House Farm Coming Soon
by Jeff Nield, Vancouver, British Columbia on 02.26.09
Sheep on the White House Lawn - Library of Congress
There's much to be excited about this week in the world of sustainable agriculture in the United States. The news of Obama's nomination of Kathleen Merrigan to be Deputy Secretary of USDA was met with cheers from across the country. Then the president announced that he was aiming to end direct payment farm subsidies. Hot on the heels of that news is the hope that the much dreamed of White House Farm could be here sooner than we thought. ...
How Cheap Food Distorts Our Choices and Makes Us Fat
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02.26.09
Actually, yes. I have never eaten two at a sitting but I will confess to once having had a deep unabiding love for a Sausage McMuffin, and now I know why; they have everything a body craves. According to PSFK, their nutritional information:
900 Calories (45% of daily value) 54 Grams of Fat (84% of daily value) 570 mg of Cholesterol (190% of daily value) 1840 mg of Sodium (76% of daily value) Based on a 2,000 calorie diet.Three bucks gets you half a day's diet and and goes for hours, no wonder they were so good. No wonder people buy this instead of arugula and kale-they are the cheapest calories on earth, no muss or fuss or cooking and taste good too. No wonder we have such health and obesity problems when something like this can be engineered. Via Scott Lachut at PSFK. who didn't say where he saw the sign, because I'm there. ...
New Belgium Brewery: Work to Bike More
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 02.26.09
Pro-bike Billboard from Green Beer Company
Generally speaking, we TreeHuggers are not huge fans of billboards - especially when billboards have more rights than trees. But if they do or say cool green things, they tend to get a more sympathetic reception - take Lloyd's round up of five sort-of green billboards. I'd like to throw New Belgium Brewery's latest advertising into the mix too - largely because I tend to love everything New Belgium does. The billboard is just one manifestation of New Belgium's pro-bike culture - click below the fold for a fun video about just how much the brewery loves its biking employees....
Car-Free Suburb Planned for Melbourne, Australia
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 02.26.09
Image: Future Melbourne (Zone 9 is where the eco suburb might be.)
Given its recent devastation by bushfires (which continue as we write) the Australian state of Victoria could do with a good news story. And this might be it. A design has been unveiled for a suburb only two kiliometres from the central business district of Melbourne that will be free of cars. The think tank behind the vision, the Victorian Eco-Innovation Lab, reckon this will be equal to removing up to 5,000 cars from the proposed suburbs roads.
They plan for the new development to be based around walking, cycling and electric vehicles, which a car share type facility available on the precinct’s fringes.They haven’t limited their ambition there though....
Jamie Oliver Opens His Own Store
by Bonnie Alter, London on 02.26.09
image from Recipease
Jamie Oliver, aka The Naked Chef, is not your average celebrity chef. He has led a varied and public-minded career. He has a t.v. show, has written cook books, and opened a restaurant training under-privileged young people to be chefs. He led a very public and successful campaign to improve the quality of school lunches served across the country. Now he has a new project: Recipease.
Based on his concern over the ignorance of young professionals about basic cooking skills and the rise of obesity in the UK, he has opened his first neighbourhood "food and kitchen emporium", in what he hopes will be a chain of local stores. ...
SunCat: DIY solar batteries
by Petz Scholtus, Barcelona, Spain on 02.26.09
Knut Karlsen had a lot of empty rechargeable batteries lying around at home, and thought it would be nice if they would simply charge themselves. “The batteries should just bask in the sun like a cat and left for a while, in a sunny window, they would slowly recharge”, he thought to himself and invented SunCat Batteries. So how can you make yourself some SunCats?
...
Recyclart - Inspired By The "Art of Recycling"
by Kimberley D. Mok, Montreal, Canada on 02.25.09
Image: Recyclart.org
We’re always coming across interesting new sites on recycled and re-purposed products and Recyclart.org is a new one that actually allows readers to also share their links to well-designed and ingenious ideas for re-use. Their motto is “recycling is the future” and the site is styling itself as a one-stop, “web portal” for the recycled / upcycled / re-used / do-it-yourself design world - all selected by readers. Some of the entries you may have seen before, some may be new. In any case, though the links are intentionally light on details so that you go straight to the source for further information, we like the site’s photo-album look and the inspirational attitude.
Recyclart.org
More on Recycled Designs
Studiomold: Recycling For Design
Superuse, Where Recycling Meets Design
Design for the Other 90%...
Bobby Jindal's Made Up Maglev Train to Disney Land, and Other Ungreen Response Speech Blunders
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 02.25.09
Photo via Chicagoist
Bobby Jindal, the Republican Governor of Louisiana, gave his response to Obama's speech to Congress last night. He focused mainly on the ills of big government and earmarks—and was overwhelmingly panned by Republicans and Democrats alike. I'm not here to heap any more criticism on Jindal, who before this ill-fated speech was considered to be a rising star in the Republican Party and a potential contender for the GOP's 2012 candidate for president. Now, he's considered to be Kenneth from 30 Rock. No, I'm just here to set the record straight on a couple things—like that levitating train from Las Vegas to Disneyland that he said was in the stimulus, and the 'volcanic monitoring' that baffled him so. I'm here to keep him from giving the green in the stimulus a bad name. ...
Beauty Lab: Organic Wear Eye Shadow from Physicians Formula
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 02.25.09
Like most of you, we have to walk through the cosmetic department of our local pharmacy to pick up a prescription. Normally we’d breeze down the aisle, which is full of colors, smells, and bright lights, but last week the label Organic Wear caught our eye. Made by Physicians Formula, which has been a pharmacy staple for a number of years, Organic Wear is 100% natural origin makeup and offers various powders, bronzers, foundation, mascara, and just about any other product made from a popular brand. But it was the pretty “Blue Eyes Organics” that we found our hand reaching for out of the bunch....
Finally a Solar-Powered Air Conditioner: 6 Tons of A/C Using 4 Solar Panels
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 02.25.09
Update: Breathtaking! First Crossing of the Alps by a Solar Plane
Finally a Workable System to Replace Current Energy Guzzling A/Cs?
In 2007 we covered a Coolerado A/C system with the headline "getting close to solar powered air conditioning". Back then, the unit produced 5 tons of cooling using 1,200 watts, getting within the range of what some people and small businesses could afford in solar panels. Now, the new Coolerado design can produce 6 tons of cooling using 600 watts, quite an impressive improvement!
Read on for more details an a video detailing how it works....
Calcutta Tramways Buses Make Switch to Biodiesel Blend: 35% Lower Pollution Expected
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 02.25.09
photo: Richard via flickr
Indian Railways has already been running some of its trains on biodiesel. Now Calcutta Tramways Corporation has announced that it will be running its buses partly on biodiesel: A memorandum of understanding with Emami Biotech was signed last week for the supply of 250 kiloliters per month of biodiesel. Here are more details:...
Obama Takes Aim at Big Farm Subsidies: Doing Away With Direct Payments
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 02.25.09
Image via Hayden Real Estate
Obama's remarks last night on clean energy and pursuing a cap and trade system for carbon emissions have grabbed the most attention in the green community. But he made another important statement that's getting overlooked: he called on Congress to stop wasteful subsidies given to large farms—those 'direct payments' to big agribusiness that cost $5.2 billion a year. And they don't even require farmers to produce a crop....
Signs of Money Laundering and Greenwashing at the National Home Show
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02.25.09
Not much green at Canada's biggest home show, sometimes called the National Vinyl Show, other than the fact that everyone is jumping on the tax credit and stimulus bandwagon. One thing that is becoming clear: Blue (the energy star label) is the new Green (washing.) Some interesting signs:...
Sunseeker II Solar Airplane to Fly Over Europe this Spring
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 02.25.09
Flying so Quietly, Birds Sometimes Try to Land on It
We've just got a tip form Eric Lentz Gauthier of Solar Flight telling us that the Sunseeker II, a solar airplane, will be flying over Europe this Spring: "The exact dates and destinations that the tour will cover are not set in stone right now. The first leg will be from Freidrichshafen, Germany down to Sicily and then back up to Switzerland. From there the Sunseeker will be flown over the Swiss Alps to the Austrian Dolomites and through to Slovenia. From Slovenia we will fly West through Italy again, then Southern France down to Spain. " More details below....
100+ Solar-Powered Ericsson Cell Phone Base Stations Coming to Africa
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 02.25.09
photo: Ericsson
The idea of using renewable energy to power cell phone base stations in rural areas is nothing new. The latest variation on this comes from Ericsson and Orange Guinea Conakry which plan to deploy more than 100 solar-powered base stations:...
The SheevaPlug: A PC the Size of a 'Wall Wart'
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 02.25.09
Greener Computing: Less is More
Marvell (not the comic book maker, the technology company) has just launched a new PC that isn't much bigger than a typical 'wall wart' electrical transformer. This isn't a totally new concept - we wrote about the "Phone Jack Computer" a while ago - but choice is good and the SheevaPlug takes a slightly different approach. Read on for more details....
We're Beginning to See Hints That Ocean Circulation is Changing: International Polar Year Director
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 02.25.09
photo: IPY
Over the past year we've seen increasing evidence that the effects of climate change in both the Arctic and Antarctic are occurring more quickly than predicted. As a sort year-in-review, the International Polar Year has released The State of Polar Research, 2007-2008. If you've been following TreeHugger's coverage of polar climate change some of this will be familiar, but here are some of IPY's findings:...
Bush EPA's Standards for Pollutants Found to be "Contrary to Law"
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 02.25.09
Photo via Associated Press
It's been a bad couple weeks for the Bush EPA's legacy. Key decisions the agency made and the standards it set have already been reconsidered, reversed, and righted. And now, the most blunt (and legally binding) smackdown of Bush's EPA just took place: a federal appeals court found yesterday that the Bush administration's standards on pollutants like soot are “contrary to law and unsupported by adequately reasoned decision making.” Zing. ...
Fisker Taking Orders of Karma S Hard-Top Convertible Electric Car
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 02.25.09
Karma S Deposit 5x Bigger than for Karma
The Fisker Karma S hard-top convertible plug-in hybrid, which was unveiled at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show and has a drivetrain similar to the Chevy Volt, which Fisker calls the Q-Drive Powertrain, is now available for pre-ordering. Fisker’s PR head honcho Russell Datz confirmed that the Karma S would be shipping in 2011, and that people could reserve their spot in the queue with a deposit....
Last Rites for a Lake
by Jennifer Hattam, Istanbul, Turkey on 02.25.09
Lake Van is the largest lake in Turkey and the fifth largest in Europe. Photo via Van Gölü Kirlenmesin (Don't Pollute Lake Van)
On a blustery winter's day last weekend, a small group of activists in eastern Turkey left notes on the doors of their shops and workplaces reading, "We are closed on account of a funeral." Then they bundled themselves up and headed down to the snowy shores of Lake Van to say last rites for the polluted body of water.
...
Driving or Riding in an Ethanol-Powered Vehicle Could Be Sin: Islamic Scholar Opines
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 02.25.09
photo: Morris K Udall Foundation via flickr
Add another twist to the discussion of reasons to take objections to biofuels: Saudi scholar, Sheikh Mohamed al-Najimi has expressed his opinion that under Islamic law the use of ethanol could be considered a sin, as it is a form of alcohol:...
Chicken Little On Climate Stage In Dual Role: Playing Industrialist & Environmentalist
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 02.25.09
Bsq. Office in a Shipping Container
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02.25.09
After seeing Mocoloco's pictures of the BSq. office in a shipping container we noted that we would catch up with it later, and indeed we have. And it is worth seeing; where it gets a bit tight in a container for living spaces, it works very well as a landscape designers' office for two. ...
'Petro Coal' Touted by California Public Utilities Commissioner as Alternative Fuel Source
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 02.25.09
photo: Shea Harazian via flickr
Bear with the fuzzy terminology: California Public Utilities Commissioner Michael Peevey is promoting a new CPUC feasibility study which would see an Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle facility produce electricity by gasification of non-conventional fuel sources such as petroleum coke. Cleantech is reporting that Peevey's calling this "petroleum coal":...
Clean Tech Forum 2009: Nuclear and Clean Coal Stick Up for Themselves (Video)
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 02.25.09
"There is no such thing as peak natural gas."
"It is denial and censorship to call coal, nuclear, gas and oil 'dirty'."
"[These technologies] will be safer, and cleaner than renewables that get all the press today."
"You're not going to have communities against nuclear power if you give them big infrastructure money at the same time."
These are just a few of the things stated on a panel entitled, "Debunking 'Dirty Technology' Myths - From Campaign Rhetoric to Action" at the Clean Tech Forum 2009. If you haven't wet your pants yet, click through for video snippets that will likely make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. ...
Quote of the Day: Alex Steffen on Prosperity
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02.25.09
Whenever I write about why we have to stop needless and stupid waste like, say, patio heaters in Miami, someone will write "focus on the big issues first, and avoid nitpicking on these kind of trivial subjects that will do nothing to promote a stronger eco-movement." I don't think that these issues are trivial at all, but I never had a good answer until I heard Worldchanging's Alex Steffen at the Ryerson University School of Interior Design in Toronto, courtesy of Steelcase. He noted that everyone in the world wants to be rich, and Baywatch is the role model. Instead, we have to create a different model to emulate.
We have to develop a model of prosperity that 4.5 billion people can share and we don't know how to do it....
Investment in Clean Energy Top Priority in US's Economic Future: President Obama
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 02.25.09
photo: White House/Pete Souza
In case you missed President Obama's address to the nation last night—as the White House blog points out it's not a State of the Union address—the President (again) laid out his vision of how investment in clean energy will be the catalyst in reviving the nation's economy. Nothing strikingly new, in terms of ideas presented (and what would you expect given his length of time in office so far), but it's still good to hear that energy policy is in the front of Obama's mind:...
Clean Tech Forum 2009: Earthcycle Snaps Up Palm Waste for Paper Products
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 02.25.09
If you shop at Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, Safeway or a few similar places, you'll notice that the produce is unnecessarily packaged. Turns out that an eeeensy bit of the frustration felt at that fact can be shaved away by another fact. Many of those stores use Earthcycle for the cardboard portion of their packaging. The story of the cardboard is as neat looking as that odd chunk of palm husk up above. ...
Survey: How Much Would You Pay For A Shopping Bag?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02.25.09
April asked the question yesterday in her post Yes, The Economy Sucks, So How Much Will You Pay for a Shopping Bag? and we give you the opportunity for a one-click response:
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Clean Tech Forum 2009: Nicolas Parker on Clean Tech Challenges and the Stimulus Package (Video)
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 02.25.09
The Cleantech Group's Co-Founder and Executive Chairman started off the forum by providing a keynote speech that discussed what he sees as the major challenges we have to overcome, as well as how the economic stimulus package effects clean technology. Click through to hear what he has to say. ...
Spoil Sports: 7 Activities that Damage the Environment
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 02.25.09
AP Photo by Mark Humphrey
Not all sports were created equal--at least, not in the eyes of the environment. Some--hiking, running, swimming--represent the best of man in harmony with nature. Others--monster truck rally races, say--are just flat out environmentally offensive, and seem to be little more than a raised middle finger to our global warming-imperiled earth. To consider environmental impact, we need to examine these sports on several different levels: Basketball for example, when played as a neighborhood pickup game, can be nearly as harmless as taking a stroll. But factor in worldwide popularity, hundreds of jet flights every year, and you've got yourself one mega carbon footprint. The following seven spoil sports cause serious damage to the environment:...
14 Strange and Fabulous Trees (Slideshow)
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 02.25.09
Photo via vivsirena
We've all walked past one - a tree that makes us stop and go "WTF?!" Trees can be really weird and completely amazing. Check out this slideshow celebrating trees in all their odd and freakish glory. After all, this is why we hug them.
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Wild Hare Numbers Rebound Dramatically - Conservation Success
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 02.25.09
Image credit: BrownHare.co.uk
35% Increase in Hare Population in One Year
From the crazy looking Mexican walking fish to the lightning fast cheetah, the world is not short of species we are running short of. In fact, a recent study suggests that current projected extinction rates may be seriously flawed, and the outlook for much of the world's wildlife may be even more bleak than we thought. In times like these, conservations success stories are more important than ever - that's why it's so nice to hear from The Guardian that the wild hare is bouncing back on many UK farms. And all it took is some simple conservation measures....
Argentine Government Wants to Boost Bicycle Market
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires on 02.25.09
Photo: Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, president of Argentina, holds a bike while presenting a plan to boost sales of these vehicles. Credit: Argentine presidency press service.
The Argentine government launched yesterday a plan to boost bicycles sales that expects to sell 200 thousand bikes.
Aimed at people with low resources, it will allow them to get a bike for a monthly payment of just 16 pesos, which is about 5 US dollars. In exchange, they will have to turn their old bikes in as part of payment.
Even though the plan should be open to anyone to be more appealing from an environmental point of view --we want more people with bikes in the streets, not only those who already have one--, the good news is this will not only encourage sales of new bikes, but also will bring some movement to the whole segment of small businesses that work with these vehicles....
Clean Tech Forum 2009: Kicking Off With "Governor Moonbeam" (Video)
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 02.25.09
TreeHugger is at the Clean Tech Forum this week, checking out all the latest in clean tech ventures, start-up companies, and what the movers and shakers of the industry have to say. Kicking off the event yesterday was California Attorney General Jerry Brown. Click through to hear his perspective on how renewable energy is perceived and what needs to happen to be able to move forward on such a big endeavor. ...
Daily Show: Amazon Kindle 2 Ships Featuring TreeHugger! Plus, Jon Stewart Finds The Great Gatsby Erotic E-Reading
by George Spyros, New York City, USA on 02.25.09
Black Sheep Finisterre Warms to Techy Merino Wool
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 02.25.09
Covering the upcoming merino summer wool collection from Ibex the other day brought to mind Finisterre and their merino wool range. This small, award winning, British company from Cornwall, make technical apparel for surfers. Not so much for when they are gliding about on waves, but when forced to hang about on terra firma. It is a tightly focussed line, (with a broader appeal than just to waxheads), but one infused with a strong environmental and social conscience.
Aside from making waterproofs that don’t need coatings or membranes and insulated garments with recycled polyester shells, the team at Finisterre have taken to merino wool with gusto, offering some fabrications not readily seen elsewhere [*]....
Mater is Ethical Danish Design
by Bonnie Alter, London on 02.25.09
Mater is a new luxury brand which seems to be making a big splash. Based in Copenhagen, the young company is already winning prizes for their home wares that are stylish, and high-end.
The interesting part for TreeHuggers is that the company's business strategy is based on an ethical model. They are working with famous designers to create pieces which are made by artisans operating in small-co-operatives in India, Vietnam and China. ...
Take a 10-Minute Test Drive in the Tesla Roadster: Video
by Eric Leech, New York, NY on 02.25.09
Photo via: Mike Weston
Lyle Dennis of GM-Volt.com and AllCarsElectric.com is the first journalist to get his hands on the Tesla Roadster in the city of Manhattan. Join him as he takes us along for a drive showing us its quirks, conveniences, spaceship-like sounds, neck snapping acceleration, ease of charging, and then appropriately concludes by dropping by a gas station to get the reaction of the attendant as he tries to find the fuel door.
This video really gives me a case of the I wannas!
Click through to see the video......
Promoting Public Transit: I Heart This Subway Map!
by greenz.jp, Tokyo, Japan on 02.25.09
Image: New York Subway Map by Zero Per Zero
We like talking about promoting public transit here on Treehugger and at Planet Green, noting that cities and countries that get it right can create a very positive image that in turn steers more people towards leaving their car at home. So, I was happy to see Zero Per Zero, a Seoul-based design team, re-thinking railmaps and subway maps. Using bright colours and a big dose of humour, Kim Ji-Kwan and Jin Sol from Hongik University are now in Tokyo to display their work....
Event: Recycled Swimwear Designer Aaron Chang Opens Green Art Gallery
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 02.24.09
Image via: Aaron Chang Gallery
Aaron Chang, popular recycled fashion swimwear designer and professional photographer, not to mention surfing legend, is opening a green art gallery in San Diego, February 28, 2009. Each of the pieces are printed with earth friendly dyes, organic wood frames and very large recycled metal slabs. ...
'Forward Chicago' Launches: Aims to Make Chicago Greenest US City
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 02.24.09
Green Roof on Chicago City Hall
Today the Climate Group announced their partnership with the city of Chicago and Chicago 2016, titled "Forward Chicago" which aims to not only help Chicago reach its greenhouse gas reduction goals but to make Chicago quite possibly the greenest city. Let us count the ways:...
West "Responsible" For Third of China's CO2 Emissions
by Alex Pasternack, New York, NY on 02.24.09
China Daily
On the heels of Hillary Clinton's climate-focused Beijing visit, a new report details just how much CO2 the West gives to China when it buys "made in China." About 9% of total Chinese emissions are the result of manufacturing goods for the US, it finds, while 6% come from producing goods for Europe. But who is responsible, and how will they clean up China's "carbon sweatshops"?...
Larry's Beans Offers Discount On Any Bag of Coffee
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 02.24.09
Dang That Coffee Tastes Sweet!
Can't afford a Tesla Roadster? Console yourself with today’s TreeHugger Deal from Larry's Beans, a company that has delicious fairly traded, organically grown coffees. The coffee beans are slow roasted in ridiculously small batches in Larry’s passive solar warehouse with rainwater harvesting, low flush toilets, solar-powered radiant floor heating and are even delivered locally in their very own veggie bus. Pss...one of our faves, the Valentino Blend, is only available for a few more days.
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5 US Cities and States Fighting Plastic Bags, 5 Cents at a Time
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 02.24.09
Photo via Chicagoist
Plastic bags are bad news. Beijing and San Francisco got the memo, and pioneered bans on plastic shopping bags. Now, mayors and legislators across the country are moving to discourage plastic bag use in their cities and states by imposing fees on plastic bags that range from 5 to 20 cents. The economic climate is unsteady, to say the least, and many feel that now is the wrong time to implement a new fee. Others believe the plans will bring much needed government revenue. Still others think that public backlash is inevitable. But these 5 cities and states are pursuing plans to bag the bag anyways. ...
Yes, The Economy Sucks, So How Much Will You Pay for a Shopping Bag?
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 02.24.09
Blue Q has released a new line of colorful bags made from 95% recycled material.
For Christmas 2008, a round of my girlfriends and sisters got shopping bags I bought EnviroSax and from EnVbags. I gave myself one, too, and was surprised both at how handy these lightweight bags are (anecdotally, the Envirosax bags have held up longer than the EnVies) and how much I came to love mine - except that in a fit of generosity, I recently gave the last one away. So now it's come time to buy a new bag - their ability to keep me from bringing new plastic into the home is definitely worth...a price. But what price? Click for a quick review of four choices....
NASA's First CO2-Monitoring Satellite Crashes Into the Sea
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 02.24.09
What NASA's OCO Satellite would have looked like had it reached orbit. Image: NASA
Sad Day for Climate Science
Knowledge is power. The more we know about a problem, the better we can act to solve it. That's why today is a sad day. From the Times Online: "The centrepiece of Nasa’s $280 million climate-change mission crashed into the sea near Antarctica today, delivering a heavy blow to the agency’s attempts to chart global warming." The launch from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California at 1:55 am was successful (you can see a video below), but obviously something went terribly wrong......
Solar Powered Firefly Lights Add Life To Your Backyard
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 02.24.09
Image via: Firefly Magic
Interested in upgrading your current solar powered patio and/or walkway lights? Why not try the new Firefly Magic Firefly Lights. Developed by an inventor in North Texas, who wanted to experience the beauty of fireflies year-round. The lights are the same size and color as the Photinus firefly, and run on solar power and use LED (light emitting diodes) to make the lights even more efficient. They are so "lifelike" that they have been used in zoos, nature centers, museums, theme parks and on university field research to trick actual fireflies....
Some Plants Will (Maybe) Benefit from Global Warming, But...
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 02.24.09
Trying to Understand the Effects of the Thawing and Refreezing Cycle
Scientists are studying the effects of a higher variability in temperatures and more frequent thawing/refreezing of the soil on certain plants and found that some might benefit. Well, you can't say we only report the bad things about global warming, though in this case, it's not yet clear if this the news for these specific plants is all good... ...
China To Invest $36.5 Billion to Upgrade Electric Grid
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 02.24.09
photo: myuibe via flickr
Better electricity transmission has been a consistent talking point in the US for the past few months. And it seems that China too sees the wisdom in upgrading its electrical distribution system. Cleantech reports that State Grid Corp will be investing an additional $36.5 billion in 2009 to upgrade its grid: ...
How to Get New Renewable Energy Projects on the National Grid
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 02.24.09
Image via: Flickr
This week a major meeting of the minds took place to discuss clean energy and more importantly, how to get more of it where its needed, reports the Los Angeles Times. With new, massive solar farms being located in the desert, and wind farms off many coasts, seems like a great idea to set aside huge swaths of "unusable" land for renewable energy projects. The only problem is how to get that power from the middle of nowhere to the center of where its needed most. Former President Bill Clinton, Senator Harry Reid, T Boone Pickens, former Vice-President Al Gore, and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi were among the attendees of this high profile clean energy conference. ...
MCE-5 Variable Compression Ratio Engine: 1.5-Liter With Torque Like a V8!
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 02.24.09
Increasing Engine Efficiency and Power
Most of us are probably anxious to get rid of internal combustion engines (ICE) and move on to electric motors. Unfortunately, refining a technology until it is affordable and performs well enough for the mass market takes a while (read up on the history of computers or cell phones), and we might not have electric cars for a few more years. In the meantime, engineers are trying to squeeze more life out of ICEs (see 5 technologies to improve ICEs).
One promising technique is the use of variable compression ratios. Read on for details....
Obama May Set National Auto Emissions Standard
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 02.24.09
Photo via Greenpeace
We're hardly a month into a new administration, and at least from an environmental perspective, it's hard to believe that this is the same country we're talking about: clamping down on coal, leading negotiations to create a multinational treaty to cut mercury emissions, and now, nationwide greenhouse gas regulations on cars? That's right—the Obama administration has just announced that it's considering establishing national standards for regulating greenhouse gas. ...
Harvard's Transformer Houses, Clad in BMW's Cloth
by Alex Pasternack, New York, NY on 02.24.09
In Ignacio Gonzalez Galan's project, rooftops open and extend upward during the day.
What happens when you give a futuristic cloth-like material designed for BMW coupes with a bevy of design students and funding from one of the world's leading architecture firms?
Homes that can expand as needed, coastal houses that can rise and fall with flood tides, rooms that fold up when not in use, and roofs that shift to take advantage of sunlight....
1 Gigawatt of Marine Power to be Developed by Aquamarine Power by 2020 in the UK & Ireland
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 02.24.09
image: Aquamarine Power Ltd
Just two weeks ago Aquamarine Power Ltd was touting its new Oyster wave power unit. Now the Edinburgh-based firm has announced that it has signed an agreement with Airtricity, the renewable energy division of Scottish and Southern Energy, to develop 1,000 MW of marine power by 2020. Here are the details, such as they are for such a long-sighted project:...
How to Go Green: Spring Break
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 02.24.09
Image source: iStock
It's almost that time again. Can you feel it? Just a few more weeks left and then freedom, blessed, joyful, wonderful freedom -- at least for a week that is. But with everyone you know leaving responsibility (and sobriety?) behind, what's a green guy/gal to do? How do you chill out, relax, refresh, have a good time, and still not wreck the planet in the process? Is it possible to party on the beach without having to pay environmental penance with a boatload of carbon offsets? Over on Planet Green, the How to Go Green: Spring Break guide is here and just in time. Before you book your plane tickets or bum out because you have to miss out, let us help you out.
We've got tips on finding a locale, booking a place, scavenging some grub, partying, and also going alternative for the week. Got kids? No problem, because we have some tips to help keep the kiddo's busy and entertained for the week. Trying to save money? Why not? We've even got tips on being a "local tourist" that will help you enjoy your vacation and still feel like you "went somewhere."
Hop below the fold for a few tips to help this plan come together, or click on over to Planet Green to get the full story on How to Go Green: Spring Break
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Use Organic Agriculture to Fight Climate Change, EU Official Says
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 02.24.09
photo: Jennifer Dickert via flickr
Regular TreeHugger readers may already be on top of the 'organic agriculture is better for you and the planet' meme, but it seems lately that more and more international policy officials are joining in: The UNEP recently did, and now the EU's commissioner for agriculture has as well. The New York Times quotes Mariann Fischer Boel as saying,...
Fair-Trade Coffee, Coming To a Dorm Near You
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 02.24.09
Image via: Flickr
Two creative Bethel College students recently opened a fair trade coffee shop in the lounge of their dorm building. The shop is so new (and so trendy) that it doesn't even have a name yet. Seth Dunn and Lisa Penner, both Fresno, CA natives, wanted a place for students to chill out, study, relax and came up with the coffee shop after visiting another campus. They chose fair trade coffee to support the local Ten Thousand Villages shop in town....
Video: Fisker Karma Ad During Oscar Night
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 02.24.09
Fisker's Electric Car Going for Glamour
Fisker Automotive probably can't afford a superbowl ad, or even an ad during the Oscars proper, but they know what their primary market is so they took two 60-second ads during the pre-show on Los Angeles television station KTLA.
You can see the video of the ad below....
7 Ways to Save Your Office Money by Going Green
by Blythe Copeland, Great Neck, New York on 02.24.09
Photo via Jason Pratt @ flickr
It's a tough time for businesses these days; every little bit of money saved could mean the difference between a raise--and your cubicle neighbor getting laid off. Coming up with ways to cut your office budget might get you on the boss's good side, but thinking of ways to go green while trimming costs? That's just good business. We came up with seven environmentally-savvy ideas--varying in difficulty from turning off the lights to repainting the hallway--that will help your bottom line flourish while your workplace goes green....
500 MW of Solar Power Plants in California, Southwest to be Developed by NRG Energy & eSolar
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 02.24.09
photo: eSolar
While the exact project details of this next announcement aren't nailed down, it's nonetheless good news: NRG Energy and eSolar have signed an agreement which will see up to 500 MW of new solar power plants built at sites in California and the Southwest. Here are the rest of the details that have been revealed so far:...
Score One For Sustainable Agriculture: Obama to Nominate Kathleen Merrigan to be Deputy Secretary of USDA
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 02.24.09
The choice of Tom Vilsack to head up the USDA was seen by many advocates of organic agriculture as being a pat on the back to agribusiness. Well, you lose some you win some: President Obama has announced that he will nominate Kathleen Merrigan to be Deputy Secretary of the USDA. Considering that's she's on the Sustainable Dozen list out forth by the Food Democracy Now campaign this is certainly great news.
Daily Kos lists Merrigan's credential's and some of her (very encouraging) positions on the issues: ...
How to Shop Smart, Save Forests and Send a Message
by Daniel Kessler, Greenpeace on 02.24.09
Dept of Interior Hearts Oil Shale: Has 'Great Potential' Salazar Says
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 02.24.09
Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar has certainly sent mixed signals when it comes to how his department will handle energy development on federal lands. Good news: Exploration leases on federal lands near several sensitive areas in Utah were halted. Middling news: Offshore oil drilling would be part of his "comprehensive energy plan" (we knew that would be coming, based on Obama positions on the campaign trail). Here's the bad news:
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Could Hype Sell An Inferior Hybrid? - Ford Fusion versus Toyota Camry
by Jeff Siegel, Green Chip Stocks on 02.24.09
Someone must have a really good press agent to get this one so much attention.
According to a U.S. News and World Report review, two automotive publications have published comparisons of the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid against the Toyota Prius and Camry Hybrid, with Ford winning both.
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Spend your Weatherization Money Wisely
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02.24.09
Richard Dreyfus in Tin Men
Now that the stimulus bill has passed and the word about tax credits and weatherizing incentives is out, you can bet that the tin men selling "insulating" siding and new "energy efficient" vinyl windows will be out in force to sell you stuff that "pays for itself in three years" and that "the government will pay most of the cost anyways". Except these are two of the least cost-effective measures that you can take, and can significantly decrease the value of a house if they destroy its character and charm. ...
Bill Niman Boycotts Niman Ranch
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 02.24.09
Company Founder Rejects New Welfare and Sustainability Standards
Whether a little meat in the diet is sustainable, or whether a vegetarian world is best, meat eating remains a core point of contention among TreeHuggers. For those of us who do indulge occasionally, Niman Ranch has long been a favored supplier of more natural, and more humanely raised, meat. It's made the cut of TreeHugger and Domino's green list, and it's been a core part of fast food chain Chipotle's sustainability claims for years. But now one TreeHugging carnivore at least is saying no to Niman. His name? Bill Niman.
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Quote of the Day: A Stimulus for Good Design
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02.24.09
Peter Schubert, North American design director for RMJM Architects on spending stimulus money, in Engineering News and Record:
We need to ensure that the money spent goes to creative, sustainable buildings that will stand the test of time and will still be used by our children and our grandchildren. After all, they are the ones who are going to be paying for these debt-financed projects. Government sponsorship of great architecture has a proud tradition in the United States, starting with Thomas Jefferson, himself an architect and the designer of Monticello, the University of Virginia and the Virginia Capitol....
Chinese Drywall Update: Feds Finally Notice
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02.24.09
Corroded 3 year old ac unit; image via chinesedrywall.com
The Feds are on the case, the National media have noticed and the ambulance chasers are revving their engines as the tainted drywall issue finally gets some traction. The Wall Street Journal picked up the story and the Consumer Product Safety Commission is investigating.
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ZEM, the Zero Emissions Machine that Goes Zoom
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 02.24.09
Photos: Zem
The ZEM is a Zero Emissions Machine, from a Swiss company of the same name. One that “promotes, develops, produces and deals with sustainable mobility systems mainly in Europe, and provides consulting on environment, ecology and sustainability.”
Originally designed as a four person human powered vehicle, so it could carry around a car-less family in comfort, the ZEM is also now available in the two person version pictured here. An important difference with the ZEM and other multi-person pedalcraft is each rider pedals at their own strength, rather than trying to keep up with the fittest. (More pix below)...
So What is the First Stimulus Project in the Nation?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02.24.09
It would have been symbolic. It would have been nice if the first project out of the stimulus gate had been a green, sustainable poster boy for the future.
So what is the very first project out of the stimulus gate, started ten minutes after the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was approved? A highway bridge in Missouri. “Once we heard that this [the federal bill] was coming, we had two months of advance planning,” says a spokesperson.
Within minutes, contracts were signed and workers raced to work to start digging holes, spending the first of $637 million for road and bridge projects in Missouri.
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Survey: Are You Buying Cheaper or Better?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02.24.09
Steve Mouzon thinks that in hard times, people buy better stuff.
When times are tough, however, the thought of replacing a tool, a piece of furniture, or whatever on a frequent basis is really frightening... we simply cannot afford to do that. So I believe that the Meltdown will begin to cause people to think long-term again, and to begin to value enduring things....
Tourism in Antarctica Grows, Raises Concern over Conservation
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires on 02.24.09
Photo: scottwilson.
Recreational travel is growing in Antarctica, and is raising concern over the safety of the place. According to Clarin newspaper, the number of cruise ships that are navigating this area has gone from 35 in the early '90s to 258 last summer, and in the same period five accidents have been registered.
Some might say that tourism can create awareness over subjects such as climate change, but it's hard to believe that pushing large cruise ships in areas so delicate as Antarctica is going to have a positive effect.
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Who’s Your Eco Champion? The North Face and Polartec Wanna Know
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 02.24.09
Image: Brickfish
Outdoor equipment and clothing manufacturer, The North Face, whose eco endeavours we previously tabled, are at it again. This time they’ve joined forces with Polartec, maker of the warm fleece fabrics, some of which have recycled content, and a social marketing company, Brickfish. Their combined initiative is the ‘Eco Champion’ program, with some significant prizes....
VolksWagen And Toshiba To Develop Electric Subcompact Car: The "Up!"
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 02.24.09
Recycled Hotels in Boats, Trains and Planes
by Bonnie Alter, London on 02.24.09
There are more choices for the eco-traveller who wants to stay in a recycled hotel but doesn't quite fancy sleeping in a Swiss wine barrel in Holland for their holiday. If you choose New Zealand instead you have your choice of a plane, boat, or train...
l. Sleep in a Plane on Land
Located in a Kiwi culture theme park, the airplane accommodation is a 1950's Bristol Freighter, one of the last allied planes out of Vietnam. You can choose between a room in the plane's tail or the cockpit. This one has a winding stairway leading up to it, and a good view of the stars.
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American Musicians (and Others) Save Norwegian Wolves
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 02.23.09
Image source: State of the Environment, Norway
You have more than likely heard a bit about the Gray Wolves being placed on (and taken off) the Endangered Species List by the Bush Administration. You may not know that American wolves are not the only ones in danger. Seems we humans are apparently in conflict with wolves in Norway as well, to the point that they are nearing extinction. Well, a few musicians, Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, EmmyLou Harris, Little Feat and Mark Knopfler are getting involved b participating on the Mother Earth Blues album, of which 100% of the proceeds will go to protecting and saving Norwegian wolves. You can listen to samples of each of the tracks from It's About Music. ...
Un-TreeHugger: Burying Yourself With A Plasma TV
by Kimberley D. Mok, Montreal, Canada on 02.23.09
Excessive grave (photo via WickedReport)Is it a hoax, a really bad joke, or a serious attempt to thumb an embalmed nose at death? We’re not really sure, but it seems that the hole above could be one of the world’s most tastelessly souped-up graves, where the lucky corpse can rot alongside amenities that the living would supposedly envy (or ridicule – more pictures after the fold). ...
You Buy A Tee, Tees For Change Plants a Tree
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 02.23.09
Image source: Tees For Change
No, planting one tree at a time won't save the planet, but it's one more way for socially conscious tshirt designers to distinguish themselves from the pack. Tees for Change will plant a tree for every t-shirt or onesie purchased. Owner Andreea Ayers, created the store to promote happy, healthy minds and bodies, and to counter all of the negative thoughts around going green and alternative lifestyles. The tshirts have empowering messages like "Choose Happiness," "Live Fully " and "Today Matters" and come in bright, happy colors. Perfect for a yoga practice, or to provide a bright, contrast color as an undershirt. ...
Will Lobbyists Decide the Fate of Green Stimulus Projects?
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 02.23.09
Photo via RRStar
Many environmentalists were ecstatic when they saw the amount of funding for green projects in the stimulus bill. But while the sums in the bill remain the same--$4.5 billion for high tech power systems like smart grids, for example--where exactly the money is going to go, and which specific initiatives will be given the green light is still up in the air. With a very finite amount of money available, a fierce lobbying battle is underway that could determine the fate of many proposed green projects....
Global Green Hosts Pre-Oscar Celeb-Studded Bash to Support Green Schools
by Roberta Cruger, Los Angeles on 02.23.09
Planet Green's Maria Menounos wears eco-friendly dress to Global Green fundraising concert.
Warming up for the Academy Awards on Sunday, celebrities started partying at Global Green’s pre-Oscar bash in Hollywood last Thursday, February 19, to benefit its Green Schools Initiative. The 6th annual event was co-hosted by Penelope Cruz, Marisa Tomei, Rosario Dawson, Orlando Bloom, and others. The stars strolled along a non-toxic green carpet outside the Avalon Hollywood for the fundraiser and concert by Sheryl Crow and Gavin Rossdale. Among the stellar guests joining Global Green USA’s CEO Matt Peterson were James Cromwell, Heather Graham, Dominic Monaghan, Kate Bosworth, Neil Patrick Harris, Rosie Perez, and Maria Menounos....
Climate Denial Crock of the Week - "That 1500 Year Thing"
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 02.23.09
140 Nations Agree to Create Treaty Slashing Mercury Emissions
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 02.23.09
Photo via Force Change
And yes, the US is one of them. Obama's administration shocked many when it reversed Bush's previous policy and came out in favor a new international treaty to control mercury pollution. With the US on board, China and India followed suit, and they paved the way for over 140 countries to agree to negotiate what would be a historic, legal binding treaty that could reduce mercury pollution around the world....
My Zero Waste Hosts Carnival of the Green
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 02.23.09
This week is Carnival of the Green #168 it's being hosted by My Zero Waste, a blog from the UK. It's about a family of four that are striving to reduce the amount of waste they send to landfill each week. You can follow their progress, leave a comment or two, cheer them on and see if they actually attain their goal of Zero Waste.
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....
What is a Zero Carbon Home?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02.23.09
Zero Carbon House Project
In response to our post Crossway Zero Carbon Home Brings Back the Timbrel Vault, commenter rayn wrote: "I don't see how this house could be anywhere near zero carbon even if all the bricks were sun baked. The windows had to be created in a furnace somewhere."
He has a point. "Zero Carbon Home" is a term with specific meaning in the UK:
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What Is The True Cost of Chocolate?
by Jeff Nield, Vancouver, British Columbia on 02.23.09
Original Beans
The modern chocolate industry has a long history marred by slavery and deforestation. From the birth of the industry with the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs to the modern industry centered in West Africa the problems have remained constant. Organic, fair trade chocolate has become more prevalent over the past couple of years, but one company has taken their commitment to creating an ecologically and socially sustainable product to the next level. ...
Roz Savage Takes Ocean Activism for a Row
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 02.23.09
Photo via Roz Savage, Credit Phil Uhl
Roz Savage is a phenomenal eco-adventurer that we've mentioned a few times here on TreeHugger. She was in San Francisco at the Ocean Film Festival this weekend where she took questions from the audience about her extraordinary trip rowing across the Atlantic, and then from California to Hawaii. Read on for what incredible adventure she has lined up for this spring....
Does A Recession Make You Buy Better or Cheaper?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02.23.09
Unity College Open Prototype-built to last.
Sales at Walmart are up; sales of organic foods are down. It would seem logical that when money is tight, people look for the cheap stuff. Yet Steve Mouzon of the Original Green, suggests otherwise, that perhaps it is time for a flight to quality. He explains:
...
UCFlorida Has A Solar Powered Car
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 02.23.09
Image via: University of Central Florida
The University of Central Florida doesn't just go electric when it upgrades its vehicles, it goes solar. The Zenn car, was purchased by the Department of Sustainability and Energy Management as a plug-in electric vehicle. After a little customization, to the tune of 3 solar panels attached to the roof, the car now runs on 100% solar power....
Silent Snow Documentary Shows Greenland's Plight
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 02.23.09
Photo of Greenland via Wili-hybrid
Silent Snow is a powerful short film documenting the pollution that affects the Inuits of Greenland. The pollution circulates from all over the world up to Greenland where it concentrates in the fish, seals and whales - food for the Inuit. At one point the young woman featured in the film states that she will still eat the contaminated food, even though she knows how toxic it is. Their cuisine, after all, is part of their environment, culture and history. She says, "They want us to eat hamburgers from the places that pollute us."
Click through to watch a clip of the documentary highlighting the toxic streams that threaten this area of the world. ...
The Stimulus Bill Tax Credit Guide: Great Green Stuff Obama Will Help You Buy
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 02.23.09
Image via Inhabitat
Obama's freshly signed stimulus bill is packed with tax credits you can earn simply by buying green, energy efficient stuff—you just have to know what qualifies and what doesn't. But with hundreds of pages of confusing stipulations to sift through, knowing what's eligible is easier said than done. Thankfully, your friendly neighborhood TreeHuggers slogged through the bill and figured out exactly what you can buy to land big tax credits. From thousands of dollars off a new hybrid car, to massive rebates on home wind turbines, to big savings on college, here's a slideshow featuring the green stuff you should add to your shopping list this year—and why not? It's on the (White) house.
...
Small Houses Getting Big Coverage
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02.23.09
Abito intelligent living spaces
The Financial Times has discovered the Small House Movement, does a thorough job of covering the more interesting projects, and concludes with a bang:
Not only are the products in our lives getting smaller and better, they’re also smarter. Beds can turn into sofas; benchtops into tables; microwaves into cooktops. Perhaps, as [microcompact home designer] Horden says, small houses are perfect for these challenging times. All we need to do is learn to live well with less....
7 Cool Innovations in Fuel Efficient Aviation
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 02.23.09
Image credit: DK Report via Stock High.
New Innovations May Help Reduce Aviation Emissions - Eventually
I've lost count of the number of times that TreeHugger has written about the aviation industry's vulnerability to high oil prices or the interconnections between flying and climate change. Yet it's hard to go without flying - especially when you have loved ones on the other side of the world. (UK activist and writer George Monbiot coined the term 'Love Miles' to describe the predicament many of us environmentally aware global citizens face.) But there are glimmers of hope. Fancy new concepts in aviation offer the potential of significant carbon savings - the only trouble is that most are a long way off from commercial application. But there are a few lower-tech innovations that are delivering emissions reductions here and now. Read on to find out more. ...
Tar Sands Companies Spoil Our Water, Our Air, Our Livelihood: Cree Elder (Video)
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 02.23.09
Woman Wills Her Body to PETA to Become BBQ, Leather Goods
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 02.23.09
Photo via Change, Inc.
Ingenious act of head turning activism, or wacko publicity stunt gone too far? You decide. Ingrid Newkirk, the president of PETA, has fashioned a will stipulating that upon her death, her body is to be donated to the infamous animal rights org. And she's written up a bizarre list of instructions on what they're to do with each of her body parts after she's deceased. Just a warning to the squeamish—this gets weird....
Saul Griffith and Michel Gelobter Talk Politics and Engineering at Compostmodern (Video)
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 02.23.09
After their speeches at Compostmodern, Saul Griffith and Michel Gelobter were asked to switch hats...Gelobter put on the engineer's hat, and Griffith put on the policymaker's hat. Click through to hear what they have to say about sustainability and what has to happen to change the way we use this planet....
Sylvia Earle Wins TED 2009 With Talk on Our Oceans (Video)
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 02.23.09
Sylvia Earle won this year's TED Talks with her speech about the Earth's oceans. She describes them as our life support system, and questions why we preserve land spaces but not water. She also discusses Google Earth's new underwater features. Check out her speech after the jump. ...
Is My In-Sink Garbage Disposal Eco-Friendly?
by Pablo Paster, San Francisco on 02.23.09
Image credit: gregor_y
Dear Pablo, I have been wondering for some time if I should be using the garbage disposal or not. The InSinkErator website talks about the environmental benefits of disposers, but is this just greenwash?According to my favorite wastewater engineer, "household garbage disposals were the worst thing to ever hit the wastewater industry. Cities will eventually outlaw them for any new construction (as with what's happened with water softeners)." Apparently I struck a nerve with my question, let's see what's behind that response. ...
Saul Griffith Discusses Starting From the Global Warming Finish Line (Video)
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 02.23.09
Saul Griffith shows off a highly detailed graph of his carbon footprint during 2007.
Saul Griffith is an incredible thinker, and we at TreeHugger are quite the fan. So we were excited to see him speak at Compostmodern this weekend. Griffith spoke on how designers can start from their goal for climate change, and design products and solutions based on that goal. Click through to watch a video on how to pick your end target when it comes to global warming, as well as a hilarious slide that checks on designers' sense of humor....
It's Time to Nuke the Tar Sands!
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 02.23.09
image: Google
Two perennial TreeHugger subjects come together at a nexus of absurdity. We've covered Hyperion Power's (sort of) portable nuclear power module a couple of times and have given fairly extensive coverage to the environmental disaster that is the Alberta Tar Sands. Well, Hyperion's proposing mating the two: Using the Hyperion Power Module to reduce the horrendous carbon emissions produced when you squeeze oil out of the tar sands. Here's how Hyperion CEO John, R Grizz pitched it:...
Ugo Conti's Spider Boat is Super Fuel Efficient
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 02.23.09
Photo via Flickr Creative Commons Eric Thiermann/KQED QUEST
Ugo Conti loved being out on the ocean but hated being sea sick. So, he took his engineering skills and love of insects and went on a mission to design a better boat. What he came up with is something completely unique, incredibly fuel efficient, materials efficient, and....you don't get sea sick.
Check out the full documentary as shown at the San Francisco Ocean Film Festival after the jump....
Crossway Zero Carbon Home Brings Back the Timbrel Vault
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02.23.09
all crossway photos via architects website
Architect Richard Hawkes is just finishing what he calls a zero-carbon house, using all of the latest technologies but also demonstrating "how contemporary design can celebrate local materials and crafts and integrate new technologies to produce a highly sustainable building that sits lightly on the Earth"
The dramatic arched roof, in particular, is an ancient technique called timbrel vaulting, which we cover in greater detail below.
...
Oregon to Add More Electric Transmission Capacity, Thanks to Stimulus Bill
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 02.23.09
photo: Stefan Andrej Shambora via flickr
The idea that more and better electrical transmission capacity needs to be built to fully take advantage of the United States' renewable energy potential is one which is pointed out commonly these days. Fortunately it's on the mark. And now that the economic recovery act has been passed, at least one transmission project is already being pushed forward because of it. Bonneville Power Administration has announced that the stimulus bill has removed "a major uncertainty" and it will be going ahead with the $246 million McNary-John Day electric transmission project:...
San Francisco Ocean Film Festival
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 02.23.09
Photo via Mike Baird
The 6th Annual San Francisco Ocean Film Festival was held this weekend and showed off some great short films about the blue parts of our planet. From fishing to surfing, from ecosystems to eco-adventure, viewers experienced a wide range of art and activism. Even if you didn't attend the event, you can still see much of what was presented. Check out some of the great films screened at the festival after the jump. ...
Hillary Clinton Hearts Beijing's Super Efficient Trigeneration Power Plant
by Alex Pasternack, New York, NY on 02.23.09
Clinton with US Special Envoy for Climate Change Todd Stern and GE executives (Getty)
"What we hope is you don't make the same mistake we made, because I don't think either Chinese and the world can afford that," Hillary Clinton said this weekend, referring to the West's dirty industrialization amid talk of working with China on climate change issues. She was speaking at Beijing's Taiyanggong Thermal Power Plant, a one-year-old gas-fired power plant that produces both electricity and steam with half the emissions and a third the water usage of an equivalent Chinese coal-fired plant. Said US Special Envoy on Climate Change Todd Stern, "This is exactly the kind of thing the US and China should do more together."...
Pam Dorr Builds Sustainable Homes for $20k
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 02.23.09
Pam Dorr of Hale Empowerment & Revitalization Organization, or HERO, and John Bielenberg of Project M spoke together this weekend at Compostmodern, presenting a bit about what their projects are about. We recently talked about the amazing, fast-paced projects of Project M. So here, we focus on some incredible work being done by Pam Dorr and her group - specifically, how they figured out how to build a sustainably crafted house for $20,000 - something anyone in architecture will say is impossible - and how they're helping people own homes on $600 a month. ...
The Museum of Old Techniques
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02.23.09
TreeHugger often notes that, notwithstanding our love of technology, sometimes the older, slower, simpler ways of doing things, like growing your own food or riding a bike, are better than the high tech processed stuff or hydrogen cars. Now we find that there is an entire museum devoted to it: Belgium's Museum of Old Techniques. The rationale:
"Evolution doesn't necessarily mean progress, what we consider to be primitive solutions are often not primitive at all"...
Verenium & BP Formalize Cellulosic Ethanol Collaboration, New Biorefinery in the Works
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 02.23.09
photo: Verenium
Last August in was announced that BP would be investing some $90 million into Verenium's efforts to develop cellulosic ethanol. Now that partnership has taken another step forward, with the formation of a 50-50 joint venture and further investment towards developing a commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plant in Florida. Here are the details:...
Allan Chochinov's 10 Steps for Sustainable Design
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 02.23.09
Allan Chochinov, editor-in-chief at Core 77, was a speaker at Compostmodern on Saturday, and presented some great steps for designers. He calls them "Denting an Impossible Design Problem in 10 Sustainable Steps." ...
Emily Pilloton on When Sustainability Takes a Back Seat in Design (Video)
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 02.23.09
We recently had an interview on TreeHugger Radio with Emily Pilloton, founder of Project H, about the projects her non-profit accomplishes - one of the most well known being her work with the Hippo Roller. She also spoke at Compostmodern this weekend, and we'd like to show you a bit more about the redesign of this water transportation system, as well as an interesting point she brings up about sustainable design...something she calls her "personal beef with sustainability." ...
Michel Gelobter on Designing Our Way Out of Global Warming (Video)
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 02.23.09
Michel Gelobter is a climate strategist, founder of Cooler, and is a big name in activism for global climate solutions. He was also a speaker at Compostmodern on Saturday. Click through to hear what he has to say about the policymakers in Washington, and designing our way out of our climate mess. ...
Berlin Box Packs A Lot in Seventy Square Feet
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02.23.09
How much space do you really need? Norwegian architects Bredeland and Kristoffersen designed this 7 square meter (~70 square feet) cabin for an exhibition in Berlin a few years ago....
Greener Gadgets 2009 is This Week: Here's What TreeHugger Will be Covering
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 02.23.09
The Green Gadgets Conference brings together electronics industry leaders, entrepreneurs and designers to talk about key ideas, such as greener product design, recycling programs, and energy efficiency, as well as ways to bring these ideas to market. Last year we covered the event, and this year will be no different: Here's a run-down of the scheduled speakers (including Planet Green's G Word host Daniel Sieberg and our very own Ken Rother): ...
Joel Makower Says We Have Just 5,000 More Days (Video)
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 02.23.09
At Compostmodern, Joel Makower stressed the importance of designing differently by noting that we have just 5,000 days to completely change the way we operate in this world. Click through to watch the video. ...
A Farm for the Future: What Television Should Be Like?
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 02.23.09
BBC Explores One Farm's Plans for Peak Oil - Apparently...
I'm very proud of all that Planet Green is doing to raise environmental awareness, but I think it's fair to say that the television industry is not doing all it could to draw attention to the challenges we face. So while I wouldn't normally post about a program that I haven't seen, and that only our readers in the UK can access, but Friday night's "Farming for a Future" program on BBC2 seems to have gotten so many in the UK environmental community excited that it would be crazy not to give it a shout out. Made by natural film maker Rebecca Hosking, the show apparently follows her as she plans her family farm's future as her father approaches retirement. Exploring issues like soil depletion, peak oil, agroforestry and permaculture, if Rob Hopkins of Transition Culture is to be believed, A Farm for the Future seems to have opened many folks' eyes to the urgent need for change in our food systems:
...
Over 50 Years of Enzo Mari on Display
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02.23.09
These chairs get around. We first saw them last year at ICFF in New York; now they are on display in Cambridge, Ontario at the Design at Riverside Gallery as part of a retrospective of the more than fifty years of work by Italian designer Enzo Mari. ...
The Straight Poop On The Bio Toilet For Angkor Wat
by greenz.jp, Tokyo, Japan on 02.23.09
Photo: wikipedia, click here for large view
Groundwork Mishima, which has helped install bio toilets at Mount Rainier and Mount Fuji, is getting ready to provide another "eco" toilet for the amazing Angkor Wat temple complex in Cambodia.
Developed by Toyokogyo Co. in Osaka Prefecture, the toilets use bacteria that attaches itself to cedar chips which breaks down the waste into nitrogen and water. While needing a small amount of electricity, they are self-contained and don't need emptying, according to Mainichi. So, what does it look like?...
James Carl Makes the Temporary Permanent and Vice Versa
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02.23.09
We have shown entire galleries and slideshows where artists have started with garbage and turned it into art; James Carl does the opposite, and takes artists' traditional materials like marble and turns it into garbage, like this series of takeout containers.
...
Eames Demetrios Discusses Looking Beyond Sustainability (Video)
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 02.23.09
Compostmodern kicked off on Saturday. In case you missed our previous excitement about the event, Compostmodern is a conference bringing together the best minds in sustainable design to inspire those working in the industry to switch up how they create the products, packaging, architecture and activism that form our world.
Eames Demetrios started off the talks for the day, discussing scale and how we can change the way we look at the world...including "sustainability."...
Stuff: How Much Do You Really Need?
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 02.23.09
Photo: PBS From the book, Material World by Peter Menzel.
Lloyd’s recent review on The Power of Less, a book about uncluttering one’s life, reminded me of an opinion piece I’d seen, following the tragic aftermath of the recent Australian bushfires. To date 210 people are confirmed dead, and 7,000 are homeless, with at least 1,800 homes destroyed. And in light of such devastation, the article, written by a university student, discussed what it was that we really valued. For as one bushfire survivor put it, after barely escaping with her life, yet losing her house and all her possessions. "It's just stuff."
Having moved house recently and personally boxed up everything acquired throughout my life, I came face-to-face with my own mountain of ‘stuff.’ It was daunting. How much of this was really important to me? What did I really, truly need? From the gathered mass, I confronted with a question, which I now pose to the Treehugger readership:...
Ibex Join the Chorus Singing the Praises of Summer Wool
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 02.23.09
Photos: Ibex
Ibex has been dabbling in the modern wool clothing market for yonks. The past dozen years, in fact. They’ve long had a bunch of performance garments made from renewable and compostable merino and loden wool. Materials just perfect for warding off the chill of winter. But, now with the smell of a northern spring in the air, they reckon you should still be able to wear merino wool right through into summer. ...
Survey: Should the Yurt Stay or Go?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02.23.09
It is a lovely thing, a solar powered yurt that treads lightly on the Devon landscape. It is also in an area that the planners call "a heavily protected landscape, which comprises an area of outstanding natural beauty, where there are very strong policies against any form of development."
...
10 Ways to Recycle Your Pantyhose
by Bonnie Alter, London on 02.23.09
We all have a collection of old pantyhose that we can't bear to part with but will never wear again... what about the ones with the pattern that make your legs look like tree trunks, or the purple ones that were supposed to be so fashionable, or the fish nets that dig into your thighs...the list is endless and that doesn't include the ones with runs. Don't throw them out--you can recycle them in many different ways. After the fold: 10 ways to recycle your tights....
London Fashion Week launches with Ethical Catwalk Shows and a Sustainable Clothing Action Plan
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 02.23.09
Images via: www.guardian.co.uk
A great marker of how the UK fashion industry regards the ethical fashion movement is the seasonal reaction to the Estethica exhibition, which showcases ethical and eco labels. While Estethica is the centre of TreeHugger's sartorial world, for other fashion reporters and buyers it has been seen as an annex that is all too easily by passed. But we're delighted to see that this season ethical fashion is the centre of attention. London Fashion Week was launched on Friday with a film introduction to Estethica and a catwalk show from ethical label Noir. Click through for more images from their stunning collection......
Green Island: Re-Thinking Tokyo
by greenz.jp, Tokyo, Japan on 02.23.09
Images from Green Island
Tokyo was rapidly rebuilt in the 1950s and has few big parks. It is said that the city is a dream for architects, but a nightmare for city planners. Now, a group of young designers are re-thinking the concrete jungle, replacing the asphalt with green grass. Famous, iconic spots like Shibuya and Shinjuku get a new look in the Green Island project. And now they are looking for your help....
NASA Kepler Mission: The Question of How Alone We Really Are is About to be Answered
by Eric Leech, New York, NY on 02.22.09
Photo via: WoodleyWonderWorks
We talk a lot about Mother Earth here on Treehugger, but we don't often travel outside of our own planet to discuss a few of the other possible earth-type planets. It has been estimated that out of the billions of possible planets in the universe, there is at least several thousand containing some form of living organisms.
Out of those thousands, most of those will only contain the very base form of life, such as bacteria, etc. But a portion of those remaining planets may very well contain more evolved intelligent lifeforms according to most research, and the Kepler spacecraft is about to set off on a mission which may one day answer the question, are we really alone?...
Snake Charmers Protest For Their Right Of Tradition
by Eric Leech, New York, NY on 02.22.09
Photo via: Gregory
Upwards of 5,000 snake charmers with their snakes in hand, held a protest last Tuesday in Calcutta. Their purpose was to demand the right to once again have the legal opportunity to charm live cobras and other snakes for entertainment purposes. Such shows have been banned in India since 1991. According to the Snake Charmers Federation in India, there are still 800,000 professional charmers living and entertaining in India, many of them working in tourist sites and small villages illegally....
Arctic Sea Ice Underestimated Due to Faulty Sensor
by George Spyros, New York City, USA on 02.22.09
Surging over at DIGG right now, a story via Bloomberg with the hed Arctic Sea Ice Underestimated Due to Faulty Sensor. Put simply, there's more sea ice than we thought so: 1) green thinkers can breathe a sigh of relief that perhaps global warming feedback loops are not as bad as we thought, and 2) anthropogenic climate change deniers can raise a playground cry of "nah-nah-nanna," which loosely translates to "human-caused climate change is a ruse, punks."...
Stephen Fowler: Environmentalist Behaving Badly
by Josh Peterson, Los Angeles, California on 02.22.09
photo: Liz Link via Flickr
On the latest edition of TV's Wife Swap, English-born environmentalist and effete popinjay, Stephen Fowler traded spouses with the paintball-loving, ATV-riding, fast food-guzzling mayor of a rural Missouri town. Mr. Fowler's new wife was Gayla Long, a bucolic mother of four. This sounds like a collision course with wackiness, but it was not wackiness that was found at the end of that collision course. It was cruelty.
Mr. Fowler, a green entrepreneur and biofuel developer, spent two weeks berating Mrs. Long. He called her "overweight," "simple," and "a dumb redneck." After a week of forcing Mrs. Long to abide by his rules, he threw a hissy fit when asked to abide by hers. He even forbade his children from speaking to her.
Mr. Fowler applauded sarcastically after seeing Mrs. Long read. "You read that so well," he said. "Congratulations. I didn't know you could read."
To make matters worse, Mr. Fowler said and did these vindictive things while wearing shirts that said, GO SOLAR, SUSTAINABILITY, and TREEHUGGER....
On Call Street Lights: Light By Phone Saves Energy and City Budgets
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 02.22.09
Image: Dial4Light
A trend is spreading through small towns across Germany. Tight budgets have forced hard decisions, including turning the lights out at night. No one is on the streets at night anyway, so why pay for the electricity to run the street lights? But residents have revolted. They fear an uptick in crime, or simply for their safety while stumbling through the dark streets to walk the dog or return from a late night out. Proving necessity is the mother of invention, a handful of clever solutions are being implemented; some with interesting consequences.
...
New York Fashion Week: IFAW's Tails For Whales Launch (Video)
by Emma Grady, New York, NY on 02.22.09
Eco-Artist Catherine Pears Puts a Green Twist on her Mardi Gras Float
by Sara Novak, Columbia, SC on 02.22.09
photo: TownTalk
Artist Catherine Pears certainly sees the benefit of recycling, but to her, the most obvious way to be green is to reduce and reuse. She reuses everything and when she was commissioned to build a float for this year's Mardi Gras, she carried those practices over into designing the float. See how she turned what some would consider trash into a stunning Mardi Gras float.
...
Wind vs. Nuclear Energy: Wind Power Deemed Far More Dangerous
by Eric Leech, New York, NY on 02.22.09
Photo via: The Russians are Here
How much more dangerous? Well according to one author from The New American, while we have been urged to believe that renewable energy in the form of wind and solar could likely become a portion of the saving grace to the worlds energy crisis. In reality, if we knew the information I am about to share with you, “they'd be laughed out of town.”...
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