- 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 March 8, 2009 - March 14, 2009
Total this week: 185
Send Online Invitations Through Pingg
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 03.14.09
Photo credit: Pingg
Here's a new way to send those paper-free electronic invites to your latest eco-friendly bash, shindig, or hootenanny: Pingg, a free Web 2.0-fortified service that lets you disseminate your party deets via e-mail or SMS/text, as well as through various social networks such as Twitter and Facebook.
And if you prefer old-fashioned, tree-slashing communiques, Pingg will print, stamp, and mail physical postcards for $1.25 plus postage. (No word on whether Pingg uses recycled paper, however.)...
Brazilian City Makes Food A Basic Right And Ends Hunger
by Jeff Nield, Vancouver, British Columbia on 03.14.09
Restaurant Popular (People's Restaurant) by Bruno Spada/MDS
Back in 1993, the newly elected city government of Belo Horizonte, Brazil declared that food was a right of citizenship. At that time, the city of 2.5 million had 275,000 people living in absolute poverty, and close to 20 percent of its children were going hungry. Since the declaration the city has all but wiped out hunger and only spends 2% of the city budget to do so.
So how did they make it happen?
...
"Filthy Fifteen" Fly-Ash Producing US States Named By Natural Resources Defense Council
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 03.14.09
Natural Resources Defense Council has done some sleuthing to help USEPA get a fast start on regulating coal-plant generated fly ash, especially the fly ash "stored" in open impoundments. The NRDC website has a clear explanation of need: looking beyond existing fly ash sources.
"More than 80 new coal-fired power plants have been proposed around the country. If built, the plants would produce 18 million tons of coal waste per year, contaminated by over 18 thousand tons of toxic metals. Over the course of their operating lives, these new power plants would produce approximately a billion tons of coal waste containing a million tons of toxic metals."
The linked NRDC page is seriously worth reading, top to bottom. See below for a list of just the filthies.
...
Scientist's Hunger Strike Halts Work on Himalayan Dam
by Kimberley D. Mok, Montreal, Canada on 03.14.09
Pi Pie Trivet To Celebrate Pi Day
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.14.09
We love cork (Collin says Cork does it all), and we love pie, and any silly reason to eat it, like Pi Day. So how could we not love the trivet they made over at Evil Mad Scientists, where they laser-engraved the first thousand digits of Pi into industrial gasket cork.
...
Eco-Patriotism And Stimulating Your Local Economy
by Earthwatch Institute on 03.14.09
Siena Farms sells organic produce at Copley Market in Boston. Image credit: Catharine Zink.
Every single American has the power to stimulate their local economies: not by spending more, but by supporting local businesses. In economic theory, more local spending translates into less "leakage". This means a greater percent of the money spent actually stays and circulates within the region, supporting more employment, investment, goods and services. Local spending leads to economic multipliers that strengthen the regional economy.
Smart local investments also involve long-term benefits, many of them non-monetary. ...
Re:Vision Dallas Seeks Input from Design Visionaries
by Jesse Fox, Tel Aviv, Israel on 03.14.09
Image courtesy of Urban Re:Vision.
We at TreeHugger have been following Urban Re:Vision's innovative design competitions for a while now. First, they set out to rethink the basics: energy, community, transport. Now they're out to put the ideas they've collected into action.
Re:Vision Dallas, their latest competition, which challenges visionaries to design a radically sustainable city block, is open for entries. The site is a drab parking lot in Dallas, Texas, just a few steps from City Hall. The reward: $25,000 for the top three entries. But hurry up, the competition closes May 8....
These Creatures: Stainless Steel Pet Feeders Made in the USA
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 03.14.09
Photo credit: These Creatures
When it comes to my four-legged snookums, I prefer to use ceramic or stainless steel for plating his nosh, not just because they're a great deal more durable than their petroleum-based brethren, but also because scratches in plastic can harbor bacteria.
Unless you're moved by a sudden urge to get smash-happy with a sledge hammer, these pet bowls from These Creatures are bound to last a lifetime. Crafted from 12-gauge, powder-coated steel, the hanging feeders come with removable stainless-steel bowls and mount securely to the wall for an elevated—and more ergonomic—dining experience for your cat or pup....
Where Nomads Trekked, Cyclists Will Roam
by Jennifer Hattam, Istanbul, Turkey on 03.14.09
New bike paths may lure tourists off of Antalya's beaches and into its mountains. Photo by Alexander Naumov via Panoramio
Every summer, thousands of visitors descend upon Antalya, one of Turkey's popular Mediterranean resort cities, to bask in the sun and swim in the sea. But these days, some local groups are trying to attract a different type of tourist -- one more interested in cycling historic mountain paths than sipping cocktails under a beach umbrella....
Federal Judge Rules Against California Almond Growers
by Sara Novak, Columbia, SC on 03.14.09
photo: Local Forage
In a nation where chemically modified and partially hydrogenated foods are all the rage, it's getting more and more difficult to find foods in their natural state. Well, at least almonds, according to a recent federal district court ruling against a group of California almond growers....
Ultimate Boarder Takes Sports and Green to the Extreme
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 03.14.09
230 Tonnes of Oil & 620 Tonnes of Fertilizer Spill From Damaged Ship in Australia
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 03.14.09
Moreton Island was particular badly hit (although obviously not in this photo...). Photo: [mapu] via flickr
Though no oil spill can be considered a good thing, what was initially reported as a 20-30 tonne spill is now ten times worse. The BBC is reporting that 230 tonnes of oil (about 70,000 gallons) have spilled from a Hong Kong-registered ship, damaged in a tropical storm earlier in the week, and is washing up along a 60km stretch of shoreline. Authorities are warning that this is threatening wildlife and carcinogenic:...
Focus on Green Economic Development in Developing Countries, Not Just Emission Reductions: Chair of IPCC
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 03.13.09
photo: Lizette Kabré/Copenhagen Climate Congress
Dr Rajendra Pachauri (chairman of the IPCC, director-general of the The Energy and Resources Institute, and now head of the newly formed Yale Climate and Energy Institute) was one of the speakers who kicked off the Copenhagen Climate Congress's opening session. One of the most interesting things to come out of his presentation was the notion that rich nations' efforts to push rapidly growing nations to cut their carbon emissions would be more effective if the focus was also on more rapid technology transfer and green economic development.
After his speech, I had a chance to sit down with Dr Pachauri and ask him about this in greater detail:...
28 Senators Protest Obama's Cap and Trade
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 03.13.09
Photo via NY Times
Obama's much publicized, deficit-inducing budget has been pretty good for green--and very controversial among detractors. One headline-grabbing component of the budget is the fact that it has a built-in assumption that a cap and trade system will generate $645 billion in "climate revenue" for the US government. Now, Obama is angling to have his cap and trade installed during the budget reconciliation process—instead of introducing it as a bill to Congress—and it's led a bipartisan group of 28 US Senators to stage a formal protest. And unfortunately, they might have a point. ...
Sun-Powered Self-Healing Plastic - The End of Scratched Gadgets?
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 03.13.09
Image via Ars Technica, Credit: Marek Urban/Science
Two clever scientists from the University of Southern Mississippi have developed a plastic that can utilize UV rays to heal scratches. Think of the way skin mends itself when cut, except imagine that being the surface of your cell phone or iPod....
World's First Mechanical Cell Phone Modeled After Watches
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 03.13.09
Photo via Gizmag
File this in the "why didn't they think of that sooner?" category. Pair up watchmakers and an innovations company and find out that a mechanical mobile phone that uses kinetic energy to run is not such a far off thing. ...
Vegetarian Diet Could Cut Climate Change Mitigation Costs by 70%, If Enough Of Us Make the Switch
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 03.13.09
You don't have to like masala dosa (though I admit a profound fondness...) to be vegetarian. Ultimately just not including meat in you diet has large climate change mitigation benefits. Photo: Paul Joseph via flickr
It's no secret by now that I'm always recommending that giving up meat eating entirely (or at the minimum, becoming a weekday vegetarian) is one of the strongest personal steps that can be taken towards reducing you personal carbon footprint, as well as your ecological footprint more broadly. At the Copenhagen Climate Congress, Elke Stehfest of the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency presented additional evidence that a vegetarian diet, or one at least that radically reduces meat consumption, can have massive climate change mitigation benefits:...
IBM Wades Into Water Management
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 03.13.09
Well, just as Google didn't want to get left behind when it comes to the smart grid, IBM doesn't want to get left behind when it comes to water management. We knew the company is paying attention to water issues, considering a representative was on the water crisis panel at the Cleantech conference, but now they're announcing some big news that shows they're diving right in. Read on to find out what technologies IBM is unveiling to help with water woes. ...
CSI Wildlife, Episode 3: Tiger Stripes Used to ID Poached Pelts
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03.13.09
Photo: Flickr, CC
In This Episode of Crime Scene Investigation: Wildlife...
In the first episode of CSI Wildlife, we saw how DNA forensics could be used to prevent elephant poaching. In the second one, we saw how DNA forensics could be used to track whale meat and shark fins from animals that were killed illegally (mostly in Asia). In this episode, we leave DNA analysis in favor of computer-assisted pattern-matching that can be used to identify poached tiger pelts. Read on for more details....
Carbonscape: Microwaved Biochar for Massive Carbon Sequestration
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 03.13.09
Image credit: Carbonscape
Carbonscape - Developing Industrial-scale Carbon Capture
Biochar, or the concept of turning woody materials into charcoal that is buried, or tilled into soil, is a hot topic. Tim has explored the benefits of biochar for carbon sequestration and soil fertility before, April has talked about biochar trials in Belize and there are the beginnings of an interesting conversation about biochar on the TreeHugger forums. Now a company with offices in the UK and New Zealand is hoping to take these ideas and apply them on a massive scale - utilizing giant microwaves to turn wood into charcoal and bury it in the ground.
...
Global Warming Speeding Up Erosion in Alaska
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03.13.09
Photo: Flickr, CC
The Coast Used To Be There, Now It's Here, and Next Year It'll Be Over There...
So Arctic ice is slowly disappearing and glaciers are melting down. Not exactly good news for Alaska... But you can add severe erosion to that list of climate woes. Researchers from the US Geological Survey say that erosion rates have doubled along a stretch of the northern Alaska coast in the last 50 years, and that the past few years have shown an increased speed-up in that rate....
Is That Juicy Peach Poisonous? EWG Dishes Out Their Updated Dirty Dozen List
by Naturally Savvy on 03.13.09
Photo by Ellie Van Houtte/Flickr.com
The Dirty Dozen is back. No, we're not talking about the movie—it's the recently released, fifth edition of The Environmental Working Group's (EWG) list of the Microsoft Aims At 30% Emissions Reduction by 2012
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 03.13.09
Photo via Robert Scoble
Microsoft is doing a lot to focus on emissions reductions. We talked last month about their push for energy efficiency of data centers, but the company is looking to do a whole lot more to make a tinier carbon footprint. ...
George Clooney's Edible Sweat, Nicole Richie's An Eco-mom, and More
by Terri MacLeod on 03.13.09
Photo Courtesy: Time Magazine
We all know George Clooney is a hot commodity. But, PETA's taken his star power to a new dimension. The animal rights group received George's sweaty gym towel to auction off for charity. But, the brainiacs over at PETA hoped to use his sweat to create Clooney tofu that will "spare animals from being killed for the table." Yup, you read it right - "Clooney-flavored Tofu". Apparently, the techonology exists to take sweat and turn it into bean curd. Or, as PETA tagged it CloFu. "We believe CloFu would be delicious on its own or served over rice with a light soy sauce and sauteed collards," advises PETA. Clooney's response: "As a mammal, I'm offended." ...
Lottery Tower is Built From 55 Shipping Containers
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.13.09
All images Lars Behrendt
Architect's models used to be as accurate as possible; now that there is computer modelling, they seem to be becoming more expressive and a lot more fun. Lars Behrendt has designed this tower out of 55 shipping containers, evidently for the purpose of choosing the winning numbers of a lottery....
New Car Registrations in Europe: -18.3% in February 2009
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03.13.09
Image: ACEA
Europeans Buying Fewer Cars
The European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) released numbers for new passenger car registrations in February 2009, and it's pretty clear what the trend is. In the past 12 months only 2 saw an increase compared to the year before, and half of them show drops of more than 10%. As for February 2009, it's 18.3% lower than February 2008, from about 1.2 million vehicles to about 0.97 million....
41% of Americans Think the Media Exaggerate Climate Change Seriousness, Too Bad That Perception is Wrong
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 03.13.09
image: Gallup
I'm not sure if it's a bit of brilliant coincidence or planned public relations, but just as the Copenhagen Climate Congress wraps up, the Gallup Poll releases its latest survey of public perception of global climate change in the United States. From the brief look I've had at, the most striking thing is how far out of step the US public is with the messages that were presented by scientists over the past few days:...
Will China Put the "Eco-" Back Into "Economy"?
by Alex Pasternack, New York, NY on 03.13.09
Reuters
In slowdown and stimulus, easier breathing?
In this economic downturn, few green linings could be as exciting as a cleaner China.
It was the recession that Chinese leaders partially credited for helping the country reach its Five Year Plan pollution goals for the first time in 2008. Meanwhile, energy consumption has been on the decline (though it rose for the first time in three months in February), along with the demand for Chinese goods.
But to put people back to work and maintain its golden number of 8 percent growth, China will pour $586 billion into the economy. In the process, it may also pour a lot of concrete, a lot of coal into its engines, and a lot of smoke back into the air....
Jon Stewart Vs Jim Cramer – Ditch CNBC for a More Sustainable Economy (VIDEO)
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 03.13.09
Photo via NY Times
The uber publicized, so-called grudge match between Jon Stewart and Jim Cramer came to a head last night when the Host of CNBC's Mad Money went on the Daily Show to defend himself from Stewart's charges that he (and his network) irresponsibly encouraged his audience to make bad investments in failing banks like Bear Stearns. In the dramatic confrontation, Stewart argues that financial news networks like CNBC helped to inflate the bubble with frenzied calls to buy more stocks, rather than doing real reporting, which would lead to better regulation of the market. If the networks heeded Stewart's call, would it lead to a more sustainable economy? Jim Cramer doesn't think so. Watch the interview after the jump....
With or Without Carbon Capture, Coal-to-Liquids Are Climate Change Disaster
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 03.13.09
Want to reduce pollution and fight climate change? Coal-to-liquid fuel won't do it. Photo: Addictive Picasso via flickr
In addition to all of the oral presentations and the Copenhagen Climate Congress over the past couple of days, there were dozens of poster presentations. These are just what they sound like, a large poster summarizing a piece of research. One which caught my eye, in light of all the recent talk about clean coal and carbon capture and storage was from Daniel Vallentin of the Wuppertal Institute's Future Energy and Mobility Structures research group.
Vallentin looked at whether CCS could ever make coal-to-liquids fuels compatible with the goal of reducing carbon emissions. The short answer is not hardly. Here are the details of why:...
ETech 2009 Wrap-Up: Emerging Tech IS Green Tech
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 03.13.09
The fact is, a conference on emerging technology didn't have to talk about green at all. There's a whole lot of cool techy stuff coming out that doesn't have much to do with being green. But the theme of green permeated the conference, which means sustainability is part of everything important happening in the technology world. And that's a great thing. Let's take a look back at some of the big green highlights of ETech 2009. ...
In Hard Times It's Time For Renovation and Preservation
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.13.09
It's tough getting something built these days
Times are tough for architects. But there is a little ray of sunshine that gets a bit brighter in every recession: renovation and preservation. It may be a bit like Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard, who said " I am big, it's the pictures that got small." But in fact architecture is getting small. And if we are going to survive this recession and reduce the carbon footprints of our buildings, we are all going to have to get small and fix what we have. This could be a good thing for the profession and the environment. And as Sam Lubell says in his editorial in the Architects Newspaper,
Maybe it’s not as sexy as a shiny new building, but these are not shiny times....
ETech 2009: WattzOn's Embodied Energy Database
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 03.13.09
WattzOn's Raffi Krikorian held a talk at ETech about the user-populated database for energy consumption, and showed off a great feature - the Embodied Energy Database, which helps users know just how much power is held within commonly consumed objects....
New York's Yankee Stadium To Be "Germ Free" For Years After Chemical Spraying
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 03.13.09
Transformer Clothing: C.P. Company's Coat Turns into Armchair
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.13.09
Justin Gargasz needs one of these to wear along with his Vessel Jacket: A raincoat that turns into an armchair. The writer at Found_NYC has the one shown above, from 2002. It was produced by Italian clothier C.P. Company and designed by by Moreno Ferrari....
Why Is So Much Green Architecture So Ugly?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.13.09
Child Development Centre, Calgary, Kasian Architects. Ugly?
There is an interesting debate going on in the journals about the quality of green buildings. Kriston Capps writes in American Prospect:
The field of architecture is experiencing a design crisis, with clients ranging from private owners to cities demanding that architects prioritize sustainability above all else — as if design itself were an obnoxious carbon-emitter....
B-Cycle Bike Sharing Has Plans for Denver...and A U.S. City Near You?
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 03.13.09
B-Cycle's web site, with its video of shiny red-white-and-blue bikes with cute GPS systems and its solar-powered stations, is nearly too slick and pretty. This bike sharing program is the business brainchild of Trek, health insurance conglomerate Humana and Crispin Porter Bogusky, and the advertising touch really shows. Today, Alex Bogusky will talk about his vision of bike sharing at the SXSW music and culture conference in Austin. Hopefully, B-Cycle's plans will live up to its big-budget introduction. BCycle is reported to go first to Denver this summer, and from there, well, it might be up to you. Click forward to continue reading about BCycle and its plans....
Cars Are Taking Over the World, Inch By Inch
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.13.09
The appropriation of public space for private use is a problem almost everywhere. In commercial districts you can almost not walk down the sidewalk, and in residential areas fences creep into the road allowances, particularly at corner lots. But I have never seen anything like this- In Sao Paulo, people bending their fences to hang out into the sidewalk to enclose the rears of their cars. We really do let these things take up too much of our planet. From apocalipse motorizado. via Victor at Quintal...
Pi Day Survey: Is Pieing Politicians Acceptable?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.13.09
In honour of π day tomorrow on 3.14, we wonder if throwing green custard pies in the face of government ministers is a good protest technique. (that is the British Business Secretary being hit last week) The answer wasn't clear last year when Tom Friedman got pied, but he isn't a politician. Over on Planet Green, Jess didn't think it was a very good idea. We quote a pie-er and a pie-ee from Wikipedia:
...
Rooftop Gardens Will Save the Bugs
by Bonnie Alter, London on 03.13.09
Image from Buglife
Rooftop gardens are being proposed for the top of some of London's biggest buildings. By installing them on the rooftops of places like universities and town halls, it is hoped that endangered species of birds and bugs will be saved.
The Living Roofs for Wildlife project will create seven "living roofs" which will recreate the natural habitats of some of the species and include wildflower meadows, sandy areas and beach.
...
Celebrities Who Downsize and Embrace Minimalism
by Roberta Cruger, Los Angeles on 03.13.09
Future coasters or landfill? Photo via Flickr: They Speak a Different Language
“CDs create clutter," says Foo Fighters’ bassist Nate Mendel, who buys music digitally. "And I abhor clutter.” The Police drummer Stewart Copeland says he's happy with just one house and one vehicle. Mitt Romney is dumping half of his homes. Jamie Lee Curtis owns one pair of jeans. Describing how those with plenty to spare, choose a more spare lifestyle, Erin Doland, editor of Unclutterer, highlights ways that living with less offers more.
...
Worst-Case IPCC Climate Change Trajectories Are Being Realized: Copenhagen Climate Congress Concludes
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 03.12.09
photo: International Rice Research Institute via flickr
Though a comprehensive compilation of the research presented at the Copenhagen Climate Congress will be completed by June, and the results published in an academic book, as well in a 30-page executive summary to be presented to politicians heading into the COP15 talks at the end of the year, at the closing session of the Congress six key messages were presented. In attendance was Mr Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the Prime Minister of Denmark, who was given a printed copy of the following conclusions:...
Event: Chainsaw Charity Sponsors Bike Ride for Trees
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 03.12.09
Carcinogens Found in Baby Bath Products
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 03.12.09
Photo credit: Getty Images
Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble: Babies across America are sitting waist deep in an odious brew of cancer-causing chemicals and other toxins that could be detrimental to their health, according to a new report by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics about children's bath and personal-care products.
And don't look to truth in advertising to help you keep harmful ingredients out of your tub anytime soon—the national coalition of nonprofit health and environmental organizations further notes that many of the tainted products are advertised as "gentle," "pure," or "naturally refreshing."
...
Renewable Energy Development to be a "Top Priority" for Department of Interior
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 03.12.09
29 million acres of land in the Southwest under Department of Interior management have been identified as having good solar power potential. Photo: Rick Cooper via flickr
While I'm not so sure his head's in the right place when it comes to oil shale, Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar certainly has been supportive of renewable energy. The latest announcement on the matter confirms that viewpoint: Yesterday Salazar issued a Secretarial Order to make production, development and delivery of renewable energy a "top priority" for his department:...
Lithium-Ion Breakthrough! A Battery that Charges as Fast as a Supercapacitor
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03.12.09
Lithium-Iron-Phosphate particule.
Is this the "Holy Grail" Battery We've Been Waiting For?
Nature published a very interesting paper by MIT researchers Byoungwoo Kang & Gerbrand Ceder this week: Battery materials for ultrafast charging and discharging. In it they claim that they have discovered a way to make a lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) battery charge and discharge about as fast as a supercapacitor. In practice, this could make plug-in hybrids and electric cars much more practical (charging time would mostly be limited by the availability of fast-charging stations with fat "electrical pipes", and regenerative braking would be more effective), as well as some smart grid tricks to better use intermittent renewables. Read on for more details....
Krylon's H20 Latex Spray Paint Is Better, But Not Best
by Naturally Savvy on 03.12.09
Images courtesy of Krylon
When it comes to DIY projects, spray paint is super convenient. It covers just about anything, it won't chip off and it protects objects from the elements. It's also a quick and easy way to get a perfectly smooth finish on textured objects. Sadly though, spray paint is full of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and other toxins that are equally bad for the planet and human health.
So Naturally Savvy was happy to discover Krylon's H2O Latex Spray Paint, a 100 percent acrylic latex formula that eliminates some of those harmful chemicals. But it isn't exactly perfect. Here's why: ...
Swimming with a Lion in South Africa
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03.12.09
Photo: Telegraph/BARCROFT
After Bears add Tigers...
Okay. I just couldn't pass this one up. I wrote about a guy swimming with a 375 lbs black bear (he actually saved it from drowning), about a white tiger swimming, and about girls swimming with tigers. Seems like a theme is developing, and this is a nice addition. Read on for details....
40% of World's Electricity Will Come From Wind and Solar Power by 2050, With Proper Support
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 03.12.09
photo: Chuck Coker via flickr
TreeHugger has covered all sorts of plans to transform the US's energy mix towards far greater amounts of renewable energy over the coming years, Al Gore's generational challenge to repower America being perhaps the most prominent. Under than plan (really more a visionary proposal) the US would generate 100% of its electricity from renewable sources within the next 10 years. A more sober projection was made at the Copenhagen Climate Congress by Professor Peter Lund of the Helsinki University of Technology:...
Amount of Space Required to Transport People by Car, Bus, or Bicycle
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03.12.09
Image: Press-Office City of Müenster, Germany
And That's Just Space...
They say an image is worth a thousand words. In this case, it really is. You can write about urban planning and air pollution and traffic congestion, but the three photos above show you at a glance the difference between these three means of transportation. And space isn't everything: Cars also cost more money, pollute more, increase risks of obesity and all kinds of diseases, etc....
Want to Tour a Renewable Energy Site in Denmark? Interactive Energy Map Shows Where You Can Go
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 03.12.09
In amidst all the academic presentations and statements by high-profile politicians and climate change campaigners, there were a couple of booths set up displaying some interesting products. If you're like me and enjoy playing around with interactive maps and interested in energy issues, then EnergyMap should be right up your alley. While concentrating on Danish companies, it details projects in continental Europe (mostly Denmark), the UK, Turkey and China:
...
Peter Diamandis on the Race to 100 Miles per Gallon (Part Two)
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 03.12.09
“Radical breakthroughs for the benefit of humanity,” that’s the X Prize Foundation’s stock in trade. In the second part of our conversation with Peter Diamandis, the Foundation’s founder and CEO, we hear about other avenues for creating big changes in the realms of clean energy, space travel, and the importance of crazy ideas. Read or listen to the first part of our conversation here. Listen to the podcast of this interview via iTunes, or just click here to listen, right-click to download. Music comes from Chris Volpe See our X-Prize cars slideshow!
Full text after the jump....
Bluecar Electric Car by Pininfarina and Bolloré (Slideshow)
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03.12.09
Click on image above to see photos of the Pininfarina/Bolloré Bluecar.
Photos of the Bluecar EV
Last week, we wrote about the very promising Pininfarina/Bolloré B0 (B Zero) electric car, which is now known as the Bluecar. Many of you wanted to see more photos, so here they are. A whole slideshow about the Bluecar, interior, exterior, battery pack and supercapacitor. Everything we could find! Check it out.
...
Here's Why Strong Carbon Emission Reductions Could Bring Great Economic Gains
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 03.12.09
photo: MiNe via flickr
While we sometimes hear that it's going to cost us all to combat climate change by making stringent emission reductions, according to research presented at the Climate Change: Global Risks, Challenges and Decisions, climate change presents a real opportunity for nations to reap economic benefits.
Terry Barker of the Cambridge Centre for Climate Change Mitigation Research:...
The Pluses and Minuses of Vinyl
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.12.09
The low cost of vinyl windows helped make McMansions possible
In March, 2005 John Laumer wrote a defense of vinyl windows: Look Out Any Window; in March , 2006 I suggested that he was wrong in A Year Ago in TreeHugger: A Defence of Vinyl. In March, 2007 I ate some of my words in Vinyl Windows: John was Right and I was Wrong. I Think. after the US Green Building Council concluded that they really were not that much worse than any other kind of windows. In the two years since, I have concluded that they are evil, not only because of their manufacture and the disposal issues but because they are butt ugly and ruin buildings.
But this time I leave the issue in the capable hands of one of the best design writers around, Alice Rawsthorn of the International Herald Tribune, who turns her eye toward vinyl windows and finds them lacking.
...
U.S. Farmers Planting Less GMO Soy
by Jeff Nield, Vancouver, British Columbia on 03.12.09
Illinois Soybean Association
Soy is one of the big three genetically engineered crops along with corn and canola. Since its introduction to farmers in 1992 90% of the soy grown in the United States has been bought from Monsanto and comes Roundup Ready. Up until now it seemed like Monsanto had a lock on the U.S. soy industry, but this year there is a small whiff of change. After a decade of astronomical growth this could be the first year that farmers start turning away from the GE giant's seeds. ...
Earmarks We Can Believe In: Making Companies Better Report Their Toxic Releases
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 03.12.09
Photo via the Huffington Post
Obama signed another massive spending bill yesterday; a $419 billion Federal Omnibus bill. But this time, it wasn't the spending that had everyone riled up. This time, it was the earmarks. Yes, the pundits, political opposition, and of course, John McCain, all seized on the fact that Obama was signing a bill that included over 8,000 "pork barrel projects." And while it's true that earmark reform was a part of Obama's campaign platform, this bill actually offers an example of how good pork can be: it passed an important rule that makes companies report more of the toxic chemicals they release into the environment....
Econscious Offers 30% Off New Online Retail Store
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 03.12.09
With spring right around the corner we know it’s time to clean out the closets, donate old garb, and update with more basic yet sustainable pieces that can be worn every day. For great wardrobe additions, look no further than econscious and their new online retail store. It’s a great place to find eco-fashion tees, polo shirts, hoodies, beanies, hats, totes, aprons and reusable grocery bags in a variety of colors -- all while trying to do your part to protect the planet. With the launch of their new online store, econscious is now serving a growing demand for organic and sustainable apparel and accessories for men, women, and youth that are not only fashionable and comfortable, but are certified as well....
In the Ashes of Rem Koolhaas's TVCC, a Chance for Revision?
by Alex Pasternack, New York, NY on 03.12.09
Getty
When we watched in awe as TVCC, a Rem Koolhaas-designed hotel, went up in flames a month ago -- apparently the work of an errant firework -- Beijingers weren't just watching one of the most spectacular building infernos in recent history, a disaster that cost a firefighter's life, millions of dollars in damages, and perhaps sky-high pollution levels. It was also easy to see it as a vivid omen -- as auspicious a symbol of China's coming year as the Olympic flame was of its triumphant ascendence to the world stage last year.
But to pick up a theme that's becoming popular these days, what if this pyre of economic and architectural ambition were actually fertile ground for rethinking how cities grow, in China and elsewhere?...
Second Sighting Of Hybrid Coal, Gas, Wind, Solar-Thermal Power Beast
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 03.12.09
Image credit:Libra Rising, Centaur, Art and Myth: a pictorial
The last sighting of this beast was during US Congressional testimony, during 2008:- Mythical Hybrid Beast To Battle Climate Change. Recent news indicates a growing interest in co-locating wind turbines and large scale solar thermal plants with fossil-fueled electricity generators. See below for an excerpt from the US Department of Energy announcement about the places hybrid plant projects are being investigated, or actively pursued....
SXSW Steers the Music Biz onto the Green Track
by Roberta Cruger, Los Angeles on 03.12.09
The ultimate music confab tries to green the biz with model panelists.
Footage from Bruno, the follow-up to Sasha Baron Cohen’s Borat, will kick off the SXSW Music and Media Conference and Festival in Austin, Texas this Friday. Cohen's faux Austrian television pop culture hipster might set a wackier tone to the extravaganza. The 9-day trade show and party, focused on the edge of the Film, Interactive and Music scenes, features a feast of world music, showcasing 1,800 acts from 42 countries on 80 stages for the 100,000 attending the event. The event organizers practice sustainability and now offers green tips for the faithful. ...
Carry Your House on Your Back With Vessel by Justin Gargasz
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.12.09
This truly is the greatest thing since Michael Webb of Archigram's Suitaloon, (shown below the fold)- Industrial and fashion designer Justin Gargasz has developed a jacket that unfolds into a tent. Talk about carrying your house on your back!...
ETech 2009: Plantr Uses Recycled Cell Phones to Get Urbanites Gardening
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 03.12.09
What on earth do we do with all these cell phones headed to landfills besides sending them to recyclers? What if there's a way to recycle them without the effort of taking them apart and reprocessing the materials? Plantr is a project looking to explore that very idea, and has already come up with a way to revolutionize urban gardening. And you can help!...
Environmental Film Festival Underway in DC
by Eliza Barclay, Washington, D.C. on 03.12.09
Photo credit: Jonathan Bird Productions
The 17th annual Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital kicked off yesterday and will continue through March 22 with 136 eco-themed documentary, feature, animated, archival, experimental and children’s films. This year's festival has several films on oceans and sea life and a special Ocean Film Series, including the world premiere of The State of the Planet's Oceans, hosted and narrated by Matt Damon. Among other special guests, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author Hedrick Smith will speak March 15 about water pollution and show clips from his upcoming film, Poisoned Waters, airing April on PBS Frontline, comparing the Chesapeake Bay to Puget Sound....
Omnibus Land Bill Fails in House: 2 Million Acres of Wilderness Left Unprotected
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 03.12.09
Photo via Buster Wants to Fish
A bill designed to protect 2 million acres of American wilderness--which would be the greatest expansion of the Wilderness Preservation Act in 15 years--passed the Senate last January with relatively little trouble. The bill was on a fast track to sail through the House for easy passage when it was introduced there yesterday. Instead, it came up a scant two votes short, and thus left 2 million acres of pristine wilderness unprotected—for the time being....
Public Health Challenges Growing, World Wide
by Lester Brown, Washington, D.C on 03.12.09
Blood engorged mosquito. Image credit:Healthline
Health challenges are becoming more numerous as new infectious diseases such as SARS, West Nile virus, and avian flu emerge. In addition, the accumulation of chemical pollutants in the environment is starting to take a toll. While infectious diseases are fairly well understood, the health effects of many environmental pollutants are not yet known.
Malaria has an economic impact.
As I note in a recent report, among the leading infectious diseases, malaria claims more than 1 million lives each year, 89 percent of them in Africa. The number of people who suffer from it most of their lives is many times greater. Economist Jeffrey Sachs estimates that reduced worker productivity and other costs associated with malaria are cutting economic growth by a full percentage point in heavily affected countries....
Need Some More Room? Add A Hammokum
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.12.09
G10 Design have come up with the Hammokum, an interesting idea for a sort of hammock balcony that clips on to the facade of your apartment. The designers start with a very TreeHugger principle: "Remember: the least you have the freer you are!"...
Lepidoptera Chair is Made From Car Upholstery Remnants
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.12.09
Australian designer Simone LeAmon a fascination with "machismo of moto culture." She makes the Lepidoptera chair from textile remnants from Autofab, an Australian automotive textile manufacturer....
Yesterday's News Is Tomorrow's Fashion
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 03.12.09
Image via: Green Veranda
The folks at Green Veranda, working directly with 32 ladies in a brazilian design coop, have found a way to turn all of those leftover, unrecycled newspapers into accessories and home decor. From clutches, to eco-square totes and full-moon handbags, the ladies have found a great way to give a new life to some of the millions of newspapers printed daily. That's not all that the ladies at Green Veranda can make out of newspapers. ...
5 Surprising Fashion Brands Going Organic
by Blythe Copeland, Great Neck, New York on 03.12.09
Organic cotton t-shirt from H&M, photo via Nitrolicious
Most of us, when looking for organic, eco-friendly clothes, know enough to skip the mall; sustainable materials and mass-produced clothes with commercial appeal hardly ever overlap. But we guarantee you'll know these five companies, who have enough recognition and reputation to do whatever they want and yet are choosing to incorporate organic materials and sustainable practices into their most popular items. Who knows? You may even have one (or all) of these stores at your local mall....
Built on Stilts: House in Never Never Land
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.12.09
There are a lot of good reasons to build on stilts without a basement; it disturbs the ground less, reduces flood risk, can be a lot cooler, or can preserve tree roots. The latter appears to be the main reason that Andrés Jaque Architectos did it for this house in Ibiza (which they call Never Never Land)- the trees grow right through it. ...
350.org Attends PowerShift 09, DeSmog Reports on Heartland Conference, Eco-Chick Featured in Glamour, and More
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 03.12.09
350.org: International Power Shifting (VIDEO) by Will
"Many of us are still catching up from the energy and excitement from the massive 12,000+ person PowerShift in Washington D.C. last weekend. One element of the conference that we hadn't yet highlighted was the remarkable international youth participation both in D.C."...
ETech 2009: Amazing Adobe Tools for Sustainable Design
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 03.12.09
Adobe's CTO Kevin Lynch presented some great tools the company is working on to help designers be a whole lot more sustainable while creating products, as well as some other great tools for sustainability - including one 3D tool that is pretty incredible. Click through to watch the video. ...
Benny Hill to Adorn Local Currency
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 03.12.09
Image credit: Louise English Fan Center
Local Currency Celebrates Pop Culture Icons
In these turbulent economic times, the idea of a local currency we can exchange with our neighbors and is somewhat insulated from the chaotic global markets starts to have an undeniable appeal. Matthew has written about legal local currency before, and the Totnes Pound has even become a collectors item on Ebay. But what if such currency could not only rejuvinate the local economy, but celebrate local culture too? In the UK, Transition Town Southampton members think they may have found the ideal way to do so - adorning their local notes with none other than local-boy-made-good Benny Hill! Click below the fold to check out the notes.
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The $300 Makeover: Save The Money.
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.12.09
Michael Falco for The New York Times
Times are tough all over, and even the normally over-the-top New York Times homes section is getting the message. The theme today is the Three Hundred Dollar Makeover, full of tips that one might find in Craft or Make but the Times? It is hit or miss- making a "rug" on the floor with duct tape? And really, nobody has painted stripes on the walls since the seventies....
ETech 2009: Make Making Stuff Clear, So We Can Unmake It Better
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 03.12.09
When it comes to unmaking stuff, we have a long way to go before we're very efficient. But a big road block is manufacturers not revealing how they manufacture a product and what they manufacture it with so that products can be disassembled and recycled. Tom Igoe of Interactive Telecommunications Program, NYU addresses the issue of unmaking stuff at ETech. ...
TH!NK Electric Car Maker Wants to Move to Sweden (or the U.K.)
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 03.12.09
Norway's electric vehicle manufacturer TH!NK has a long and troubled history - gone bankrupt twice, changed hands a couple of times (including a short stormy marriage with Ford) and stopped its production line late last year when the economic crisis hit. But TH!NK's woes are far from over, it seems, as the company's leaders try a novel idea: an offer to move TH!NK lock, stock and batteries to a nation willing to prop it up until propserity re-appears. The two current contenders? Battered Britain and Slumping Sweden. Sweden may be in the lead, as Saab has tanked, and Swedish King Carl Gustaf has already reportedly purchased two TH!NK electric vehicles - in blue and gold, of course....
Survey: Should We Invest in the Car Industry?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.12.09
George Monbiot thinks investing any more money in the car industry is bunkum.
The motor companies have repeatedly failed to anticipate trends in demand. They have carried on producing thunderous gas guzzlers long after the market collapsed. Every so often the bosses wring their hands about jobs, put out the begging bowl, get the money, then shaft their workers anyway. Like the bankers, they have wrecked their own industry. And like the bankers, they want the rest of us to pay....
ETech 2009: Things That Make Urban Homesteading Great
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 03.12.09
Mark Frauenfelder of MAKE Magazine gave a talk on urban homesteading and how you can go about being a bit of a farmer in the city. He presented quite a few cool ideas, as well as 7 guiding principles for successful urban farming. ...
ETech 2009: It's The Start of the Green Screen Wars
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 03.12.09
When it comes to figuring out how to creat low-cost, low-power computing, Mary Lou Jepsen of Pixel Qi is the woman to ask. At ETech 2009, she talks about how the secret is in the screen, and now getting super efficient computers isn't about the CPU anymore, it's about the screen. Check out her talk on creating a low power screen for the One Laptop Per Child project and beyond....
60BAG is DIsposable and Reusable
by Bonnie Alter, London on 03.12.09
Image from 60BAG
More and more creative solutions to the plastic bag dilemma are popping up. The latest, 60BAG from Poland, is a biodegradable carrier bag made out of flax-viscose non-woven fabric.
The 60BAG decomposes naturally in about 60 days (hence the name). They can be composted or safely burnt which means they don’t require any recycling processes. ...
Where Memory Used To Sit by Guillem Ferran
by Petz Scholtus, Barcelona, Spain on 03.12.09
We love it when furniture can be adapted to different functions, like Catalan designer Guillem Ferran’s chair ‘Distendido’ that turns into a laundry rack. We also love it when design brings back traditional values and adds innovation to a sometimes-dying craft like the seat collection Where Memory Used To Sit by the same Spanish designer. ...
Introducing A Fee For Visitors Climbing Mt Fuji
by greenz.jp, Tokyo, Japan on 03.11.09
Photo: Archiaston
Should climbing a mountain or entering a national park be free of charge? This is a question that officials near Mount Fuji, Japan's largest mountain, are asking as the number of climbers are soaring. Shigeru Horiuchi, mayor of Fuji-Yoshida in Yamanashi Prefecture, says: "I would like to consider an entrance fee as part of our measures to deal with Mount Fuji's environment issues."
One of the most pressing concerns is how to deal with garbage and toilet use, as the most popular way to climb is to walk through the night, in order to see the sunrise in the early morning. Others are enjoying the lower stages of the climb, that are relatively easy, only to be surprised by the later hardships near the summit....
ETech 2009: The Flickr Bike Appears
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 03.11.09
Remember waaaay back in September when we talked about the solar powered Flickr bike? Well it's made an appearance at ETech 2009. ...
ETech 2009: New Materials for Sustainable Products
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 03.11.09
Andrew Dent of Material ConneXion, Inc. gave a talk at ETech about dreaming up new materials that help us create more sustainable products. Part of that includes rethinking natural products and getting creative with things like...degraded carrots. ...
Easy To Install Solar Panels Are City Friendly and Affordable
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 03.11.09
Solar start-up Veranda Solar wants to change the world of solar power the way Apple changed computers. Veranda got a big head-start on financing the start-up when the company was awarded 100,000€ as runner-up in the PICNIC Green Challenge, funded by the Dutch postcode lottery. The solar panels Veranda uses are nothing special. The prototypes were developed in cooperation with Stanford University and SunPower Corp. No new photovoltaic advances, no biomimicry.
But these solar panels are offering something new to the market. Check the photo over the fold to see what makes Veranda solar special and decide for yourself if they have what it takes for success....
Tesla Model S Electric Sedan to Have 440-Volt Charger
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03.11.09
Martin Eberhard's Tesla Roadster plugged in. Photo: Martin Eberhard.
No Word on How Long to Charge Model S Battery Yet, Though
CNET's CarTech blog reports that the upcoming Tesla Model S electric sedan (to be unveiled on March 26, mark your calendars) will feature 440-volt fast-charging capabilities. No word yet on how long the battery would take to recharge at that voltage, but considering that the Tesla Roadster takes about 3.5 hours using a 220V/70A system, it should be relatively short. ...
ETech 2009: Eco Cities Are Already Here, We Just Need to Cut & Paste
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 03.11.09
Here's an interesting question: If you could cut-and-paste anything into or out of your city, what would it be? In designing the eco-cities that we have to create in order to survive on this planet, we get to ask this question, and imagine the answers. Chris Luebkeman of Arup spoke at ETech 2009 about designing an eco-city, and he brings up several design elements we need to examine during planning. Click through for video. ...
Question of the Day: Is it Not a Good Time To Ban Bovine Growth Hormone?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.11.09
The Ethicurian tells us that the dairy farm industry is in crisis, drowning in a lake of milk. Elanor quotes the Associated Press:
Hundreds of thousands of America’s dairy cows are bring turned into hamburgers because milk prices have dropped so low that farmers can no longer afford to feed the animals…. Dairy farmers say they have little choice but to sell off part of their herds for slaughter because they face a perfect storm of destructive economic forces.Yet thousands of farmers are still using Posilac, a bovine growth hormone that has one major function: to increase production. Would it not be a good time to quit? ...
Infiniti Claims to Want to "Reinvent Itself as Socially Responsible Car Maker"
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03.11.09
Photo: ABG
All Hybrid Lineup, But It Might Take a Decade
Nissan's CEO Carlos Ghosn has been very vocal about his love of electric cars (see also here and here), and now it's Infiniti's turn to announce some changes. According to the luxury automaker's head of advanced product planning, Francois Bancon, "all Infinitis will be hybrids within 10 years."...
Quote of the Day: George Monbiot on Handouts Resprayed Green
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.11.09
Creative Commons: DaveTrainer
In the UK and Canada, manufacturers are urging the government to give consumers money to get old cars off the road and into newer, lower emission vehicles and "catalyse a new low carbon transport revolution." George Monbiot calls it "bunkum" and worse. The whole thing is worth reading, but his conclusion is damning:
Every pound we spend on driving is a pound withheld from the alternatives, many of which (such as buses and trains) employ far more people for the same amount of money....
Beauty Lab: Method’s New Moisturizing Body Care
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 03.11.09
Image courtesy of Method.
Turns out olive oil isn’t just good for your health, but great for your skin as well. During these cold New England months we’ve been testing all types of nourishing skin care products, in hopes of curing our incredibly dry hands and wind-burned face. While browsing the aisle with natural cleaners a few weeks back (odd place to have beauty products), we came across Method’s new line of natural body care products made with olive oil, which promised to be super moisturizing.
With the warning: “Frequent usage may lead to spontaneous bursts of nudity,” how could we resist?...
100,000th Hybrid Rolls Off Ford Assembly Line
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03.11.09
Photo: Ford
It Took Ford 5 Years to Reach 100k Milestone
Ford's 100,000th hybrid SUV has recently rolled off the assembly line at Ford's Kansas City Assembly Plant. So far Ford has been making hybrid versions of its Escape and Mariner SUVs (34 MPG city/31 MPG Highway), and for the 2010 model year it will double its lineup with even more fuel efficient models: The Fusion hybrid (41 MPG city/36 MPG highway) and Mercury Milan hybrid....
Electric Aircraft Symposium: April 24th in San Carlos, California
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03.11.09
Let's Hope This Thing Takes Off!
The 2009 CAFE Foundation Electric Aircraft Symposium will take place on April 24th, 2009, at the Hiller Aviation Museum in San Carlos, California. Topics will include "the latest in motors, PV technology, controllers, batteries, chargers, new designs, prototype performance, and the '100 MPG aircraft race.'" The registration fee is $249 before April 15, and $310 afterwards (so if you are interested, don't wait!). More details after the jump....
$500 Million Math Error Shut Down "Near Zero Emissions" Coal Plant
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 03.11.09
Image via Center for American Progress
The high-profile FutureGen project in Illinois was pioneering carbon capture and sequestration--the controversial effort to curb greenhouse gas emissions in coal plants--when it was shut down last year after the US Department of Energy found that the expected cost of the project had doubled. But it looks like somebody needs to brush up on their multiplication tables—the DOE's estimate turned out to be $500 million dollars off the mark. ...
ETech 2009: AMEE, Your Energy Identity, and Scary Futures to Avoid
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 03.11.09
AMEE is short for Avoiding Mass Extinctions Engine, and it is a platform that seeks to track the energy consumption of everything. The goal is to make energy consumption and carbon footprints open sourced, so that we become more responsible for them, and hold others accountable as well. Gavin Starks spoke at ETech about why we need to care about our energy identity, how to take ownership of it, and the possible future scenarios we hope to avoid by embracing - and reducing - our consumption. ...
10 Hollywood Hunks and Their Hot Green Cars (Slideshow)
by Emma Grady, New York, NY on 03.11.09
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Fast-Train Network in the Works for Turkey
by Jennifer Hattam, Istanbul, Turkey on 03.11.09
The high-speed train that will have its debut in Turkey this week. Photo via Sakarya54.net
Americans aren't the only ones newly enamored of high-speed rail. Turkey's first fast train makes its official debut this week, but railway officials are already envisioning a network spanning the country, which has been woefully under-served by train routes of any kind. (Though Turkey's long-haul bus system puts Greyhound to shame.)...
Martin Rauch Builds His Dream House (Rammed Earth, of Course)
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.11.09
Rammed earth is great stuff. The material is literally dirt cheap, formed like concrete but without the use of CO2 producing cement. It has great thermal mass and acoustics- when your wall is up to two feet thick, nothing gets through it.
Martin Rauch is one of the pros- we have shown his rammed earth fireplaces here. He worked with architect Roger Boltshauser to build his own rammed earth house....
ETech 2009: Ending Obsolescence with a Post-Consumerist Economy (Video)
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 03.11.09
Our consumerist culture has us in a bind, that much we can tell. So how do we design our way out? Lane Becker and Thor Muller propose some great ideas. Click through to watch video on their take on consumerism, some design strategies to fix us, and what to do with our collective free time. ...
US Toxic Substances Agency Found to be Dangerously Negligent
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 03.11.09
Photo via All Around the House
The Agency of Toxic Substances and Disease Registry has a number of responsibilities. One of which is to determine whether or not it's safe for people to live near toxic dump sites. And one of which is not to "deny, delay, minimize, trivialize or ignore legitimate health concerns," as a recent report has charged the agency with frequently doing. Through poor analysis, failure to act, and possibly a deliberate intent to obscure findings, the ATSDR has left many people exposed to toxic substances, and at great health risk....
How We Drove In 2008 Compared To 2007: The Final Word
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 03.11.09
Percent Change In Individual US Monthly Vehicular Travel, 2007 vs. 2008
The US Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, has published the data upon which this graphic was based. For the raw data, see December 2008 Traffic Volume Trends, Individual Monthly Motor Vehicle Travel in the U.S. for December 2008, here. ...
7 Greenest Spring Break Trips
by Blythe Copeland, Great Neck, New York on 03.11.09
Photo via joiseyshowaa @ flickr
For most people, spring break conjures up memories (or expectations) of beaches, beer, and--if MTV is your source--lots of bikinis. And while there’s nothing wrong with collecting your best friends and heading out for a week of partying, greener alternatives abound. No matter what kind of break you had in mind (A beach-side bacchanalia? A week of sunning yourself on the sand?), or where your academic interests lie (Love science? Can’t get enough nature?), or what you like to do in your spare time (Cook? Hike?), we’ve found the perfect eco-friendly trip. Read on for everything from hotels with minimal carbon footprints to volunteer organizations that let you make a hands-on environmental impact--and don't worry: We included some bikini-friendly locations, too....
Recession-Ready Apartment Plans Could Help Avoid Foreclosure
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.11.09
Perkins & Co. Architects via the Tyee
In hard times like the current recession, many people rent out basements or rooms in their houses, but apartment dwellers cannot do it easily. Designing flexible, affordable housing is a challenge that architects have not often risen to successfully- Apartment designs are usually fixed and do not adapt to changes in income, lifestyle or size of family. And as mortgages get harder to find, the extra income from renting out part of an apartment could make a critical difference.
That is why the designs recently approved in Burnaby, BC are so intriguing; they are purported to be the first legalized secondary suites within apartments. Designed to provide housing for students, the blue zone can be "locked off" and rented out separately and has its own entrance. It's kind of like a basement apartment in the sky. The Tyee discusses student housing, but the impact of this kind of thinking goes far beyond that.
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13 Quadracycles: Four Wheeled Bike Round-Up
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 03.11.09
Four wheeled bikes, pedal powered quad bikes, quadracycles. Call them what you will, they still promote the idea that human propelled transport can be both fun and functional. Below we have gathered just some of the versions that we’ve spied over the years on TreeHugger. No doubt there are many others we’ve missed to date and our readers will bring us up to speed.
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Broadband in America - Fat Pipes for Old Glory a Questionable Green Plan
by Mark Ontkush, Boston, Massachusetts, USA on 03.11.09
Image by Over Yonder
With 4 a's and 3 b's in a total of 14 letters, The phrase "Obama Broadband" has a gentle, rolling hills kind of feel that is fun to say and think for its literary value alone. And it's fitting too; as the administration is about to pour $8 billion into U.S. broadband Internet networks across the country, it appears that most of new lines will be used to digitally light up Rural America. Dig some ditches, pull some wire and the job will be done but it's money down the bowl - the U.S. hinterlands don't need broadband. Find out why.
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More Cycle-Centric Housing from Tokyo
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.11.09
When we recently showed a Tokyo townhouse project for motorcyclists, a reader tipped us off to another project that packs eight townhouses for bike enthusiasts around a central court. ...
Seattle's Streetcar: Modern, Efficient, Mass Transit (Video)
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 03.11.09
Survey: Have You Dumped Your Bisphenol A (BPA) Bottles?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.11.09
John recently informed us that Six US Baby Bottle Manfacturers Walk Away From Bisphenol-A (Polycarbonate) Designs. Walmart and others have pulled them from the shelves. Others suggest that this is all an over-reaction. What have you done?
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Beautiful Refurbished Vintage Furniture by Livin' Pop
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires on 03.11.09
You know how much we love vintage, one of the simplest ways of being green (by making use of what's already made). As we've showed before with Raval Warehouse, if that vintage looks modern and polished, what more can you ask?
These pieces are made by Livin' Pop, a small design firm from Buenos Aires that follows the trend of mixing old with new, but in a sweeter, lighter way than the before mentioned brand. Check more of their pieces in the extended and get inspired to renew your own!...
More Design From the Brit Insurance Designs of the Year 2009
by Bonnie Alter, London on 03.11.09
The Brit Insurance Designs of the Year 2009 is an overview of the best and most interesting achievements in design and architecture over the past year. Nominated by industry experts in seven different categories, the public can vote for their favourites.
The Furniture category is full of delights. We can't resist the Lover's Chair from Spain. Made of recycled paper, it's an iron frame covered with chicken wire and covered with a paste of used paper. It's whimsical, organic, private and public.
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Movie Review: The Age of Stupid - A Lot of Stick And Not Much Carrot
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 03.11.09
Image via: guardian.co.uk
"The question I've been asking is, why didn't we save ourselves when we had the chance?" This is Pete Postlethwaite speaking to us from the future, the year 2055 to be exact, where he is marooned alone, high in a tower above the melted arctic, quite possibly the only man left on earth. We learn he is living in the 'Global Archive' which captured all records of human life before we were wiped off the face of the earth. This stark introduction leaves us in no doubt that Franny Armstrong's new environmental movie is designed to scare us into action, but the question I'm asking is: will it in fact just scare us all rigid?...
Maharishi U Joins Seed Savers with 100 Year Old Heirloom Seeds
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 03.10.09
Image via: Getty Images
Things are in bloom over at Maharishi University, (Iowa) which just recently joined the Seed Savers Exchange. The program is designed "to preserve the genetic legacy of vegetables, herbs, flowers, and fruit trees" and for their part the students at Maharishi University will be growing a colored butterbean and saving the seeds. But, that's not all the school is doing to support agriculture....
Disney Unveils its Green Strategy
by Roberta Cruger, Los Angeles on 03.10.09
Mickey's parent company reveals environmental plans. Photo: The Walt Disney Company
Disneyland may not be the greenest place on earth but within 3- to 5-years the company plans to minimize Mickey's footprint, cutting emissions in half, reducing electricity consumption by 10 percent, and halving the garbage at its parks and resorts by 2013. Long-term, the aim is net zero waste and emissions, states the Walt Disney Company’s first comprehensive environmental plan from its new corporate responsibility report. Perhaps shareholders at the recent annual meeting are buoyed by the financial impact that reducing energy costs may have on the bottom line. ...
Bjork Releases Environmental Documentary... and other Eco-Musician Updates
by Marissa Moss, Manhattan (Lower East Side) on 03.10.09
Photo:Chashi Jim / Bjork
While the musical impact of Bjork is clear (no need to explain the genius) and the fashion impact apparent (no need to INSERT ANOTHER SWAN OUTFIT JOKE HERE), her global environmental impact is on the rise with today’s release of Nattura-Summer 2008 on iTunes. It’s the artist’s swan song to Iceland and the climate issues it faces (fine, I couldn’t resist the pun). More on Bjork after the jump, along with some updates on how other musicians (The Indigo Girls, Annie Lennox, Sigor Ros and more) are currently singing green....
EPA Proposes First Nationwide Greenhouse Gas Reporting System
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 03.10.09
Photo via Dallas News
In a promising new development, the EPA has announced for the first time that intends create a comprehensive, national system for reporting CO2 emissions. The system will require around 13,000 facilities, or 85-90% of all the places generating greenhouse gases, to report their emissions—and would be a huge step towards realizing the agency's goal of regulating carbon dioxide emissions.
...
Why the Word 'Uncertainty' Has Gotten Us into Climate Change Trouble
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 03.10.09
Another interesting point brought up during the first day of the Copenhagen Climate Congress was made by John Ashton of the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Uncertainty means something different to politicians than it does to scientists; and politicians have taken advantage of it, often using it as an excuse for inaction:
"Words mean different things: Uncertainty to a politician often means, 'Come back and tell me when you know whether this is a problem or not.'"
Uncertainty to a scientist often means, 'Well, there's a signal, but there's an uncertainty in the amplitude of that signal; we don't know quite how big it is. It may be 4 or it may be 6.'"
...
Honda Insight Hybrid to be Sold for $19,800
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03.10.09
All-New Honda Insight Hybrid
We finally know how much the new, redesigned, version 2.0 Honda Insight hybrid will sell for: The manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) is $19,800 for the entry-level Insight LX, and the Insight EX with more bells and whistles starts at $21,300. It goes on sale in the US on March 24th, 2009, but it's already available in Japan (and has been outselling the Prius). Read on for more details....
Climate Change is Not a Prediction Problem, It's a Risk Problem: Manage it as Such
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 03.10.09
photo: Matthew McDermott
One of the better descriptions of the problem of how we're not adequately addressing climate change came early in the first day of the Copenhagen Climate Congress came from Professor Katherine Richardson, Chair of the Scientific Steering Committee and Vice Dean at the University of Copenhagen.
After saying that "climate change is not a prediction problem—scientists understand that—it's a risk problem." Richardson went on to talk about the level of certainty that climate change is man-made stated in the 2007 IPCC report:...
Yet Another Coal Ash Spill, This Time in Luke, Maryland (Upriver of Washington DC!)
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03.10.09
Image: Google
After 3 Times It's Officially a Trend, Right?
Good thing that the EPA is getting more serious about keeping an eye on coal ash, because it sure doesn't seem like the current system is working. Just in the past few months we reported two big spills: 2.6 Million Cubic Yards of Toxic Coal Ash Slurry Released in Tennessee Dike Burst and What the Heck? Second Coal Ash Spill, this Time in Alabama. Now there's a third in Luke, MD, upriver of Washington DC (maybe politicians will take notice now?)....
Planet Pixies: Organic Soft Dolls for the Environment
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 03.10.09
Photo credit: I Love My Planet Toys
Looks like Tinkerbell isn't the only pixie on a mission to protect the environment.
Meet the Planet Pixies, a trio of eco-friendly soft dolls for ages 3 and up that are designed to raise your ankle biter's awareness about the environment—and encourage him or her to make pro-planet decisions. In other words, the Bratz they ain't.
...
USEPA Evaluates The Fly Ash Mess Nationally: First Self-Reporting Deadline In 10 Days
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 03.10.09
ETech 2009: Population Boom, Wealth, and 6 Ways to Stave Off Environmental Collapse (Video)
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 03.10.09
As the developing world increases in both population and prosperity, we face an impending global meltdown. Why? Because they're emulating the Western world, specifically Americans, and we've set a really bad example for how to use the planet's resources and what wealth means. If we expect to see the developing world be green as it grows, then we need to walk the walk. According to Alex Steffen, there are six ways to do that. ...
Sweden's Inspiring Plan to Phase Out All Fossil Fuel Burning Cars by 2030
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 03.10.09
Photo by Lola Ackinmade
While the US is embroiled in an ongoing debate about how best to regulate auto emissions, Sweden went ahead and announced a plan today that will fiercely cut emissions, encourage people to buy hybrids, and generate tax revenue in the process. At the center of the plan? A huge tax increase on polluting vehicles, and a promise of a 5-year tax exemption for anyone who buys a green car....
Sea Level Rise Best Case Scenario: 50cm Rise, 10% of World Population Hit
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 03.10.09
Islands such as the Maldives (pictured here), as well as the world's highly populated delta regions in India, Southeast Asia, and China will be seriously threatened by rising sea levels. Photo: Moosa Ali via flickr
Think sea level rise caused by global climate change won't be a big deal? Probably not if you're a regular TreeHugger reader. But there have been some variations in predictions of just how much land will become inundated and how many people will be climate refugees, so I won't blame you if you're not entirely clear on the matter. Well, at the Copenhagen Climate Congress scientists have clarified some of the predictions made in the 2007 IPCC report regarding rising seas:...
Alive and “Growing” Electric Power Poles in Rural Honduras
by Eric Leech, New York, NY on 03.10.09
This first photo shows the power lines coming from the power house. You can see the newly cut branches from the Madreado trees have been planted as power poles. Photo via Brian Thomas (Baylor University)
With the cost of cement electric power poles and the problem of termites infesting wooden poles, the villages of Honduras had but one obvious option when Village Energy Inc. came to town to run a line of hydropowered electricity to their remote rural regions... plant live trees!...
Van Jones Gets Green Gig in White House
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.10.09
TreeHugger hero Van Jones is off to Washington, not as a Czar, but more like a Rasputin, whispering in the ear of the Council on Environmental Quality, which co-ordinates climate, energy and environmental policy initiatives. According to the New York Times,
"Van Jones has been a strong voice for green jobs, and we look forward to having him work with departments and agencies to advance the president's agenda of creating 21st century jobs that improve energy efficiency and utilize renewable resources," CEQ Chairwoman Nancy Sutley said in a written statement last night....
Are Miniature Cities Useful "Models for Urban Planning"?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.10.09
Photo: Zachary Zavislak
Architectural models are beautiful things, and even in these days of Google Earth and electronic modelling they are still being built and updated. Wired displays a lovely collection of them in an article about their use in urban planning....
One Watt, One year, One dollar
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03.10.09
Photo: Flickr, CC
"Leave a 100 Watt light bulb on for a year, pay $100."
Eric Drexler (sometimes called the father of nanotechnology, or more precisely, of molecular manufacturing) has been blogging for a little while and he recently had a short post with a useful rule of thumb to estimate electricity costs ins the US, and thus encourage conservation.
He wrote:...
Vintage Creations Makes Recycled Luxury From Cashmere
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 03.10.09
Image via: EkoChic
Recycled cashmere bangle bracelets, recycled cashmere wraps and cover-ups, and even recycled luxury cashmere dog sweaters are all part of the spring 2009 collection from Vintage Creations. The ladies over at Vintage Creations aren't just making new sweaters from old sweaters, they're outfitting every aspect of your accessory world with cashmere. Yum!...
7 Terrifying Global Warming Pictures (Slide Show)
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 03.10.09
Image via Vanity Fair
Some people seem to have gotten just a little too comfortable with the concept of global warming. That's not to say anyone's OK with it—in fact, most actively want to help fight climate change. Gone are the days when the idea of climate change first publicly emerged—and terrified the public as some sort of looming, inevitable apocalypse. And that's a good thing. But I worry that we've gotten a bit too complacent, too accepting. So, I've rounded up 7 of the most terrifying global warming pics around—because it could do us all a little good to get just a little nervous from time to time. Just to inspire us to work that much harder to avoid a potentially disastrous fate. After all, climate change really is some scary stuff.
...
U.S. Public Transit Ridership in 2008: Highest Level in 52 years!
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03.10.09
Photo: Flickr, CC
10,700,000,000 Trips!
A recent report by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) reveals some very interesting numbers. "Despite falling gas prices and an economic recession, increasing numbers of Americans took 10.7 billion trips on public transportation in 2008, the highest level of ridership in 52 years and a modern ridership record." Okay, to be honest, the US population was probably significantly lower 52 years ago, but this is still a very good sign....
5 Ways to Power the Green Cars of the Future
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03.10.09
Batteries, Supercapacitors, Hydrogen, Hydraulic Hybrids, Compressed Air...
Personal transportation is a big part of our lives, but unfortunately the current system pollutes the air and disrupts the climate. Walkable neighborhoods, bikeable cities, and fast public transit can greatly improve things, but cars will also probably stick around for the foreseeable future. Engineers and scientists are working on new ways to make the green cars of the future go (the main challenge is with power storage - power generation is also crucial, but it's a whole other article). Let's look at some of the most promising technologies....
Recycle Your Old Jeans Into Furniture
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.10.09
Got three pair of jeans that you can't part with? Japanese sofa maker NOyes will turn them into Ottomans. It seems a lot more personal than turning them into insulation. ...
ETech 2009: Tim O'Reilly and Our Reality Bubble Burst (Video)
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 03.10.09
In the midst of facing major problems like global warming, fossil fuel conundrums, and all the other ailments of the world, we're experiencing a dire economic malfunction. Tim O'Reilly argues that it isn't an investment bubble burst we're wading through, it's a reality bubble burst. And that, he notes, is a very good thing for technology and the environment. Click through to watch a clip of his keynote speech at Etech 2009. ...
Townhouses For Bikers Pack Them In Tight
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.10.09
North American housing is so generic- my first boss said that there are only four house plans in the world and all architects are doing is pushing them around a bit. But sometimes people have different needs, and end up with different answers.
In Tokyo, the wonderfully named Love Architecture have designed a townhouse project for people who love their motorcycles. And they pack them in; those units don't look more than eight feet wide. We talk often about the need to increase density, but this is pushing the edge of the envelope.
...
Six US Baby Bottle Manfacturers Walk Away From Bisphenol-A (Polycarbonate) Designs
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 03.10.09
Separated at Birth? Swedish Three-Wheeler Looks A Lot Like a Messerschmitt Bubble Car
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 03.10.09
At left a Messerschmitt Kabinenroller circa 1956, photo Stefan Kühn; at right, Vehiconomics' Smite via Ny Teknik.
Tomorrow new Swedish car company Vehiconomics will unveil a lightweight, three-wheeled economical vehicle the company hopes will begin to be seen in the streets of Swedish cities already in summer 2009. The first out, three-wheeled two-seater Smite, as it is currently called, weighs just 130 kilos (286 lbs.) and will cost under 50,000 Swedish crowns ($5,500), says Ny Teknik. It will debut in gas, ethanol, and all-electric versions, and is reported to have a top speed of 90 kilometers per hour - the clear opposite of that other famous Swedish vehicle, the Volvo....
Is it Safe To Turn Down Your Water Heater Temperature?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.10.09
Almost every checklist of energy-saving tips includes the recommendation that you turn the temperature of your water heater down from 140°F (60°C) to 120°F(49°C), including on TreeHugger and Planet Green. Yet up in Canada if you look for recommendations, they will tell you not to set your heater below 140F, as it can become a sort of petri dish for Legionnaires Disease. When I mentioned this in a comment on an earlier post, commenters went a bit crazy on me, so I thought it would merit a closer look.
...
Gray Water: Safe, Legal and Permitted Water Recycling (Video)
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 03.10.09
Image credit: Huber Solutions (this is not the system shown in the video).
How to Recycle Gray Water Legally
Lloyd has already written about the Gray Water Guerrilla movement - a loose [thanks for the typo alert Yoshash!] alliance of activists dedicated to installing clandestine water recycling solutions. Yet while some innovative companies are offering gray water package units, many people are still struggling against restrictive building codes, sceptical local officials, and nervous neighbors. Luckily, there are people like Trathen Heckman in Sonoma County California who are fighting the battle for the rest of us - getting a fully permitted graywater system built in the center of suburbia. Click below the fold for an excellent video from Peak Moment TV, in which Trathen explains how his system was built, and perhaps more importantly, how he got permission to do it. ...
Canopy Verde: Modern, Earth-Friendly Bags
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 03.10.09
Photo credit: Canopy Verde
Linda Wong admits to having a major bag fixation. In fact, the designer and founder of Canopy Verde, a line of eco-friendly clutches and totes that debuted last fall, was so vociferous about curtailing the use of plastic bags that her high-school friends soon dubbed her the "bag police."
Canopy Verde's premiere collection features seven breezily sophisticated designs, sized for every conceivable purpose, from the slim Calamint clutch to the roomy Cassia weekender. ...
Can Patchwork Actually Look Cool? One Chilean Designer Proves So
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires on 03.10.09
Photos: Ignacio Galvez and Orlando Pallero.
For those of us who don't have great memories of patchwork, the work of Chilean designer Loreto Correa Sanfuentes is certainly something to look at, proving that old practices can always take a new spin.
Correa works with recovered fabrics and vintage garments to create these lovely patchwork dresses. Take a closer look at her work in the extended....
Copenhagen Climate Congress to Synthesize New Science on Climate Change
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 03.10.09
photo: Matthew McDermott
The problem with any consensus document like the 2007 IPCC report is that by the time everyone signs off on its contents, some of those contents are out of date. The science of climate change continues to evolve, even though a certain state of knowledge is recorded as authoritative. How to remedy this in time for the COP15 United Nations Climate Change Conference this November-December so that, hopefully (crossing fingers, toes and anything else that will cross on my body), we can all agree to a plan that will set us on a path towards truly mitigating the worst effects of climate? The University of Copenhagen and IARU's Climate Change Congress hopes to do just that. And TreeHugger will be there covering it all:...
Don't Over-Package or You'll End Up As a Warning Ad!
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 03.10.09
The folks at Great Works came up with a great idea to vent frustrations at being a shipment that fully falls into the realm of sinful overpackaing. ...
Suburban Mall Shopping Creates Four Fold Increase in Carbon Dioxide Emissions
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 03.10.09
Image: Beauvais Consultants
A study from France completed in December 2008 clearly shows the environmental impact that shopping at Hypermarkets in the suburbs can have, especially in regards to driving. The study has been condensed into a 14 page PDF. But as the reports authors say, The result of this lengthy evaluation may be summarised in one sentence:
...
Survey: What Do You Think Will Save Us From Climate Change?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.10.09
In his post, Pablo quotes Tom Friedman, saying "change your leaders, not your light bulbs." Well, we did that. He then continues to list five technologies that will save us from climate change, which some might say are too little, too late.
...
The Top 5 Technologies That Will Save Us from Climate Change
by Pablo Paster, San Francisco on 03.10.09
Dear Pablo: What do you believe are the top technologies that will help us overcome climate change?...
Vote Now for Design Awards: Brit Insurance Designs of the Year
by Bonnie Alter, London on 03.10.09
images from Design Museum
They are the academy awards of the design industry: the Brit Insurance Designs of the Year 2009. Covering seven categories: architecture, fashion, furniture, graphics, interactive, product and transport, they are a great opportunity to see what the design world has been up to and where it is going.
The Products category had lots of interesting candidates. These jar tops are a simple but ingenious way of transforming ordinary empty jars into functional products. The 5 different lids turn jars into a milk jug, sauce jug, sugar shaker, or chocolate shaker.
...
U Oregon Offers Climate School for Local Businesses
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 03. 9.09
Image via: Flickr
Following their popular Climate Masters at Home, the University of Oregon "Climate Masters at Work" is a 10-week program aimed at educating local business owners on how to green their business, and why, reports the Register-Guard. The coursework not only focuses on Climate Change 101 and how to reduce the carbon footprint of the business, but also how to save money in the process - something that is desperately needed at this time....
Ecstasy (MDMA) Threatens Rare Cambodian Tree
by Kimberley D. Mok, Montreal, Canada on 03. 9.09
Photo: Monogrammed ecstasy pills seized from a lab in Indonesia (Microgram Bulletin)What could ravers and other all-night clubbers of the world possibly have to do with the increasingly rare Mreah Prew Phnom trees (Cinnamomum parathenoxylon), found in Cambodia’s rainforests? Well, a lot - according to the authorities of the Cambodian ministry of environment and conservationists who have shut down several distilleries which produce a type of oil found both in cosmetics and in the production of MDMA – or more commonly known as ‘ecstasy.’...
Proposed Law Could Hit Farmers' Market Vendors with $1,000,000 Fines
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 03. 9.09
Image via rv4saleguide.com
A 'Food Safety Modernization' bill was recently introduced to the House of Representatives—and as it stands, a new government organization could fine food vendors, manufacturers, distributors, and farmers up to $1 million dollars for violating "food safety law." Per violation. It's created a minor uproar in the small and organic farm community, as some worry that the massive fee could hit our friendly neighborhood farmers' market vendors and local farmers. So if the bill passes, will your favorite produce seller be hit with a $1,000,000 fine? ...
Creative Food Economy Emerges in Ontario
by Jeff Nield, Vancouver, British Columbia on 03. 9.09
Hamilton Farmers Market. Credit: Communications Branch of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food
In North America the food economy has long been dominated by commodities. A big part of the sustainable and local food movement is a direct response to systems that are controlled by outside interests. New models for food system are continually emerging. Martin Prosperity Institute, a "think-tank on the role of sub-national factors in global economic prosperity", recently published a report on one of these models, From Kraft to Craft: innovation and creativity in Ontario’s Food Economy. At the core of the report is the concept of a "creative food economy".
The Institute published this handy chart to explain the differences between the industrial and creative food economies....
Quote of the Day: Tim McClanahan on Fish and Coral Reef Conservation
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03. 9.09
Photo: Flickr, CC
Trouble's In the Middle
A new study by the Wildlife Conservation Society in Kenya shows that Coral reefs, and the fish that live there, are "healthiest in both the richest, most well developed areas and in the poorest, most under-developed ones." Right in the middle of the socioeconomic spectrum is where corals suffer most.
Tim McClanahan, an ecologist with the Wildlife Conservation Society in Kenya said:...
ETech 2009: Lilypad Electronic Fashion
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 03. 9.09
Sewing Lilypad electronic parts onto t-shirt
Remember the solar powered bike signal jacket from Leah Buechley? Check her out showing it off at ETech 2009, and find out more about the future of off-grid electronic clothing. ...
Putting Science First: Obama Lifts Ban on Stem Cell Research
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 03. 9.09
Photo via the New York Times
The biggest news to come out of the White House today will no doubt be this: Obama has fulfilled his campaign promise, and reversed yet another Bush decision, by lifting the ban on stem cell research. Reiterating his pledge that his administration will “make scientific decisions based on facts, not ideology,” he issued an executive order meant to further advance stem cell research--and to cement the status of science as eclipsing political gamesmanship in his administration. ...
Offices Built out of Cardboard for Nothing
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03. 9.09
Photos by Joachim Baan.
We have showed cardboard offices before, but Alrik Koudenburg, together with Joost van Bleiswijk (using his no screw, no glue technique seen on TreeHugger here), have built an incredible one for creative firm Nothing. They say: "The idea being, to create an office...by using the most Nothing building material we could find."
...
The Natural Patriot Hosts Carnival of the Green
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 03. 9.09
This week is Carnival of the Green #170 and it's being hosted by Emmett Duffy and his blog The Natural Patriot, which is dedicated to cultivating and putting to work a new and universal ideal of patriotism appropriate to the new Millennium. Emmett is a Professor of Marine Science at the College of William and Mary’s Virginia Institute of Marine Science. He is an ecologist with expertise in marine biodiversity and its importance to human society and his research has been featured in the BBC’s Blue Planet series, on our very own Discovery Channel, in textbooks, and in various media outlets worldwide.
We once again received a ton of submissions this week! 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.
We are now accepting host requests for 2010! Read on to find out how to host....
Help Re-imagine Detroit with the Rouse [D] Competition
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03. 9.09
Detroit Central Station. Source
As we have noted, Detroit and other rust belt cities are in trouble. What can be done to revive them? Is it hopeless? Some think not. They have organized an "international open ideas competition challenging people to come up with designs that will rouse the city of Detroit and encourage an evolution of our understanding of its unique urban environment."...
Fast Food Trash: How to Reduce Your Waste (Video)
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 03. 9.09
The Enviromentals Take on Fast Food Waste
On Friday I wrote about a very funny, and very useful, video about how to build your own worm composter, which was brought to us by The Enviromentals - aka Hal Brindley and Leigh Ramsdell of Dodo Films. Now the fearless duo have been joined by their friend Mike for a rather disgusting yet strangely entertaining mission - eating fast food for an entire weekend, in a quest to find out how we can reduce our fast food trash. The result is a kind of a mini Super Size Me (if that's not a contradiction in terms). And they found out that a little awareness can go a long way, even in fast food hell......
Nothing New About Green Roofs
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03. 9.09
Photography by Roger Wade; see slideshow here
Actually, sod roofs have been used in Scandinavia and Iceland for centuries. However I was surprised to learn that Richard Neutra was doing it in the fifties in Montana. He designed it for Geography professor Nick Helburn, who maintained the cantilevered sod roof with the assistance of a built-in sprinkler system, a lawn mower and a few pet goats....
Slideshow: Great Stimulus Ideas from the Great Depression
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03. 9.09
Our favorite congressperson Michele Bachmann doesn't think much of the stimulus program. She says "Congress isn’t helping America to dig itself out of the recessionary hole, we’re merely digging it deeper."
But what would her State of Minnesota be like if there had not been a stimulus project like the New Deal? Would shipping be able to get to the state? Would it have electricity? Art Galleries?
Watch this slideshow of some of some of the projects paid for through stimulus programs like Rural Electrification, the Federal Art Program, the Works Progress Administration and the Civilian Conservation Corps: Great Stimulus Ideas from the Great Depression
Image Source: Minnpost...
Building the World with FlexForm Natural Composite Material
by Matt Grigsby of Ecolect.net on 03. 9.09
Composite materials are wonderfully handy -- they can be used in hundreds of applications -- but what about the materials' environmental footprint? Happily, there is a composite material that, when compared to its traditional counterpart, has a much smaller impact, and it can be used for almost anything; I've seen this material being used to construct everything from furniture to parts for cars. FlexForm Technologies has created a line of natural composite materials with a very attractive set of properties. ...
Drink Soda Pop? You're Drinking Bisphenol A (BPA)
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03. 9.09
source
We have noted before that bisphenol A (BPA) is a key component of the epoxy liner in canned food and drink, so it should really be no surprise that new tests at Health Canada found it in pop cans. The chemical is thought to be an endocrine disruptor or "gender bender", and is now banned in many countries from baby bottles.
The levels in pop cans is low, with the highest level found to be 4.5 parts per trillion; you would have to drink 8,000 cans of pop or 900 cans of energy drinks to get to the daily exposure limit set by Health Canada.
But others say that those exposure limits are thousands of times too high....
We have Shared Bikes, Why Not Scooters?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03. 9.09
Here is an idea that builds on the idea of bike-share but takes up a lot less space: Shared electric scooters....
Cheerful Furnishings Inspired by Shanty Towns
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03. 9.09
Here is an interesting bit of design that shows a different way of thinking. It is a storage unit, the start of a whole system, from Mexican designer Christian Vivanco. "From a Lost City" is inspired by the informal architecture of shanty towns....
Cleveland as Harbinger of Things to Come?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03. 9.09
Images from slideshow by Reuben Cox for the New York Times
We can talk, as we do, about the value of the infrastructure in rust belt cities and what great opportunities there are, (see The Move to Detroit for the $100 House) but in fact, in many of those cities the situation is now completely out of control. In Cleveland, which has lost half of its population in the last 50 years, there are as many as 15,000 empty houses....
Cross Town Kitchens- Make Your Dinner Out Do Double Duty
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03. 9.09
the founders of Crosstown Kitchens
These are tough times, and on TreeHugger and Planet Green we keep saying that the greenest and most economical way to live is to make things yourself and to cook your own food. But some of the hardest working people in America are those working in food service, and there are a lot of them. And the first discretionary spending everyone is giving up is going out for dinner.
What is a restaurateur to do? A group of chefs in Toronto had an interesting idea. They founded Crosstown Kitchens, "to promote awareness surrounding issues that affect food in our community."
...
Nobody's Innocent When an Organic Smoothie Emits More CO2 Than a Coke
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 03. 9.09
Photo of classic Coke can in the snow via D3 San Francisco @ flickr.
According to the Guardian, Coca-Cola is today in the UK publishing its report on the greenhouse gases emitted by making, chilling, transporting and disposing some of its products, following the Carbon Trust's method for carbon counting and labeling. The surprise? A 330 ml aluminum can of Coca-Cola embodies 170 grams of CO2e (equivalent), while Innocent’s 250 mango and passion fruit smoothie embodies 209 grams of CO2e. What’s going on?
...
Uberstix, World’s First Planet Positive Toy. But Are There Other Contenders?
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 03. 9.09
Überstix are a construction toy for kids of all ages. What makes them of interest to us is that they are purposely designed to work with common household and office debris like plastic bottles, cups, egg cartons and lolly sticks. The eight different Überstix connectors allow kids to develop their creativity and ingenuity, all the while working with the discards of society. Kinda like K’nex, (which were designed to make stuff from plastic straws), but taking that idea to the next level.
When the materials get past their prime they can be recycled and the Überstix connectors reused on a brand new construction project. What’s more, the UK distributor, Re:creation, worked with carbon consultants dcarbon8 to develop a lifecycle analysis of Überstix from creation to disposal, inclusive of construction and transport to Britain. Re:creation offset this carbon footprint by 110% to make the Überstix carbon negative. And what they believe is thus the world’s first Planet Positive toy. Which got us thinking ......
Survey: Would You Buy A Chinese Electric Car?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03. 9.09
Don't know how far or how fast it goes, but it will cost $ 5500 at Walmart and as Mike notes, More Than Half of All Vehicles Trips to Work in US are 11 Miles or Less. Eric asks in his post on it: would you consider purchasing of one of these Chinese electric vehicles? Lots of commenters responded.
...
Le Corbusier's Summer Cottage is Reconstructed
by Bonnie Alter, London on 03. 9.09
One day in 1951, Le Corbusier sat down and in 45 minutes designed a summer cottage as a birthday present for his wife. Called Cabanon, it was built beside the sea, near Nice, France, where he ultimately drowned ten years later. Now its actual interior has been painstakingly reconstructed inside a room at the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) building.
Inside a room? Yes, because this is a very small and compact cottage. Cabanon means small cabin and also a place where shepherds could rest, so the word has primitive connotations. It is a 15 sq. metre structure whose exterior was a log cabin. It is of interest because it represents a distillation of the architect’s ideas on minimal living. Its interiors are based on a career’s worth of contemplation. Home is where the heart is....
Eco-Nanny: Mother Natures Nagging Mother-in-Law or a Personal Angel?
by Eric Leech, New York, NY on 03. 8.09
Photo via: Karen 2873
Over the past several years, there has been a rather interesting development of eco-sensitive technology designed to help us humans along with our daily lives by giving us a gentle nudge in the right direction of eco-friendliness. I am talking about such innovation as the Eco-Pedal, the Eco-Switch, and the Aware-Car. If you've ever spent a weekend with your Mother/Father-in-law and left with only two hairs left on your head, you might want to take in consideration the one possible future eco-mother-in-law we may all have to inevitably deal with someday... the Eco-Nanny....
Houston Car Wash Goes Back to the Basics
by Eric Leech, New York, NY on 03. 8.09
Photo via: Badjonni
With U.S. businesses disappearing left and right along with many jobs, some savvy folks are taking the stance to go back to the basics, which may turnout not to be such a bad idea......
Bottled Water Launches Latest Eco-Friendly Packaging
by Roberta Cruger, Los Angeles on 03. 8.09
GreenOps promotes recycling stations with plastic dresses trimmed in bottles. Photo: Roberta Cruger.
Just when you thought it was time for bottled water to fizzle out, a slew of “new and improved” waters continue to hit the market, laced with vitamins and supplements to make you smarter, chilled out, buzzed, loved or lucky. At the Natural Products Expo in Anaheim, California, the west coast's trade show for organic food, holistic health and green beauty, along the aisles of 1,800 exhibiting vendors displays of assorted bottles of H2O were available to sip and gulp. Among them, Aquamantra, offering a harmonious rehydration experience, announced it is launching the world’s first biodegradable-compostable bottle—or so they say....
Ads, Ventures at the 2009 Natural Products Expo West
by Josh Peterson, Los Angeles, California on 03. 8.09
The Natural Products Expo West was held in the Anaheim Convention Center across the street from Disneyland. The Natural Products Expo is billed as the world’s premier trade show for natural, organic and healthy products. 52,000 industry professionals are estimated to attend the event every year. Treehugger was there. ...
Farmers Can Be Heroes With Your Help
by Jeff Nield, Vancouver, British Columbia on 03. 8.09
Image: Farmers Can Be Heroes
Let's be clear, we know farmers are heroes without any help. But, the new Farmers Can Be Heroes program is helping farmers step it up a notch by offering resources to help conventional farmers transitional to organic. The Rodale Institute initiated the free online course and resources calling on their 80-odd years of experience with organic farming and gardening research.
OK, so how can you help?
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Anti-Science Environmentalism: Iron Seeding Experiment Protested...Again
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 03. 8.09
Bamdino Kids Utensils Are Dino-mite
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 03. 8.09
Photo credit: Bambu
Do your kids bamboo, too? Help the little tykes roar into sustainability with Bambu's latest prehistorically inspired, child-friendly offering: a veritable utensil triple threat—comprising a knife, fork, and spoon—with dinosaur heads for handles and a notable absence of suspicious glues or petroleum-based plastic parts. They're also fairly made, albeit in China.
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Protesters Ask If Environmental Subsidies Should Serve Environmental Causes
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 03. 8.09
Image: Getty Images
In Germany, the government has offered a 2500€ rebate on a new car to anyone who drives, drags, or delivers a nine-year-old or older auto for scrapping. This fantastic offer was sold under the theme "environment," and is being eaten up by German consumers. Auto magazines show piles of shiny cars in still good condition waiting on the metal heap -- many of these cars worth more than 2500€ if offered for sale as used cars. And rebate banners, as well as extra rebates offered by manufacturers, are even drawing buyers whose trade-ins do not meet the age criteria.
Now this action has started a protest. The German bicycle club, VCD, argues that wreck rebates do not really serve the environment, and they are demanding equal treatment for the true environmentalists: those riding bikes and public transport. What should the standard for handing out public money under the rubric of green? And can the VCD win in the face of legal action threatened by the government?...
Whigby Transforms Printer Offcuts into Quirky Stationery
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 03. 8.09
Photo credit: Whigby
Whigby is a firm proponent of "cardpooling," the printing equivalent of carpooling that commandeers the leftover portions of sheets that are already running through the press for another, unrelated commercial job. "The printer calls us up and let's us know he has a few unused inches of paper at the edge of a sheet," Todd Temporale and Frank Viva, founders of the Toronto-based stationery house, write on their Web site. "Then we scramble to get a design over before the plates are made. Our goal is to see all those empty sheets (and seats) filled to capacity as they pass by on their way to who knows where."
The result? Vibrant illustrated note cards with arresting subjects like a fedora-donning blue octopus, a moose-and-octopus pairing caught en flagrante delicto, and a golden retriever appreciatively breathing in the musk of its feline companion (the tag line reads "You smell good"). ...
The Move to Detroit for the $100 House
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03. 8.09
One of four illustrations for the New York Times by"> Sophia Martinek
We have wondered if the attraction of cheap real estate might lead to the revitalization of rust belt cities into greener, more self sufficient communities. Toby Barlow writes in the New York Times about his move to Detroit, (into a famous Miesian townhouse community) but also of others there who are rebuilding a neighbourhood, complete with local farming, solar heating and a mini-community solar electric grid, and more. They started with a house for under two thousand dollars....
Tom Friedman: Mother Nature and the Market Say "No More."
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03. 8.09
It must be time to buy stocks and real estate, because the New York Times has never been so dire. Thomas Friedman channels Jim Kunstler (some might use stronger language) when he writes the run-on sentence of the week:
We have created a system for growth that depended on our building more and more stores to sell more and more stuff made in more and more factories in China, powered by more and more coal that would cause more and more climate change but earn China more and more dollars to buy more and more U.S. T-bills so America would have more and more money to build more and more stores and sell more and more stuff that would employ more and more Chinese ......
Training Young 'Energy Detectives' to Save at Home
by Jennifer Hattam, Istanbul, Turkey on 03. 8.09
An EU-funded program is helping teach Turkish school kids to save energy. Photo via AB Vızyonu, graphics via the Delegation of the European Commission to Turkey
On average, Turkey's 72 million people use two to three times more energy on heating, per square meter, than residents of France or Germany. With most of the country's energy imported from potentially unstable neighbors, and consumption rising by more than 4 percent a year, improving efficiency would have strategic, environmental, and economic benefit--and a program to do just that seems to have been a resounding success....
Ashley Judd on Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining
by Sara Novak, Columbia, SC on 03. 8.09
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Click on the image to view Ashley Judd's speech on Sierra's Club Web site.
Mountaintop removal coal mining really strikes a nerve with celebrity Ashley Judd, who grew up in the middle of the Appalachian mountains in Kentucky. In response, Judd teams up with the Sierra Club in a new video that details to the Obama Administration why our nation should put an end to mountaintop removal coal mining....
Would You Purchase a “Made in China” Electric Vehicle on Blue Light Special?
by Eric Leech, New York, NY on 03. 8.09
Photo via Laura Padgett
We visit discount stores like Wal-mart, Costco, and Sam's Club to pick-up a lot of different things, such as hair gel, cell phones, fish food, Tickle-me Elmo, or even a cheap pair of beach sandals (okay, maybe you better forget about the sandals). The point is, these discount stores sell a little bit of everything, but the idea of full-size electric vehicles becoming a part of the Blue Light Special had not even been a consideration... up until now!...
TreeHugger breaks it down for you in a series of in depth how-to articles that will help you green your life. No time like the present!
Here are a few recommended websites.
