- 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 May 10, 2009 - May 16, 2009
Total this week: 241
GM's New Strategy: “Made in China”
by Eric Leech, New York, NY on 05.16.09
Photo via: Mr. Bill
“Using taxpayer money to subsidize U.S. job losses,” is how the United Auto Workers (UAW) describes GM's move to tighten their belts, slash production costs, and make the most of their $15.4 borrowed billion by outsourcing to China. GM has already plucked the suckling Pontiac and Saturn from their proverbial tit and are prepared to slash a few more sucklers' in the form of U.S. Laborers......
Tangente Repurposes Vintage Scarves into Dazzling Tops
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 05.16.09
Photo credit: Tangente
Still think a scarf's place is fastened around your neck, or looped winsomely through your hair? Tangente refuses to be hemmed in, so to speak, by such archaic codes of fashion. The Ottawa, Ontario-based designer takes oversize vintage scarves and stitches them into breezy spaghetti-strap tunics and sexy halter tops for skin-baring fun in the sun.
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Climate Action Positive: Lubbock Texas Ends Pet Cremation To Save Money, Landfills Carcasses Instead
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 05.16.09
Pennram LLC-50, Long Life Pet Incinerator Image credit:Pennram.com
The
Lubbock, Texas-based Avalanche-Journal reports that "budget worries and natural gas costs have led Lubbock Animal Services to idle the crematorium." Instead they will be freezing and then land-filling carcasses of euthanized pets. This is absolutely the best thing to do environmentally. Instead of burning fossil fuel and disposing ashes in the land fill, animals go to the landfill directly, where, over time, the resulting methane produced by decaying Fifis and Felixes can be collected, filtered, compressed, and used to generate electricity. A much smaller 'paw-print' any way you look at it....
A Tale of Two Will Allen's: "Industrial Agriculture One of Most Polluting & Dangerous Industries"
by Kimberley D. Mok, Montreal, Canada on 05.16.09
Left: Will Allen, founder of urban farm non-profit Growing Power (Photo: Kate Croft via The White House Organic Farm Project); Right: Will Allen, author of War on Bugs (Photo: Chelsea Green Publishing)Urban agriculturalist extraordinaire and MacArthur Fellow Will Allen predicts that the new generation of farmers will not come from rural communities, rather, they will come from the cities. So what struck me as I wandered around my local grocer yesterday was: if this is the wave of the future, why are governments still subsidizing big agribusiness? The same industry that discharges millions of tons of pesticides into our air and water, advocates genetically modified food, wastes vast amounts of energy and hauls our food an average of 1,500 to 2,500 miles before it reaches our plates? Equally compelling is another Will Allen, organic farmer, expert and author of The War On Bugs (not to be confused with Growing Power's Will Allen). This is this Allen's take on an industry he sees as "seriously damaging to our public health": ...
How Climate Change & People Are Wiping Out the Grizzly Bear in Yellowstone
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 05.16.09
photo: Wikipedia
Yale Environment 360 currently has a piece which connects two subjects that TreeHugger has covered on a number of occasions, species getting de-listed as endangered species and climate change wiping out habitat. In this case it's the grizzly bear and pine trees dying in and around Yellowstone National Park:...
Barton Questions Waxman's "Nuts" In Climate Dustup
by Daniel Kessler, San Francisco, California on 05.16.09
Jellyfish Take Carbon To The Ocean Floor
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 05.16.09
"Pyrosomes are colonial tunicates, animals related to sea squirts, that look like fuzzy paint rollers, with individuals arranged around a hollow tubular center. This one has a spiny single-celled animal called a radiolarian, hitching a ride at one end."
Image credit:Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Eco-idealogs commonly characterize iron seeding proposals, which are intended to renew marine plankton growth, thus scouring more carbon from the atmosphere, as either unethical or ineffectual. The serial negativism about iron seeding amounts to spinning scientific uncertainty. Every new research report "proves" the negative (just like it does with climate deniers). If this isn't making sense for you, please see my earlier post: Anti-Science Environmentalism: Iron Seeding Experiment Protested...Again. Then read on about the role of jellyfish in consuming plankton and then pulling atmospherically-originating carbon into the ocean depths....
UK Wind Energy Companies in Open Conflict
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 05.16.09
Image credit: Good Energy
Ecotricity Accuses Rival of Dishonesty
There's long been disagreement in the UK about how best to stimulate the renewables marketplace. But those disagreements seem to be spilling out into open hostility. Ecotricity, pioneers of high profile urban wind projects are accusing their competitor, Good Energy, of peddling misleading marketing claims. Read on for all the dirty details.
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Wind-Powered Drive-in Movie Theater - World's First?
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 05.16.09
Image credit: Angel Wind Energy
Wind-Powered Movies at the Drive-In
The movie industry has finally caught on to climate change and sustainability- from The Age of Stupid to An Inconvenient Truth, we are now not short of movies that set out the dire environmental straits we find ourselves in. Movie makers have also been going green on the production front - exploring carbon offsets and green energy to lessen their impact. But what about places to watch these movies? We've finally heard about a movie theater adopting green energy - and it's not in California.
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Peace Could Prove Problematic For Migratory Birds
by Jennifer Hattam, Istanbul, Turkey on 05.16.09
Up to 35,000 birds are seen on and around Kuyucuk Lake in northeastern Turkey. Photo via Kuza Doga Society.
As Turkish and Armenian officials continue down the rocky road toward a possible rapprochement, in negotiations that could establish diplomatic relations and re-open the border between the two countries, the prospect of peace may prove perilous for wildlife that has benefited from the political standoff....
Could the Nation’s Citrus Crop Be Wiped Out?
by Sara Novak, Columbia, SC on 05.16.09
The word quarantine certainly sends shivers down my spine especially after all this talk of swine flu. Even though this quarantine was directed at plants it’s no joke. According to the Post and Courier, last week plant disease inspectors started going door to door in downtown Charleston, looking at backyard orange and lemon trees for signs of a disease that could wipe out the nation's citrus crop if it gets out of the city.
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An Heirloom Seed Library That's a Work of Art, Literally
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 05.15.09
Photo credit: Treeo Design/Hudson Valley Seed Library
Art, ecology, and farming collide with Hudson Valley Seed Library's latest creative endeavor—and the results are breathtaking. The heirloom-seed purveyor recently collaborated with Treeo Design and 11 local artists to develop a visually arresting collection of illustrated seed packets. How else could you do justice to evocatively named varieties like Black Valentine Bean, Bridge to Paris Pepper, Rat's Tail Radish, and Mammoth Grey Stripe Sunflower?
Printed on Forestry Stewardship Council-certified recycled paper using vegetable-based inks, each Art Pack's petal-like flaps "bloom" to reveal a sealed glassine envelope filled with seeds, along with sowing instructions printed neatly on the label....
FRA: No "Cookie Cutter" High Speed Rail For The US
by greenz.jp, Tokyo, Japan on 05.15.09
Photo from Spain: Midwest High Speed Rail Association
The Federal Railroad Administration is hoping Japan and other countries will help the United States to build a high-speed railway network. Karen Rae told Kyodo that FRA is reaching out to "a number of countries that have success in high-speed rail" and that "Japan is one of many." She also noted that they are trying to avoid creating a "cookie cutter" where everything is exactly the same: "It really needs to be designed around the local and state needs."
So, which are the countries that have the best high-speed rail systems in the world?...
Spring/Summer Fashion 2009: Popomomo
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 05.15.09
Photo credit: Popomomo
Say it three times fast! Popomomo, which is short for post-postmodern movement, was developed by Lizz Wasserman in response to the unchecked consumerism she witnessed while designing for Urban Outfitters and Free People.
"Popomomo is designed to be the antithesis of disposable fashion." she tells Hillary Newman at The Huffington Post. "The pieces are not trend or season based, they are idea based, and so you can wear them for seasons to come."...
Green Games for Canada’s 2010 Winter Olympics?
by Roberta Cruger, Los Angeles on 05.15.09
Sasquatch, Thunderbird and Miga, Canada's Olympic mythic mascots. What, no polar bear? Photo: via VANOC
Torino, Salt Lake City, and China made sustainability promises for their Olympic extravaganzas, and now its Canada’s turn to show its true green colors. Vancouver, the site of the 2010 Winter Games next February, has developed an extensive sustainability report with a long list of initiatives, an independent committee, including an eyeballing by the country’s preeminent environmentalist, David Suzuki. There are LEED-certified venues that tap waste heat, Aboriginal involvement, and even the Games' mascots, mythological creatures like Miga (half orca/half seahawk), are promoting the anti-carbon campaign. ...
Republicans Unveil Their Own Climate Bill
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 05.15.09
Photo via Daylife
Republicans have crafted their own climate bill to counter the Democrats' legislation, which is currently being hotly debated by congressmen. Though according to early reports, this 'climate bill', authored by Rep. Joe Barton, isn't quite the accurate term. Wonk Room describes it as follows: "While not quite ignoring the threat of climate change, Barton’s bill does spit in the face of science." So what's the GOP's climate and energy plan for America?...
When I Grow Up Offers Free Shipping to TreeHugger Readers
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 05.15.09
How many times have you heard, “when I grow up, I will…” Heck, some of us are still saying it as we think about our dreams as a child. These words are exactly what inspired Kat Henderson, founder of the company When I Grow Up, to make her mission about promoting eco-values to children through her socially conscious clothing company, and to inspire people to embrace what matters most.
The line of certified, 100% organic cotton “Value Statement Tees” are manufactured in the U.S. and printed with water-based ink. With the tag line: “Wear it, Teach it, Live it,” each tee is designed with simple, original “I will…” statements reflecting important life values. What do you value? ...
How Smart Green Design Can Shrink Life Cycle Impact
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 05.15.09
Photo credit: Robert S. Donovan via flickr
In their book Cradle to Cradle, William McDonough and Michael Braungart famously declared that 80 percent of a product's lifecycle impact is determined during its design. Yet, for many of us, "design" is a concept that's just sort of out there in the ether; every man-made object we touch every day has been designed, but most of that process is behind the scenes, so we don't always think about it. Yet, that process, more than anything else -- how it's transported to us, how we use it, etc. -- ultimately determines how "green" (or not) any given product will be. So how can design help shrink the life cycle impacts of the stuff we all use?
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Weak Renewable Energy Laws Would Lose US Jobs to Asia, Europe
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 05.15.09
Photo via Time
The top wind power companies have united to warn Congress that setting a Renewable Energy Standard too low would mean surrendering a slew of US jobs to Europe and Asia. They've joined forces to counter the message put forth by coal, oil, and other business-as-usual energy companies--that passing climate legislation would cost America jobs and hurt the economy due to raised costs. Not so fast, say the renewable energy companies: if we don't pass strong renewable energy laws, then we'll lose ground to Europe and Asia--and countless green jobs in the process....
Planet Green's Ultimate Green Wedding Guide
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 05.15.09
Photo via: SimonShaw/Flickr
Whether you’re the romantic, three-tiered cake type—or the "let’s hitched at a civil court and call it a day" sort of guy or gal…there’s something for everyone in Planet Green’s fresh off-the-blog Ultimate Green Wedding Guide. (Plus, ‘tis the season of non-stop wedding invites, and if you won’t be getting married anytime soon, you’ll likely be obliged to attend one.)
The feature offers tips on choosing the perfect eco-friendly wedding dress, low-impact gift ideas, DIY wedding favors, green honeymoon escapes and tons more. More than that, it offers a nice dose of humor. ...
Is Jon Stewart a Climate Skeptic? Daily Show Host Talks Global Warming with EPA's Lisa Jackson (VIDEO)
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 05.15.09
Photo via Wild Bluff Media
EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson was on the Daily Show last night, where she and Jon Stewart talked about climate change, discussed the agency's ruling that it could regulate CO2, and of course, shared some laughs about Bush's ineptitude. Jackson was affable and informative, but the most interesting revelation of the interview was probably Stewart's take on climate change. He said he "believes in global warming," but (albeit humorously) questions its severity, and appears to believe that man shouldn't attempt to control carbon emissions. Could Jon Stewart be a climate skeptic? Watch the video after the jump, and decide for yourself....
Carnival of the Green Goes All a 'Twitter
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 05.15.09
We here at TreeHugger are delighted to announce that Carnival of the Green will now include a Twitter section.You can still submit as normal via email, of course, but this new part of the Carnival will be called "Best Green Tweets." So, if you use Twitter and have a recent (i.e. in the last couple of weeks) green tweet that rocks make sure to read on to find out how you can submit to the Carnival each week and drive more viewers to your site.
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Algae-Powered Big Rig That Transforms Into A Locomotive
by Jerry James Stone, San Francisco, CA on 05.15.09
Photo courtesy of: CarDesign.ru
The Chiron Transportation concept transforms between both a big rig and a locomotive. Powered by an algae-based fuel cell engine, the Autobot-wannabe also comes with a satellite tracking system for navigating railways efficiently.
The design addresses the gianormous ecological and economic costs of commercial transport. Something even the un-green have had to contend with due to the increased costs of petro-based fuels....
Bye Bye Strip Mall: 5 Design Trend Reversals We Hope Stick
by Mairi Beautyman, Berlin, Germany on 05.15.09
Strip mall photo via Flickr
Good design and the psychology of the human mind go hand-in-hand. How do want to live our lives? What are the social norms? How can we make these two super important factors greener, without being a pretentious green ass? The ideas milling around TreeHugger lately allow us to envision a Jetsons-style green world of the future, and this future is optimistic. Maybe we will live in towering skyscrapers in which we can reach out and pluck a tomato off the side of the building, thanks to vertical farming. Maybe all plastics will be biodegradable--ending the massive pressure on our landfills and the death of ecosystems and endangered species like the Leatherback sea turtle. Until then, the progress is slow, but promising. Keeping in mind TreeHugger Lloyd Alter's fantastic definition of green design, here are five design trend reversals we hope are here to stay....
Indiana Approves Major Statewide e-Waste Recycling Program
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 05.15.09
Photo via wonderlane
Indiana's Governor Mitch Daniels has signed into law some major electronics recycling legislation, making it the 19th state in the country to go state-wide with e-cycling. It puts into place recycling targets for manufacturers, and some great freebies for consumers, schools, and small businesses. ...
Water Shortages Rising Across the Globe, But Especially India
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 05.15.09
Images via Grail Research
Grail Research has just released a study on water shortages across the world. Fresh water is becoming increasingly scarce, and in countries like India and China that are rapidly growing, the scarcity will hit hardest as the culture moves towards consumerism. The study's findings illustrate how current reserves must be managed more effectively if scarcity is to be mitigated, but at the current rate, an estimated 3 billion people will live below the water stress threshold by 2025. ...
50 Million Acres in Africa Snapped Up in 'Massive Neocolonial Grab'
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 05.15.09
photo: Luigi Guarino via flickr.
Every couple of months the spectre of neo-colonialism in Africa raises its hideous form in the context of land being taken by foreign countries for food or biofuel production. Relating an article from Business Week, Biofuels Digest sums up how much land has been taken:...
David de Rothschild Shows Graham Hill Ways to Turn Plastic From Waste to Resource
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 05.15.09
The Plastiki Sailing Vessel, Entirely Made of Recycled Plastic, Will Sail Across the Pacific
Eco-hero David de Rothschild has been hard at work on the Plastiki Project for a while, and TreeHugger founder Graham Hill had a chance to drop by Pier 31 in San Francisco to see what's going on behind the scenes. What he discovered is that this project isn't just about a sailboat, but about totally changing how our society sees plastic, from waste to resource. All of this because they had to solve engineering challenges (not as easy as it sounds to make a sea-worthy ship out of plastic bottles). Check out the video below, it's great....
'Clean Coal' Gets $2.4 Billion Boost from Department of Energy
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 05.15.09
Guess they didn't get this message... photo: takomabibelot via flickr.
The Department of Energy has been busy doling out funds from the Stimulus package lately, and now it's clean coal & carbon capture and storage's turn: $2.4 billion in support has just been announced. In doing so, Secretary of Energy Chu said that "to prevent the worst of climate change, we must accelerate our efforts to capture and store carbon in a safe and cost-effective way." Here's where all that money will be going:...
As China Rejects Carbon Caps, Krugman Pushes Carbon Tariffs
by Alex Pasternack, New York, NY on 05.15.09
Trying to surmise if China will be willing to agree to greenhouse gas caps is like reading tea leaves. Last week, we got a good sign, via Britain's climate change secretary ("I think they're up for a deal."). Then yesterday, this downer from China Daily: "China stance on climate talks firm." That is to say, the Chinese government "would avoid promising" a cut in greenhouse gases during the 2013-2020 period, and, as we previously noted, instead set a goal to improve energy efficiency by 2020, like the one it currently has: 4 percent per unit of GDP every year.
On top of this, according to previous reports, China would demand developed nations must commit to cutting emissions by 25-40 percent by 2020 while forking over clean tech funding for developing countries.
Now "the problem of China" -- as Paul Krugman calls it in the Times yesterday -- means China and the world will need to face an ugly, un-free trade possibility, he says: tariffs on Chinese goods based on their carbon emissions. ...
What the Heck is Radiative Forcing & Why Should My Aviation Carbon Offset Include It?
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 05.15.09
photo: Ann the Doc via flickr.
You want to be a better eco-citizen, minimize your air travel, and want to buy a carbon offset for those times when you do have to fly. But before you hit that calculate my emissions button you notice a small check box."Include Radiative Forcing" it says. What the heck is radiative forcing and why does it matter to the carbon emissions of my travel? And if it does, how much does (or should) it add? Here's the quick(ish) answer:...
Bob Lutz to Defend Chevy Volt on Letterman Next Week
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 05.15.09
Photo: GM-Volt
I challenge you to a battle of wits, to the death...
About two weeks ago, Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla Motors, went on Letterman to talk about electric cars and show the Model S electric sedan. It turned out into a kind of electric car good cop/bad cop, with an angry David Letterman ridiculing the Chevy Volt (photos of the Volt here) for its 40 miles range (looked like he didn't understand how a 'range-extended' EV works). Well, Bob Lutz could let that one slip by, so next Wednesday (May 20th) he will appear on the Late Show with GM's Volt demonstration car....
California's Plans for Biggest Desalination Plant Are a Go
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 05.15.09
An aerial shot of the planned location for Poseidon's Carlsbad desalination plant. Photo via Voice of San Diego
The $320 million desalination plant planned for Carlsbad, California was approved earlier this week, making it a prime opportunity to test out how desalination might work as a way forward through the water issues the state faces. ...
Reno 911 Gets First Electric Squad Car!
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 05.15.09
Saul Griffith on Living the Examined Life and Flying Giant Kites (Part Two)
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 05.15.09
Last week we heard about Saul Griffith's exhaustive personal energy cataloging and the resulting WattzOn.com. In part two, Griffith talks about Makani Power, his company that builds giant kites for capturing elusive, high-altitude gusts. He also shares his thoughts on the need for nuclear power and answers the question: "how scary is the world going to get?" Listen to the podcast of this interview via iTunes, or just click here to listen, right-click to download. Check out part one here....
Artists & Activists Unite at ARC's Annual Artists for Africa Benefit in NYC (Slideshow)
by Emma Grady, New York, NY on 05.15.09
Matt Dillon, Carter Coleman, Dorjee Sun at Annual ARC Benefit. Credit: Matthew McMullan Smith
This year’s 18th Annual Artists for Africa Benefit Gala held at Donna Karan's Urban Zen Center at the Stephan Weiss Studio in New York City on May 20, 2009, brought eco-activist and Carbon Conservation CEO Dorjee Sun, Sustainable Obtainable Solutions (SOS) Director Gloria Flora, and actor and Advisory Board member Matt Dillon out in support of the African Rainforest Conservancy (ARC), a non for profit working to promote the conservation and restoration of African rainforests by empowering local men, women, and children, to preserve their natural heritage for present and future generations. The event honored Dorjee Sun, a young entrepreneur with a plan to end the devastation of forests globally. With a live auction by Sotheby’s, all raised funds will support ARC’s mission.
View party pictures and find out what blue spotted-species was named after the night’s honoree in our slideshow: Artists & Activists Unite at ARC's Annual Artists for Africa Benefit in NYC.
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Top Twitterers to Follow: Business and Politics
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 05.15.09
Find out some of the best Twitterers to follow if you want to stay up on the latest in green business and politics....
Let's Find $2 Billion a Year to Help Poor Countries Adapt to Climate Change
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 05.15.09
photo: International Rice Research Institute via flickr.
Helping poor nations adapt to climate change and mitigate the effects already being seen—the first official climate refugees just permanently left their homes on island off Papua New Guinea—really has to be pushed higher up the agenda of wealthy nations. To that end, the Commission on Climate Change and Development has just presented a report to the United Nations which details just how much aid needs to be given. It's about 0.7% of GDP; that works out to be about one to two billion dollars a year:...
Awesome! Abandoned Railroad Gets Converted in Biking and Walking Path in Detroit
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 05.15.09
Photos: Corine Vermeulen-Smith
The Dequindre Cut is Now Open to the Public!
A Detroit railroad line that has been abandoned since the 1980s has now been turned into a 1.2 mile biking and walking path, and Detroit officials assure us that this is only the beginning, part of a grander vision. "The Dequindre Cut is the latest in a growing network of greenways -- nonmotorized community links -- that eventually could encompass 100 miles of such trails throughout Detroit." The Cut was open to the public with festive ceremonies yesterday (just in time for Bike to Work Day). Check out the video below....
Trusting Government And Business To Work Together
by Danielle Carpenter Sprungli, WCSBD on 05.15.09
All around us a new industrial revolution is beginning. WBCSD President Bjorn Stigson calls it a “lean, mean, clean” revolution. It will be clean because we know we cannot go on polluting as we have been and maintain functioning ecosystems; it will be lean because a growing population and the need to alleviate poverty will leave us with a resource-constrained world with higher prices for food, oil and gas; and it will be mean because the transformation this revolution will bring will create winners and losers.
This revolution is happening in a world in transition: population growth shifting from developed to developing countries, along with the bulk of tomorrow’s consumers; and shifting fortunes in 2005 the GDP of emerging economies outstripped that of developed economies.
...
Business Card Company MOO Offers Smart Designs and Stateside Shipping
by Naturally Savvy on 05.15.09
MOO customers often share a sampling of their business cards on Flickr. Each card can be printed with a unique image. Photo via: Hidde de Vries/Flickr.com.
I've long been a fan of U.K.-based printing company MOO. Sure, MOO business cards are a little pricey, but you get a different photo printed on each card, and I freely admit to being swayed by the wow-factor.
Despite my serious crush on these cards, I've never ordered any. I just couldn't bring myself to buy a product that would have to be flown across an ocean to land in my hands. But when I once again found myself on the MOO website last week, my carbon footprint-weary heart soared with joy....
How To: Turn a Hand-Cranked Flashlight Into a Battery Charger (Video)
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 05.15.09
One Beautiful Bike Wedding and Two Bike Discos
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 05.15.09
Here's the wedding getaway vehicle - a Metrofiets via Gabriel McGovern.
TreeHugger has documented a treasure trove of bike activities this week. Hopefully, you've got room for one more - a beautiful bike wedding that happened this month in Portland, Oregon, first spotted at the great BikeHugger blog. Portland is learning to do everything on bikes - bike moves, multiple incarnations of bike-based deliveries, and now, bike weddings. ...
We've Got Obama's Back on Climate Change
by Greg Haegele of Sierra Club on 05.15.09
EPA Potomac Yard Conference Center, Arlington, VA Image credit:BuildingGreen.com
It was good news for Earthlings when the Environmental Protection Agency recently ruled that carbon dioxide and other global warming pollutants endanger public health and therefore must be regulated by the Clean Air Act. It was a bold and necessary first step toward tackling climate change, and proof that President Obama and his administration get the big picture when it comes to a clean energy future.
The EPA ruling isn't a done-deal, however, so I want to suggest three things you can do to make it so, and to support Obama in what will be a series of climate-change related decisions in the coming year...
Double the Pleasure: Sex Toys Added to Planet Green Sex Guide
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 05.15.09
Photo credit: Lelo
Time for some green action in the bedroom: And honey, we're not talking about bamboo sheets or beds made entirely of wood. Did you know most manufacturers load vibrators and dildos with phthalates--toxic chemical softeners used in PVC--to make them soft and flexible? It's a little steamy over at Planet Green, where we've updated our sex guide, How to Go Green: Sex, to include six green vibrators and dildos. Check out the Cobalt Ribbed Clear G-spot Dildo from PyreXions that can be heated or chilled to your liking or the NobEssence, hand-sculpted out of exotic hardwoods: Both are a surefire way to convert your partner to the green movement....
Dept of Interior Sued by Oil Drilling Companies for Revoking Utah Exploration Leases
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 05.15.09
Arches National Park photo: Tobias via flickr
You probably could've guessed it would happen: Back in February the Department of Interior revoke oil and gas exploration leases on public land in Utah, which had been authorized by the Bush administration, on the grounds that they were too close to several national parks and important wilderness areas. Now three drilling companies in three Utah counties are suing for lost revenue:...
Leonardo DiCaprio's Big Green Heart, Beyonce's Fashion Excess, and more
by Terri MacLeod on 05.15.09
Photo via Celebs Gone Good
Ok, so this isn't a true green item. But, kudo's to my favorite eco-celeb, Leonardo DiCaprio for his consistent give-back spirit. Leo and Kate Winslet returned to their Titanic roots to help out the ship's one remaining survivor. The actors have lent their support to pay for 97-year-old Millvina Dean's nursing home care. Millvina was only 2 months old when the ship sank, and lost her father. To help keep Millvina's living situation afloat, Kate and Leo both gave her $10,000 dollars. Poor Millvina has had to resort to selling her autograph to pay her bills. Thanks: Celebs Gone Good ...
Friday Feast for the Eyes with Awesome Tire Sculptures
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 05.15.09
Photos via Robot Nine
We've mentioned tire sculptures before, albeit really briefly. It's time to revel in them for awhile as we let our brains wind down for the weekend. Robot Nine shows off some really amazing ways artists have reused old tires, molding them into beautiful, and a little bit scary, giant sculptures.
Check out more after the jump. ...
Slow Food Founder Carlo Petrini On Local Eating
by Kelly Rossiter, Toronto on 05.15.09
A gastronome who is not an environmentalist is stupid. An environmentalist who is not a gastronome is boring.Thus spake Carlo Petrini, the founder of the Slow Food movement. It was just one of his quotable bon mots of the evening discussion I attended. It was his first time in Toronto and there was a lot of buzz about his appearance. The programme was presented by Planet in Focus, an organization that uses film and video to "explore social and ecological focal points", and the Italian Cultural Institute. Billed as "An Evening of Conversation" with Petrini, it turned out to be more of a lecture than a conversation, but it was fascinating for anyone who is interested in food, culture and society....
UK Solar Price to Match Fossil Fuels by 2013
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 05.15.09
Image credit: Solarcentury
Solar as Cheap as Coal by 2013?
It can be tiring to keep up with all the inflated claims about super cheap solar being 'just around the corner'. Back in June of 2007, John reported on claims that solar costs would plunge 40% by 2010, and the world is not short of inventors who claim their inventions can slash the price of solar energy in half. Meanwhile most of us mortals still look at the price of a solar photovoltaic (PV) installation and baulk. But once again we are hearing rumors that this may change. In fact, one UK solar company claims that by 2013, solar will be cost competitive with coal. Could this be true?...
Interactive Carbon Impact Explorer Lets You See Your Carbon Offsets At Work
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 05.15.09
BeGreen launched a cool application that lets you get interactive with your carbon offsets. You can visually track the projects you support with your carbon offset purchases. It's the first online way to connect your carbon offset purchases with the projects they support. ...
Solar "Powered" Netbooks May Take Slapping Solar Cells on Gadgets One Step Too Far
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 05.15.09
Photo via neoseeker
We're all for charging your laptop with solar power, and have spent quite a bit of time talking about possible devices to help you do that. And we also can't help but get a little giddy when gadgets incorporate solar power for charging. But, if we feel a little unsure about leaving a solar powered cell phone out in the sun to charge, are we even remotely comfortable about doing that with a netbook? New models from iUnika tests our limits. ...
Digital Signatures in Turkey Save 1,600 Trees
by Jennifer Hattam, Istanbul, Turkey on 05.15.09
Signing, the old-school way. Photo by qwrrty via Flickr
One of the small, but annoying, problems with expat life is dealing with the issue of signing documents related to work and logistics back in the U.S. With people's lives so electronically connected now, it has surprised me how many times I've had to put actual pen to actual paper and sign a contract, an invoice, or a request for press access.
Since the Turkish mail can be a bit, ahem, unreliable, this entails walking up the hill to the Internet cafe, printing out the document in question, signing it, and then either giving it back to the Internet guy to scan it so I can then send it in via email, or walking back down to the yarn and pantyhose store (no, I'm not kidding), where I can fax it off. I know there are better ways, but I haven't yet got around to figuring them out. On that count, it seems, the Turkish government is one step ahead of me....
It is Bike Day, in Bike Month. Are You On It?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.15.09
It is Bike Day. in the middle of Bike Month, all started to promote the use of bikes as transportation, to reduce fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas production. The weather is just right. So what are you doing?
...
Hammy the Hamster Proves Once and For All: Organic Food is Better (Video)
by Mairi Beautyman, Berlin, Germany on 05.15.09
Busker Turns Bike into Travelling Drum Kit
by Bonnie Alter, London on 05.15.09
Josie Maran Cosmetics: Green or Greenwash?
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 05.14.09
Photo credit: Josie Maran Cosmetics
When it comes to looking green and gorgeous, model Josie Maran is on top of her game. Crowned the Green Glamour Queen in the premier issue of Organic Beauty, Maran is the face that launched an eco-empire—and sold a thousand mascara wands. Her eponymous cosmetics line, touted as natural, organic, and free from parabens, phthalates, and most petrochemicals, has won accolades from mainstream femme mags like Allure, Glamour, Vogue, and most recently Elle, where Maran's tinted moisturizer triumphed in the 2009 Green Star Awards.
Not everyone is a fan, however. ...
People Power in China: A Slideshow of Human Feats, Feet-Powered Vehicles and Mass Action
by Alex Pasternack, New York, NY on 05.14.09
Citing China's status as the world's number one emitter of greenhouse gases means nothing without reference to its population of 1.3 billion people. Any populace that large will mean a huge burden on the environment. But for centuries it has also meant an incredible source of renewable energy: human power underwritten by the ingenuity, fortitude and collectivism of the Chinese people. Since the collectivist spirit was codified as political ideology in the '50s, it has undergone significant transformation, and in China's new market-driven economy has begun yielding to a fierce individualism, in spite of government efforts to promote a "harmonious society" and Western fantasies of a "harmonious collective." There may be no better symbol of this than the growing penchant for the automobile as both a mode of transportation and a way of life.
Still, renewable people power is alive and well in China -- not just in the physical sense but, increasingly, in the political sense as well.
...
Green Schools Bill to Boost Energy Efficiency, Grow Jobs
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 05.14.09
Photo via Greener Energy Ohio
The great "Green Schools Bill" has just passed the House and is now heading to the Senate, NPR reports--and its chances of passing are looking favorable. Which is good news: the bill would not only make thousands of schools more energy efficient and clean up polluted areas surrounding them, but it would create hundreds of thousands of jobs in the process. ...
Employers, Here's How You Can Create a Bike-Friendly Office
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 05.14.09
Photo: D'Arcy Norman, CC
"How to Keep Cyclists Happy at the Office"
Baltimore Spokes has an interesting piece about things that employers can do to help their employees successfully bike to work. It's a very important thing. Even if you have nice bike paths and know all the tips about how to ride, you'll probably be more tempted to give up if your work place is very bike-unfriendly. From an employer's perspective, having bike-commuters in the office is a positive thing; they tend to be healthier, less stressed, and more productive (this sounds a bit too close to fitter, happier, more productive...). Read on to see tips for employers who want to encourage bike commuting....
Energy Usage Increases Despite Efficiency Efforts
by Roberta Cruger, Los Angeles on 05.14.09
“Electronic billabong:” power strip supping up electrons. Photo via Flickr: by Stibbons
Electronic equipment, including cell phones, iPods, PCs, videogames, and plasma TVs have increased demand for residential energy use annually by 3.4 percent since 1990, according to the International Energy Agency. This trend leads the IEA to estimate that personal electrical energy usage in homes should triple by 2030 worldwide, hence more carbon emissions from coal and natural gas plants. It noted this trend is undoing efforts toward energy-efficiency. ...
Discovery Communications Founder John Hendricks Elected New Chairman of the National Forest Foundation
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 05.14.09
John Hendricks, the NFF's Chief Kimbell and Secretary Tom Vilsack. Photo courtesy Discovery Communications.
Discovery Communications is loaded with tons of talented, bright minds (wink, wink) so it’s no surprise really that its founding father and chairman, John Hendricks, was recently elected Chairman of the Board of Directors for the National Forest Foundation (NFF).
As if charging up the Discovery empire—the world’s number one non-fiction media company wasn’t impressive enough…...
Phew! West Antarctic Ice Sheet Not Likely to Melt Completely, But Sea Rise Still Significant
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 05.14.09
Pathfinder Linden via flickr.
There's some good news/bad news on the melting Antarctic ice sheets being reported over at New Scientist. Though the West Antarctic ice sheet probably won't entirely collapse into the ocean all at once (that's the good news), the parts that are most likely to be released will cause some serious sea level rise:...
Get Ready for Bike to Work Day (And Then Keep Going)
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 05.14.09
Photo: denali2001, CC
There are So Many Reasons to Bike to Work
Bike to Work Day is tomorrow (Q?: How can we make biking to work 'normal'?), and our friend Chris Baskind over at LighterFootStep wrote many interesting things lately on the how and why of biking (plus tips on how not to become an Insufferable Cyclist). Read on for more details....
Cool-er e-Reader Is Cheaper, Has More Titles than Kindle
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 05.14.09
Images via Cool-er
If you're looking to save trees by developing a long term relationship with a shiny new e-reader, you might want to move past the Kindle and Sony Reader and peruse other options. The newest to hit the market next month is the Cool-er, which boasts a bigger library, cheaper price, and more colorful selection than the Kindle. ...
Record Numbers of Bird Species Threatened with Extinction in IUCN Red List Update
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 05.14.09
photo: Duncan via flickr
I admit it's sort of perverse to say, but mammals and amphibians get all the attention in the endangered species discussion. But according to the latest update of the IUCN Red List, the bird portion of which is Birdlife International's domain, a record number of known bird species are threatened, 12%; and nine new species were listed as critically endangered:...
Max Gladwell Storms Green Blogosphere with 10 Ways, and More
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 05.14.09
In the week that Max Gladwell stormed almost every existing social media site with 10 Ways to Change the World Through Social Media we are awed by the power and speed of the blogosphere. In the spirit of positive social change here are 4 more fantastic posts we've come across this week on taking action......
Kids Doodle 4 Google, Express Wishes for the World
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 05.14.09
Photo credit: Emily Dorsey/Google
Each year, the mighty GOOG invites K-12 students to take liberties with its iconic logo to see what the young whippersnappers can come up with. The theme of 2009's Doodle 4 Google—"What I Wish for the World"—also provided the perfect opportunity to take the pulse of the millennial generation. And perhaps it's telling that nearly half of the 40 regional finalists lingered on explicitly environmental themes.
Click below the fold for a few of our favorites. Voting is now through May 18 and the winning design will appear on Google's homepage on May 21....
Are You a Green Porno 2 Fan? You Could Win a Whale-Watching Trip
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 05.14.09
Photo: Sundance Channel
Just Like on TV, Except Isabella Rossellini Won't Be There
Fans of Isabella Rossellini's series of short films about the sex life of marine animals, Green Porno 2, now have a chance to win a whale-watching trip off the Massachusetts coastline. I admit I have a few reservations about the prize (more details below), but I definitely don't have any about Green Porno. It's a great series, very funny, but also educational and scientific....
Chicago Becomes First City to Ban Bottles With BPA
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 05.14.09
Photo via ABC News
And so the tide continues to turn against Bisphenol A: it's been declared a health hazard in Canada, seen its baby bottles booted out of US States, and now, Chicago's kicked it out as well. Chicago has become the first city to officially ban bottles made with BPA plastics, the New York Times reports today. Bottle manufacturers have already been walking away from BPA en masse, and this latest development is great news indeed for the movement to rid the world of BPA. Here's how it happened. ...
Q?: How Can We Make Biking to Work 'Normal'?
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 05.14.09
Photo: Joshua Putnam, CC
"We need to show people that ride bikes to work, not cyclists that ride to work."
Tomorrow is Bike to Work Day, and our friends at StreetsBlog, bouncing off something written at M-Bike, ask a very important question: How can we make bike commuting "normal"? How can we make the idea of commuting to work on a bike seem normal (as in not-out-of-the-ordinary) so that more people will be tempted to give it a try. We'd really love to hear your ideas on this one in the comments....
Take Action: Help End Unsustainable Shark Finning
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 05.14.09
Photo via Flashpacking Life
Shark finning is the practice of slicing off a shark's fins, valuable for soups, and then tossing the body back to sea. It's wasteful, ecologically harmful, and makes it difficult to track what species are being caught and in what numbers. But you can make a difference by taking about 90 seconds to send off a letter to your senators to vote Yes on the Shark Conservation Act of 2009. ...
Coral Reef Loss in Southeast Asia to Reduce Food Supplies 80%: Strong International Action Needed
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 05.14.09
photo: sektordua via flickr
The effect that warming and ocean acidification will have on coral reefs will be devastating. At particular risk, a new report from World Wildlife Fund points out, is the Coral Triangle in Southeast Asia. Without strong action of constrain global temperature rise, coral in the region could be wiped out by 2100, leading to a decline in food production in the region by 80%, imperiling 100 million people:...
Ten Low Emission, High Protein Foods
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 05.14.09
Image credit: kwerfeldein via flickr
Did you know that it takes ten times more fossil fuel to produce one calorie of beef protein than to produce one calorie of grain protein? (Laura Stec, Cool Cuisine). And that “livestock production accounts for 55 percent of the erosion process, 37 percent of pesticides applied, 50 percent of antibiotics consumed, and a third of total discharge of nitrogen and phosphorus to surface water?” (Dr. Popkin of the University of North Carolina, as quoted in the New York Times). Some reports have even gone so far as to say that food choice is as important as the car you drive in the battle to prevent global climate change.
But protein is an essential part of the human diet. You cannot survive without adequate protein in your diet. So how can you fill your plate with proteins without filling the atmosphere with waste gases or the lakes and rivers with run-off? Here are ten, sometimes surprising, low emission, high protein food sources to help you eat right....
GOP Attempts to "Nitpick" Climate Bill into Oblivion
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 05.14.09
Photo via Cleveland
We all know that the GOP is fighting the Democrats' climate bill tooth and nail: we've seen the anti-climate bill talking points and heard the dubious claims about the financial burden it would place on American families. Now, Republicans in the Energy and Commerce committee are planning some definitive action in order to take a stand against the bill. And Politico has this story of their attack strategy: to literally "nitpick the bill into legislative oblivion." What does that even mean?...
Refrigerants For The Future: An Interview With Mack McFarland
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 05.14.09
Vintage Car Window-Mounted Evaporative Air Cooler. Image credit:ClassicAire, via 62-77ChevyTrucks.com
Refrigerant gases are back in the news - "HFC's" especially - now, because of their extended climate forcing potential. Remember the Montreal Protocol, that successful, 1989 global treaty to protect the earth's ozone layer? The Protocol still has an important role to play, in encouraging development of refrigerant gases that have reduced impacts on both the ozone layer and climate. TreeHugger interviewed Mack McFarland, Environmental Fellow with DuPont, Inc., and an active participant in both the Protocol and IPCC, to get his insights into what the refrigerant choices of the future will be, and how we'll get them. Stay cool, read on....
Formula One Racing Failing on its Green Promises
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 05.14.09
Image credit: BluGroup
F1 Motorsport Accused of Greenwash
Once upon a time, Formula One racing committed to going hybrid and reducing emissions. But commitments are one thing, following through on them is another. So far it looks like F1 racing's green tendencies are largely limited to paint jobs. And it would seem that The Guardian's Greenwash column would agree, laying into the world's premier motorsport series for a woeful lack of commitment to sustainability.
...
Galpshare, a European Carpooling Platform
by Petz Scholtus, Barcelona, Spain on 05.14.09
Lately, individual car ownership has become less and less attractive in cities, whilst carsharing services have become more and more inviting: more commodity (no need to hunt for parking spaces, less bills,…), less expensive and greener. Gulpshare is a new European carpooling platform launched in Portugal (see ad below), by the oil company Galp Energia....
Algae Biofuel Pioneer GreenFuel Technology Closes Down
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 05.14.09
Not GreenFuel's algae tanks, but you get the idea... photo: Jurveston (flickr)
Calling themselves a "victim of the economy," algae biofuel company GreenFuel Technologies is shutting down, Greentech Media reports:...
US National Institutes Of Health Confirms Cancer Risk Of Formaldehyde Exposure: Katrina Redux
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 05.14.09
Unsold recreational vehicles. Image credit via:OregonLive, Jamie Francis/The Oregonian, excerpted.
Last week was the deadline for those still living in FEMA-provided "Katrina Trailers" to move out. As tragic as being kicked out of one's home is, especially while jobs are so few, the decision by FEMA to turn remaining trailer residents out may be a blessing in disguise. As this post headline states, a large, extended NIH study of "workers employed at plants that used or produced formaldehyde continue to show a possible link between formaldehyde exposure and death from cancers of the blood and lymphatic system, particularly myeloid leukemia." These were workers making molded-plastic products, decorative laminates, and plywood - as may be found in house trailers....
1.3 Gigawatts of Solar Thermal Power in California to be Developed by PG&E and BrightSource
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 05.14.09
image: BrightSource
In what both parties are characterizing as the biggest solar deal in the world, utility PG&E and solar thermal power developer BrightSource have announced that they have signed an agreement to develop seven solar thermal power plants in California totaling 1.31 GW, the first of which, in Ivanpah, is expected to come online in 2012:
...
Do Green Jobs Pay? Not If You Are A Pilot of a Greener Plane
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.14.09
Airspace
I am a big fan of propeller planes; the Bombardier Q400 sips fuel and flies low enough that its exhaust is not as harmful as the jets flying twice as high. In an earlier post (Perhaps Flying Turboprop isn't Dying) I noted that it is far more fuel efficient per person than a car and only slightly worse than a train. As I prepare to bike down to the airport and fly to New York on one, I have been considering the news coverage about the investigation into the crash of a Q400 near Buffalo in February. I like to call it a greener way to fly, but apparently the working conditions and pay make it anything but....
GMO-Free Regions: A Growing Global Trend, Except In The United States?
by greenz.jp, Tokyo, Japan on 05.14.09
Photo: GMO-Free Regions, Biodiversity & Rural Development
The fifth GMO-Free Regions conference was held last month in Luzern, Switzerland, with participation from over 30 countries. Monsanto, the biotech juggernaut was absent, but as usual, they didn't miss a beat - the company promptly sued Germany for banning MON 810, the controversial GMO corn variety that isn't very popular anywhere in the world.
If you live in the US, you may instead be hearing Monsanto's message on National Public Radio, as if their other ways of spreading the GMO message aren't enough. Tune in to The Genetic Conspiracy (1/3) - (Youtube) for a change....
Dell's Stance on Not Exporting e-Waste Is Not Heroic
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 05.14.09
CRTs piled more than 4 meters high in an imported e-Waste smuggling depot in Hong Kong's New Territories area. Photo via Basel Action Network
Buzzing around the blogosphere this week is news that Dell has implemented a policy to not export e-waste, but deal with it here. It's a great policy, no doubt, because it a) keeps the junk we create here, so that we have to deal with it properly and not allow it to poison other peoples; and b) it sets a level of accountability for Dell, now that they've voiced their stance. However, this does not by any stretch of the imagination make Dell some sort of superhero on e-waste, as they (and many blogs) are angling themselves to be....
Cameron Sinclair Gets Cheers from Architects
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.14.09
The last time we wrote about Cameron Sinclair talking to architects, he started a major controversy with his incendiary comments about starchitects. (see Cameron Sinclair in Architectural Bunfights on Two Continents) When he came to Toronto last week for the Ontario Association of Architects convention, he was positively restrained, almost cuddly. He got a standing ovation from 1200 architects and not a bun tossed. Most interesting statistics:
...
"Millions Stolen": Bee Theft Multiplies as Prices Soar
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 05.14.09
Image credit: Chelsea Bay Wills
UK's Bee Keepers Hit by Increased Theft
As you can tell from the photo - I'm a big fan of bees. I've written before about my own experiences of installing a bee hive, and I was super excited to hear that the Obamas are taking up beekeeping. But these are troubled times for beekeepers. As if disease, climate change and the mysterious Colony Collapse Disorder were not enough, UK beekeepers are now being hit by organized criminals. The idea of thieves sneaking off with boxes full of thousands of stinging insects is somewhat comical at first, but the economic consequences are potentially devastating for an industry that is already in trouble... ...
Dwell Magazine Gets Small
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.14.09
When we gave our Best of Green: Design + Architecture award for Best Shelter Magazine to Dwell, we noted that it was on a roll, and that its May green issue made the point that green has gone from niche to normal. Now they have followed that up with their June issue, which may do the same for small space living. ...
Teens' Virtual Yearbook Shakes Up How Teens and Charities Connect
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 05.14.09
Image via myYearbook
myYearbook is a project by brother and sister duo Dave and Catherine Cook. They decided to take the idea of a yearbook digital, shaking up not only the concept of a yearbook, but also in how teens interact with charitable causes. A section of their site is called Causes, and it's raised some serious funds to make great eco-minded change....
Yakkay Gives You at Least Five Reasons You Might Want to Wear a Helmet
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 05.14.09
Students at Intel's Science Fair Show Off Incredible Eco-Focused Projects
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 05.14.09
Seth Fisher and his solar concentrator. Photos via Intel
The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, the world’s largest international pre-college science competition, is underway this week, and a few of the 1,500 kids participating have come up with some great environmentally savvy science projects. From oil spill-cleaning robots to lighting powered by cow dung, the future of cleantech can be seen in the kids standing at their booths in the show. ...
Cap and Trade Explained in Under Four Minutes (Video)
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 05.14.09
Are You a Gottahavist or a Minimalist? Or Anotherist?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.14.09
Jaymi thinks that there are two types of geeks in the world, the minimalists who try to get by with as little as possible (see How Much Energy Can a Gadget Minimalist Save?) , and what she coined as the gottahavist, who has all the fixings. I think there is at least a third, a whateverist, who just uses the tools at hand for what they need and doesn't worry about whether it is the latest thing. There are probably more.
...
People to the Power: Energy Utility Provides Community Garden Plots
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 05.14.09
DTE Energy, of Michigan, previously came to our attention when we noticed that had a bunch of their power plants ‘wildlife certified’ by the Wildlife Habitat Council. Turns out they are still doing rather unusual stuff with those power stations.
Would you believe community gardens? Yep. DTE Energy have offered over 100 acres (40 hectares) of land to the Gleaners Community Food Bank* for use as garden plots or allotments, so “one of the oldest food banks in the United States” can grow food to feed the hungry. ...
One Wheel Wonder: ExtraWheel's Voyager Bike Trailer
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 05.14.09
It’s not often that TreeHugger visits Poland, so we are pleased to present ExtraWheel, who hail from Nowy Targ in the south of the country. They produce an incredibly simple, single wheel bike trailer, that doubles as an emergency spare wheel.
ExtraWheel claim their trailers are the lightest available. That they can negotiate most obstacles and enter the narrowest of spaces. Designed for touring and expeditionary use, the new Voyager is said to easily lug up to 35kg (77 lb), and besides acting as spare wheel, the the trailers also apparently detach themselves “in the event of major collisions.” Not that these are the only benefits attributed to an ExtraWheel....
Rice Husk Insulation To Make Fridges 50% More Efficient
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 05.14.09
Your next refrigerator might be sheathed in renewable rice, if a team of students from the University of Michigan have anything to do with it. With just 12.5mm (half inch of rice husk ash they reckon they can achieve the equivalent of over 100mm (4 inches) of conventional petroleum-based insulation.
With claims that the 11 million fridges sold annually in the US could be made 50% more efficient, the judges of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Clean Energy Prize obviously saw the potential in such technology. Such that they awarded the students first prize, which came with a cheque for $200,000 USD. That will now no doubt help them as they launch a start-up company, Husk Insulation, to commercialise their product. ...
Ghent Goes Veggie on Thursdays
by Bonnie Alter, London on 05.14.09
Image from eva
Ghent, a charming mediaeval town in Belgium is going vegetarian every Thursday, starting today. That's right: "Donderdag--Veggie Dag" means that every restaurant has to have a vegetarian dish on the menu, schools will have to make a meat-free meal once a week and even the local shish-ke-bab stand is serving a broadbean felafel instead.
The city council has introduced it, in an effort to cut obesity and greenhouse gases. As one councillor said: "it's good for the climate, your health and your taste buds. There is nothing compulsory, we just want to promote healthy eating." ...
Want an Italian Stainless Steel Bike? Pay Up
by Daniel Kessler, San Francisco, California on 05.13.09
Photo courtesy of Matt Pacocha, Velonews
Legendary bike builder Cinelli is out with a stainless steel beauty, made from the world famous Reynolds’ 953 steel tubeset. If you can get your hands on one of these, you'll know steel is real. The good news? The Cinelli XCr is the only seamless stainless steel tubeset in the world. The bad news? It’s also the most expensive steel tubeset in the world. ...
Spring/Summer Fashion 2009: Mavi Jeanswear Organic Division
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 05.13.09
Photo credit: Mavi Jeans
Dress 'em up or dress 'em down, the classic pair of jeans is a versatile wardrobe essential that bridges high brow and low brow, uptown couture and downtown hipster. Turkish transplant Mavi, which started cranking out organic cotton jeans in 2006, knows its way around denim. For spring, the Mavi mavens are venturing away from blue-wash territory into full-colored mode, with hues like pale pink, pale white, pale sand, and pale green to perk up its new line of dungarees and bermuda shorts. (Traditionalists don't have to despair, however—indigo is still a go.)...
Obama Offers Farmers $50 Million to Go Organic
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 05.13.09
Photo via Trends Updates
Organic farming just got gubernatorial. The US Department of Agriculture just announced funding for a new organics initiative--and Obama's going to give $50 million in funding for farmers to make the switch to organic. Farmers will now be able to apply for funds that will aid them in making the transition to organic. And even though $50 million isn't a whole hell of a lot in the $787 billion stimulus scheme of things, it's nonetheless a nice boost for the organic industry--here's how it'll help....
China's Suntech Will Build Solar Panels in U.S.
by Alex Pasternack, New York, NY on 05.13.09
Biggest Solar Manufacturer Could Provide 1,000 US Jobs
Suntech, China's solar leader and the world's largest producer of photovoltaics by volume, will build a factory in the United States.
"We believe in the outstanding long-term prospects of the solar energy market in the United States," said Shi Zhengrong, Suntech's CEO (and erstwhile richest man in China). "A number of favorable developments have led us to this decision, including the dramatic growth in utility demand for large-scale wholesale solar projects, the increasing number of states with incentive programs for customer-owned systems and the federal government's recent stimulus package."
This is more proof that promoting clean energy in the US is going to generate green jobs at home....
Police Arresting & Recruiting Protestors As Informants: Where Is The Line?
by Kimberley D. Mok, Montreal, Canada on 05.13.09
Juliana Napier, Matilda Gifford and Dan Glass with some of the recording equipment they used. (Photo: Murdo Macleod via The Guardian) Though she had been just released on bail after a peaceful protest at an airport, U.K. activist Matilda Gifford was approached by undercover police attempting to recruit her as an informant on her organization’s activities, in exchange for cash. Police claimed that they could help Gifford with her student loans, and that any information she could give on strongly “ideological” groups would be helping to diffuse any potential “hotheaded” situations. But instead of signing on, the 24-year-old woman recorded their conversations on a hidden cell phone, exposing how local police are actively enlisting spies to disrupt the lawful activities of climate change organizations. Unfortunately, Gifford’s case is not isolated. ...
Spring/Summer Fashion 2009: Trove & Co.
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 05.13.09
Photo credit: Trove & Co.
Tired of playing dress-up doll during the week? Comfort doesn't have to be aesthetic-crushing. If you're looking for an alternative to dingy tees and hole-ridden, ratty sweats, Trove & Co. is a pirate's booty of lounge-around casuals that can take you from beachside vacay to couch-denting Law & Order: SVU marathon without skipping a beat.
Made in the U.S. of A. from 100 percent organic cotton, water-based dyes, and PVC-free zippers, Trove's shirts, dresses, hoodies, blazers, shorts—and, yes—sweatpants are popular among Tinseltown hobnobbers like Liv Tyler, Kate Hudson, Jessica Alba, Rachael McAdams, and Mena Suvari....
Does the Environment Win When Economic Crisis Sends Immigrants Home?
by Jennifer Hattam, Istanbul, Turkey on 05.13.09
Many of the low-wage workers in Turkish cities are migrants from rural areas.
Turkish cities have been the stage for culture clashes in recent years, as residents of rural areas moved to urban areas in large numbers, bringing what many urbanites see as undesirable "village ways" with them. Citing social, economic, and environmental concerns, the government sought not so long ago to reverse the migration, with the prime minister even suggesting a visa be required for citizens to enter Istanbul, by far the country's largest city. But since the financial crisis hit, many migrants--in Turkey and around the world--seem to be heading back of their own accord, with uncertain consequences for the planet....
US Emission Reduction Efforts Inadequate: IPCC Chair and Lord Stern Play Good Cop-Bad Cop
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 05.13.09
Dr Rajendra Pachauri speaking at the Copenhagen Climate Congress in March. Photo: Lizette Kabré/Copenhagen Climate Congress
On numerous occasions now I've said that while President Obama's greenhouse gas emissions reductions may be deep enough in the long run, they simply aren't adequate in the short term to give us a fighting chance to keep global temperature rise below the critical 2°C threshold. According to recent quotes by AFP, Lord Nicholas Stern and IPCC chairman Rajendra Pachauri concur, and both urge the US to make deeper cuts. It's a bit of good cop-bad cop on climate change:...
Conservative Kansas Voters Heart Renewable Energy
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 05.13.09
Photo via the Clarion Ledger
If there's anything we've learned from the politics of the green movement in recent years, it's that stereotypes have no place. If it seemed for years that the GOP was the party of Big Oil and Coal, we'd do well to remember that it was the Republican politicians--not the people--who more often cozied up to ungreen interests. Plenty of Dems have got Big Coal's back, too, remember. And just about everyone wants clean energy--regardless of political affiliation. How do I know? By the overwhelmingly progressive, pro-renewable energy views on energy expressed by conservative Kansas voters in this eye-opening survey, of course. ...
Stadium in Taiwan Almost Completely Covered in Solar Panels
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.13.09
images via Wikipedia and Deputy Dog
We love solar power, we really do, but sometimes wonder if these things are not used for architectural effect rather than real power generation. The new World Games stadium in Kaohsiung, Taiwan is just about completely covered in photovoltaics, to very dramatic effect. The 55,000 seat stadium is designed by Japanese great Toyo Ito, and the panels can supply "one million kilowatts of electricity per year." (I know, that makes little sense, it is a quote.)...
Better Place's Automated Electric Car Battery Swap Station
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 05.13.09
Photo: Better Place
Get a New Battery in 1 Minute, 13 Seconds
Shai Agassi's vision for electric cars is coming closer to reality. To really get a good idea how this automated electric car battery swap machinery works, you need to check out the video below. 1 min 13 secs is pretty good, but looking at that video, it's obvious that they could make it even faster by moving everything around more quickly (maybe with counter weights to help balance it all out). ...
Jatropha Biofuel Yields in Indian Wastelands 80% Below Forecasts
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 05.13.09
Jatropha plantation in Rajasthan, photo: The Jatropha System
Though plenty of reports have been done in the past two years indicating that while jatropha curcas does grow in marginal conditions, to produce consistent crops yields at levels suitable for commercial biofuel production, it needs just as much attention as other biofuel crops. The latest validation of that view comes from The National by way of Biofuels Digest:...
Romses Architects: From Vertical Farms To Backlane Solar Prefab
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.13.09
All images from Romses Architects via Designboom
We previously showed Vancouver's Romses Architects' fabulous vertical farm Harvest Green. They appear to have submitted another entry in Vancouver's 2020 Challenge competition- a proposal for the development of back lane housing. Like the Harvest Green, they push every trendy button going, from modular prefab to green roofs to back lane intensification to urban farming. It could have been a clichéd pastiche, but they pulled it off.
...
Update from Boaz on the Un-Road Trip: A Car-Free Journey Across the US
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 05.13.09
Photo: Boaz Frankel
One Man, One Mission, Many Vehicles (Except Cars)
Last month, we wrote about the beginning of the Un-Road Trip, a project by Boaz Frankel who decided to travel across the United States, going through as many states as possible, in anything but a car. Now that the un-road trip is well under way, it's time for an update. More photos and videos below!...
Largest Solar Plant in the World Coming to Arizona?
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 05.13.09
Photo via Kingman Daily Miner
Could be--details are still emerging and sketchy, but it looks like one of the world's biggest solar projects will find its home in Arizona. The proposed 340 megawatt system would use advanced parabolic trough technology, and would cost over $2 billion--and yes, it would take advantage of stimulus funding. Looks like Arizona's becoming a hotbed for solar power indeed--this would be the fourth solar plant in Mohave County, AZ alone. Here are the whispered details:...
Andrew Sullivan at the Atlantic on Bicycle Helmets, or Lack Thereof
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.13.09
So many people think helmets are ineffective, and they certainly didn't do much good in Star Wars. They also suggest that wearing helmets reduces the rate of ridership, but we covered that here, that is a discussion about bicycle helmet legislation, not bicycle helmets. If you don't want to wear one, fine. Neither does Andrew Sullivan at the Atlantic, who says
I just can't do it. I like the rush of wind in my hair ... oh never mind. They can be pretty effective, mind you:...
How Much Energy Can a Gadget Minimalist Save?
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 05.13.09
Minimalist desk via Jen44; Busy desk via AMagill
It's no surprise that your overall electricity consumption has everything to do with how many devices you have to plug in. In fact, a new study by the International Energy Agency, says that energy used by household electronic devices could triple by 2030, thanks to our love of consumer gadgets. So just how much energy can you save by reducing your number of electronics? I took a look at the power consumption of different devices and lifestyles to find out. First, I measured the average energy used by a person with all the fixings (I've dubbed them "the Gottahavist") --TV, cable box, desktop, gaming console, and so on. Then I looked at an eco-geek who uses only a laptop and cell phone as seriously multi-function gadgets (i.e., "the Minimalist"). Obviously less is more, but just how much more?
...
Removing Mountaintops to Get Coal is Bad, But Dumping Fill in the Valleys Is Even Worse
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 05.13.09
Mountaintop removal coal mining in West Virginia photo: Vivian Stock/Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition via Yale Environment 360
If you haven't follow the actions of the EPA in the past month as they try to reign in the Army Corps of Engineers and coal companies regarding mountaintop removal coal mining, a new piece by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist John McQuaid in Yale Environment 360 provides a comprehensive overview of the situation.
No Genuine Middle Ground Here...
Quite rightly, McQuaid also points out there's really no satisfactory middle ground here: No amount of mining fill dumped into streams can really be considered benign environmentally. But really, the part that really stands out for me, and even if you're familiar with these issues is worth revisiting, is the devastating impact on ecosystems of dumping mining fill into stream:...
Images Show How Big Sea Creatures Depend on Healthy Reefs
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 05.13.09
Photo via Scientific American, Credit D. Brumbaugh
Scientific American has a beautiful slideshow illustrating how important healthy reefs are to all sorts of sea life, including predators. With the World Ocean Conference going on this week, everyone has their eye on the health of coral reefs and the creatures of the seas. ...
Color-Shifting "Master of Disguise" Cuttlefish Inspires Hyper-Energy Efficient TV
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 05.13.09
Image: Getty & Samsung
Biomimicry Strikes Again
Scientists at MIT are studying color-changing cuttlefish, and with an understanding of how these fascinating creatures (see the 3 videos below) can change color in less than a second, they're building electronic-ink and TV screens that could "use less than one-hundredth the power of traditional television screens" yet be cheap, easy and safe to make using "dirt cheap polystyrene" . If it all works out, it would be a great example of how biomimicry can help us develop greener products....
Marriage-Minded Triumph Bra Falls Flat on Green Message
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 05.13.09
Photo Via Pink Tentacle
In 2005, Triumph came up with a warming bra that could help you avoid turning on the heater. Then in 2006, they came up with a bra that could convert into a reuseable shopping bag. 2007 brought us a bra concept that promoted the use of reuseable chopsticks as a way to get greener. This year, though, we have to stretch a bit for the green message....
LEED goes 3.0 – and they ain’t joking ‘round
by Neil Chambers, New York City on 05.13.09
Graphic from USGBC
The USGBC, and their insanely popular rating system LEED, have been on the frontlines of the green building movement for quite a while. Everyone has taken a shot at them at least once. There’s all the talk about how the credits are weighted incorrectly, or that a LEED rated building doesn’t always mean it’s a green building. For all the shortcomings of the older system, the USGBC, better or worse, has been a major contributor to putting GREEN into the lexicon of every developer, real estate owner and building professional in the United States (and other countries). Their new approach to rating the greenness of a building is overcoming some of those pesky complaints. Actually, with the release of newest version of LEED, all those naysayers may get left in the dust!...
Vilela Building by Joselevich Rascovski Adds Vertical Gardens to Buenos Aires
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires on 05.13.09
You probably know how much we love buildings with green walls: they cool interiors in the summer, help keep cities cooler by preventing the 'heat island' effect, capture carbon dioxide, and even absorb noise, and invite natural life.
Now Buenos Aires just got a new one in this cool housing project by Joselevick Rascovski architects. And the wall is not the only thing green about it, find out more in the extended!...
The Perfect Compromise: Introducing the Kindling
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.13.09
Electronics wiz Jaymi gets all excited about e-readers like the Kindle. Others ask "how is an energy sucking plastic device that goes obsolete or breaks after a couple years green?" Rob at Cockeyed and Wendell at Evil Mad Scientist have come up with the perfect compromise- the Kindling. It uses no electricity, and being made of wood it sequesters carbon dioxide....
Al Gore Gives a Climate Science Update at TED Conference (February 2009)
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 05.13.09
New Biochar Test Shows up to 17% Crop Yield Increase, Lower Soil Nutrient Depletion
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 05.13.09
Soya crop grown for the biochar test. Photo: Dynamotive Energy Systems
Since much of the recent talk about biochar has been about its potential for mitigating climate change as part geoengineering schemes, it's easy to forget that biochar also has benefits for increasing crop yields (indeed that's where the whole concept started). A new study done by Dynamotive Energy Systems, a Canadian biofuel firm, quantifies biochar's crop yield potential:...
Recent Global Warming Newspaper Articles: Worst Sources
by Melissa Beecher, ACoolerClimate.com, Raleigh, NC on 05.13.09
Photo via Flickr: Dreamijo
| If you're looking for recent global warming articles
on the web, you need to know who to trust. It's true that the internet
is a great resource for information, but it's also a tool for writers
and journalists with a political agenda to publish anything they want,
to spread lies and deceive the public on the real facts about global warming. |
Contents
|
Fight the Euro Ban on Frosted Incandescents with the Euro Condom
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.13.09
The European Union is banning frosted incandescents because they are the most inefficient, and possibly because the light from a clear bulb is really harsh and the change might encourage people to buy frosted compact fluorescents.
Someone better call Michele Bachmann and get her to revise her Lightbulb Freedom of Choice Act before the American government does the same thing. Michele might also be interested in the Euro Condom, developed by German lighting designer Ingo Maurer as a protest against the new rule....
Iconic Bolivian Glacier Disappears: Melting Increased Three-Fold in Past 10 Years
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 05.13.09
photo: Cartson Drossel via flickr
Bolivia's Chacaltaya glacier, at an elevation of 17,400 ft home to the world's highest ski area, has succumbed to rising temperatures and has melted away. All that remains of the 18,000 year old glacier are a few small pieces of ice BBC News reports:...
Quote of the Day: Prince Charles on Architecture
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.13.09
Help. Find me a modernist architectural rehab. Prince Charles gave a speech last night at the Royal Institute of British Architects, and I agree with him. Take away my licence.
The crisis in the banking and financial sector – devastating though its consequences will be for some – has at least brought to light something of the short-termist, unsustainable, and experimental nature of the way many professionals now operate in the world; a kind of surpassing cleverness in the devising of products and systems that no-one really understands. At a time when, believe it or not, we are hearing calls for a return to old-fashioned, traditional banking virtues, might these calls not apply equally to the manner in which our built environment gives physical expression to the way we do business and live our lives, as essentially social beings?...
Montague Paratrooper Folding Cycle Goes Electric
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 05.13.09
Image: E+ Electric Bikes
Most Powerful, Rugged, and Best All-around e-Bike Yet
The Montague Paratrooper Folding Cycle rates as one of the best full-size folding bikes on the market. The light and extremely compact design was developed with the support of the military; specifications required that the bike can be hung from a paratrooper's seat during a jump, so that transport is immediately to hand upon landing. Now we learn from Gizmag that a Limited Edition of 240 cycles will be available with 1000W TidalForce electric assist. Does the TidalForce M-750 x2.0 live up to the claim: "most powerful, rugged, and best all-around e-bike yet"?...
GE Shows Off Cool OLED Concepts (Video)
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 05.13.09
400 Fruit Trees Project: Wonderful Video from Transition Kilkenny
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 05.13.09
New Skins for Old Towers: The Z-Prize For Low-Carbon Retrofit
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.13.09
At Architecture 2030, Ed Mazria tells us that buildings generate nearly 50% of the greenhouse gases in America; in the cities it is far higher. We know we have to cut the energy consumption of new buildings (not that anyone is taking this particularly seriously, but that is another post) but what to do about our existing buildings? The thousands of apartment towers around the world? What ideas are there out there for fixing them?
Ron Dembo of Zerofootprint wants to find out, and has launched the Z-Prize, an international design competition "to develop a smart, reproducible, beautiful, cost effective, energy efficient solution for the re-skinning of buildings."
And as always, Ron thinks big, with big prizes and a killer jury.
...
Nest Box with Infrared Camera Brings Birdwatching Indoors
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 05.13.09
Image Via Proidee
One of the first things we learn as kids when it comes to birdwatching is to leave the nest alone. But how, then, can we enjoy getting up close and personal with those baby birds peeping from the tree in the yard? Maybe the solution is this camera-toting nest box from Proidee. ...
When More Is Less: The Case for Bulk Buying Food
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 05.13.09
Squirrels do it, so why not the rest of us? Stash away some food for later on. It could be argued that the time when humans imitated the behaviour of animal food storers marks the beginnings of civilisation. For agriculture produces more food than can be reasonably eaten in single day, so it’s stored to justified the energy invested in its cultivation and harvest.
But it’s lesson the western world has forgotten in the age of supermarkets and convenience store. We assume food is constantly on tap, that it will be there whenever we need it. But is that really the case? ...
Story of Stuff Goes Mainstream, Called "Anti-Capitalist"
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.13.09
What Jumps In Peoria Today Is In The Human Food Chain Tomorrow
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 05.13.09
"Silver carp have the ability to jump high into the air,..." Image credit:University of Missouri Extension
In the long view of imports, Asia has sent North America far more hazardous things than lead painted toys and melamine tainted pet food and milk. For example: the Asian or "Silver Carp." Wikipedia documents the direct danger posed by jumping carp to humans:- "Many boaters traveling in uncovered high-speed watercraft have been injured by running into the fish while at speed...Water skiing in areas where silver carp are present is extremely dangerous." A Peoria, Illinois company has found economic uses for the invasive, face-slapping Silver Carp:- ground and dried into protein powder to be sold as cattle food supplement; and as a source of Omega-3 fish oil....
Where do you live?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.13.09
Those of us who think that the model of suburban development that North America has been built on for the last sixty years is unsustainable and doomed are accused of spouting "elitist drivel." After all, it is a model beloved by many who want the room and the backyard.
...
Saving the Environment, One Pizza Box at a Time
by Bonnie Alter, London on 05.13.09
Just in Time for Summer: Stretch Mark Repair Oil from Shea Terra
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 05.12.09
Image via: Getty Images
While Shea Terra has several new products, all of which are chosen for their healing properties and for their community empowerment values, the Mama's Gold Stretch Mark Prevention & Treatment Oil seems like a great find as summer is literally just around the corner. But, the stretch mark oil goes deeper than just hiding unsightly lines, as many of the oils included are chosen for their abilities to empower women and children across Africa, often the first and hardest hit during tough economic times....
Spring/Summer Fashion 2009: Mr. Larkin
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 05.12.09
Photo credit: Mr. Larkin
Meet Mr. Larkin, a classy gent with an understated, debonair sense of style. The fledgling San Francisco-based label, headed by designer Casey Larkin, mines decades past for vintage embellishments ('50s bugle beads, '30s metal paillettes) to gild plant-dyed fabrics that run the sustainable gamut: organic cotton, silk chiffon, bamboo, soybean/cashmere, Cupro, and milk fiber.
...
Folding Bike Recall for Dahon and REI
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 05.12.09
Any regular reader of TreeHugger knows we are passionate advocates for bicycles, and that we also have certain penchant for folding bikes, due to their extra versatility. So it was with a heavy heart that we noticed that U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission have announced a voluntary recall of a very popular brand of folding bicycle -- Dahon (along with REI’s Novara branded folding bikes.)
Not the news we like to see, especially during Bike To Work week
Check below for a list of 2008 models, to see if you need to return your Dahon or REI Novara to your local dealer for “a free inspection and repair.” Until checked out, the CPSC recommend “Consumers should immediately stop riding these bicycles ...”...
The 2009 Anti-Green Awards: The Worst Car, House, Building, Celebrity, Company, Country, and U.S. City...
by Eric Leech, New York, NY on 05.12.09
Photo via: M1khaela
The green movement has always had its share of both winners and losers. Today, we look at a few of the top losers for 2009. Hopefully with such a shameful honor to be bestowed upon them, they will clean-up their act for next year's round of awards. We can always hope anyway. Let the shaming begin!...
Vegan Footwear - Cowhugger Walk with Me
by Neil Chambers, New York City on 05.12.09
Photo from Modesto Junior College
MooShoes, Inc. is a vegan-owned business that sells an assortment of cruelty-free footwear, bags, t-shirts, wallets, books (mainly cookbooks) and other accessories. It is the first cruelty-free store of its kind in New York City....
The “Extinction Sucks” series and Other Ecological Films
by Roberta Cruger, Los Angeles on 05.12.09
Tasmanian Devil crossing. Photo via Flickr: by BotheredbyBees
Two Australian friends throw a “Missing Horn” funk night at the local pub to drum up funds for anti-poaching teams in Nepal saving the one-horned rhino. Ashleigh Young and Aleisha Caruso are on a crusade to help save wildlife from loss of habitat and drought due to climate change, poaching, plastic and other threats to endangered animals. That’s the premise of this original web series, called “Extinction Sucks” on Babelgum’s web platform. The eco-pals explore a different creature each show, from sea turtles to Tasmanian Devils, gallivanting around the world and panhandling for the cause with a charming sort of outrage. ...
Newsom Wants Your Leftover Burrito (and Your Recycling)
by Daniel Kessler, San Francisco, California on 05.12.09
Photo via Flickr
In a new blog post, San Francisco's mayor and newly announced California gubernatorial candidate Gavin Newsom talked up his city's recycling plan, which is keeping 72 percent of waste out of the city's landfills....
High Levels of Lead Found in Jewelry from Saks, Express, and Other Retailers
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 05.12.09
Photo credit: Getty Images
Lead is like the clingy ex who just cannot refrain from slipping wretched entreaties of his (or her) undying love under your front door. (I mean, seriously? It's getting sad, Pb.) Oh yes, the periodic-table heavy hitter is up to its old shtick again, this time from those pretty baubles dangling from your person. And the effects of lead—just like diamonds—are forever.
Just last week, the Center for Environmental Health (CEH) announced that testing performed for the California Attorney General found high levels of lead in jewelry purchased from 10 major retailers, including a $200 number from Saks Fifth Avenue that contained over 175,000 parts per million (ppm) of the toxic metal. ...
Unique Clothing Label 302designs Offers 15% Off Online Store
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 05.12.09
We were just reading about 302designs and think that it’s such a cool company. It’s a clothing label that takes a poetic, artistic, and approach to inspire, define, and push the limits of the t-shirt fashion status quo. With tees that are organic and sweat-shop free they also convey a powerful, philosophical, and motivational message through each creative design. Additionally, every one of 302's designs is a symbolic representation of a moment in an individual’s life and is printed on an American Apparel t-shirt. Our favorite organic tee is “Elevation” which reads “let not the colors of your feathers determine your heights.”...
One Glass of Orange Juice = 1,050 Google Searches
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 05.12.09
Image via Gizmodo
Google's been catching flak for being ungreen lately, (remember the whole cup of tea thing?) so in an effort to prove how very environmentally conscious they actually are, the company that does no evil set about assembling a bunch of arbitrary comparisons that point out how little CO2 searches emit. And what do they prove?...
Revised Climate Bill Cuts Big Biz a Break
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 05.12.09
Photo via Flickr
In an unexpected moment in the saga of the struggling climate bill, hushed reports emerged yesterday saying that the Democrats had finally reached an agreement--and that the important bill will finally move on. But that agreement came at a price that many expected: namely, concessions to big utility companies and polluting industries, and a lowering of many of the bill's once-ambitious goals. So what's the more realistic vision for US climate action? ...
Recycle and Be Rewarded at Kiehl's
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 05.12.09
Photo credit: Kiehl's
Hang on to your empties, Kiehl's lovers—the hallowed New York apothecary is rewarding its faithful with a recycling scheme that doles out products in exchange for depleted Kiehl's bottles, tubes, and jars.
Available at any Kiehl's free-standing store, the good-for-the-environment, good-for-you outreach program will dispense complimentary samples that get progressively more generous the more packaging you turn in. (Check your labels before going hog-wild on a buying spree, however; some products still contain parabens, PEG, and other dubious ingredients.) ...
Tesla Now Has More Than 1,000 Reservations for Model S Electric Car
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 05.12.09
Image: Tesla Motors
Reservations are $5,000 (Refundable)
The Model S launch was on March 26th, so that's about 22 reservations a day (at $5,000 a pop). Not too bad for a $50k car that won't be made until 2011 (I wonder if the David Letterman cameo of the Model S helped?). This compares well to the more expensive and less practical Roadster (though that one has the advantage of actually existing right now): "Tesla has delivered more than 400 Roadsters to customers so far. The base price of the Roadster is $101,500 after a $7,500 federal tax credit." Read on for more details....
Best Buy to Start Selling Electric Bikes Next Month
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 05.12.09
Photo: Currie Technologies
Source Says 20 Stores on West Coast at First, Maybe More for Holiday Season
According to Bicycle Retailer, Best Buy is about to start selling some electric bikes in some of its stores on the West coast. “Best Buy will be piloting electric-powered personal transportation products at some of our stores on the West Coast later this spring,” said Paula Baldwin, senior manager for Best Buy public relations. At first, e-bikes by Currie Technologies and Ultra Motor will be available. This is excellent news! Read on for more details....
Seedbomb Instills Fear And Plants Trees
by Jerry James Stone, San Francisco, CA on 05.12.09
Photo courtesy of: Coroflot
The Seedbomb, an unintentional eco-terrorist, is a non-military "bomb" designed for protecting the earth.
When the Seedbomb is dropped, it disassembles mid-air. Within it are seed "warheads" that are then dispersed over a large area. It's kinda like the Michael Bay version of guerrilla gardening....
Smokers, Treat Your Cigarette Butts as Toxic Waste (Video)
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 05.12.09
Transformer Furniture: Table Turns Into a Loveseat
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.12.09
We couldn't get to BKLYN DESIGNS this year, (why do they schedule it a week before ICFF, it makes coverage impossible for anyone but New Yorkers?), but Inhabitat did a terrific job of covering it like a blanket, and gave the Best of Show award to the Ecosystems Bada Table; I concur. This amazing transformer changes from a loveseat to a dining table in seconds; watch the animated GIF below the fold.
...
Dick Cheney's Fight for Waterboarding is Like Al Gore's Fight Against Climate Change (VIDEO)
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 05.12.09
Photo via Blue Herald
Or so says Liz Cheney, the daughter of the recently quite visible Vice President Cheney. She was on MSNBC today to defend her father, who's been popping up on a bevy of talk shows arguing in favor of waterboarding. Which brings us to her choice line, here. In an attempt to answer the critics of Cheney's crusade to justify waterboarding as a necessary defense measure, she compares him to that other quite visible Vice President. Here's what she's got to say--video after the jump. ...
Blue Whales Rediscover Lost Migration Routes: Here are Four Reasons Why This Might be Happening
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 05.12.09
photo: NOAA
After being hunted out of the northern Pacific waters off Canada and Alaska in the mid 1960s, Blue Whales began reappearing there in the late 1990s. But now, for the first time, there's photographic evidence that some of these whales are migrating up from California, rediscovering migratory routes thought forgotten. At the same time, Blue Whale populations off California have been declining. New Scientist sums up the speculation as to why this might be happening:...
Tom Hanks Writes a Letter to the New Yorker About his Electric Car
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 05.12.09
"the fastest, most effective windshield defroster known to mankind"
Tom Hanks wrote a letter to the New Yorker setting the record straight about his electric car. He's replying to an article by Peter J. Boyer (which he says is "otherwise spot on") that assumed that Hanks had a GM EV1 and "watched the emission-free car be wrested from my garage, towed away, and busted up into pieces of metal, glass, and rubber smaller than razor blades." Well, that's not the case. Hanks had, and still has, a Toyota RAV4 EV. More details below....
10 (Plus) Ways to Change the World Through Social Media
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 05.12.09
Illustration courtesy of Max Gladwell.
This is a guest post from Max Gladwell; it is being published simultaneously on dozens of sites across the blogosphere today in an effort to inspire hundreds of conversations.
Our children will inherit a world profoundly changed by the combination of technology and humanity that is social media. They'll take for granted that their voices can be heard and that a social movement can be launched from their laptop. They'll take for granted that they are connected and interconnected with hundreds of millions of people at any given moment. And they'll take for granted that a black man is or was President of the United States.
...
A Closer Look at the 57 MPG Toyota iQ (Slideshow)
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 05.12.09
57 MPG, "The Smallest Four-Passenger Car in the World"
The Toyota iQ (which will come to the US under the Scion brand) is a very interesting small urban car. We'd rather that people in cities took public transit or walked, but if they have to have a car, something like the Toyota iQ would probably be better than most other alternatives. In this slideshow we look at the Toyota iQ from all angles, inside and out.
...
BP Moves Beyond Green to 'Responsibility': Greenwashing or Not?
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 05.12.09
image: BP
Though it was ranked the greenest oil company in a recent survey, BP has been soft selling its green credentials of late, instead promoting its 'responsibility'. BBC News gives an overview:
"No harm to people, no damage to environment"
On the company's new focus on safety and responsibility, BP spokesman David Nicholas was quoted as saying,
The change represents an evolution and expansion of green as a brand value rather than a replacement. The new brand value, 'Responsible', encompasses BP's original aspirations towards the environment, in addition to other key areas such as safety and social welfare....
WWF to Publish Palm Oil Buyer's Scorecard: Will Out Companies Not Meeting Their Sustainable Oil Commitments
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 05.12.09
That palm oil plantation used to be forest... photo: Achmad Rabin Taim via flickr
Saying that only 1% of the sustainably produced palm oil supplies available on the market are actually being purchased, WWF has announced that over the next six months it will be assessing the state of sustainable palm oil, whether companies that have committed to purchasing sustainable oil are doing so, and release a palm oil buyer's scorecard:...
Hub Culture Creates Conscious Collaboration + Innovation Factory in London
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 05.12.09
Where does your average international social/digital/environmental entrepreneur hang out when they're in London? Cameron Sinclair, Piers Fawkes, and John Grant all come to Hub Culture - a shared workspace where, for a monthly or daily fee, you can work, have meetings, host events and generally tap into an amazing network of innovators and entrepreneurs. While the idea of shared workspace isn't new in this town the approach Hub Culture is taking to creating a conscious collaborative work environment is certainly attracting a powerful mixed bunch....
AquaSafeStraw Offers Portable Water Filtration
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 05.12.09
Image via AquaSafeStraw
When you're traveling, especially to countries known to have dirty drinking water or when backpacking, it'd be nice to have a water filter that is ultra portable, so you can just pull out of you back pocket and use it when you need. AquaSafeStraw hopes to fill that need as a handy dandy gigantic straw that filters water while you suck - basically a LifeStraw, rehashed....
Looking Back: How Green Were Our Choices at ICFF 2008?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.12.09
Liz Kinnmark's work is definitely loveable.
We recently tried to answer the question "What is green design?" As warmup for the real thing, I applied the criteria to some of the items we reviewed last year at ICFF and find that a few came up short. But most of what we showed hit at least a few of the criteria. See if you agree in our slideshow, reviewing last year's picks.
...
Today's the Day! Bixi Bike Sharing Debuts in Montreal
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 05.12.09
The 1 GW London Array Offshore Wind Farm (Again) Moving Forward: First Electricity in 2012
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 05.12.09
photo: Vik Walker via flickr
If you've been following the ups and downs of the London Array—which still promises (fingers crossed) to be the world's largest offshore wind farm—you're probably a little seasick. It's been a rough ride since the project was first announced a couple years ago, and just last month the project's backers asked for a bailout. Well, despite that recent uncertainty regarding the project's funding, E.ON UK has said that the project will again be going forward:...
Wear Your Ocean-Loving Heart on Your Sleeve
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 05.12.09
Image via New England Aquarium
Looking for a way to wear your ocean-loving heart on your sleeve? The New England Aquarium has an organic cotton t-shirt that you could sport for http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Ocean_Day">World Ocean Day next month. It's a starter idea for the many things you could do to help out the oceans and water ways. ...
The End of the Suburbs. On Video.
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.12.09
Frogs, Elephants, Necklaces and Flowerpots from Recycled Buttons and Resin, by Greca
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires on 05.12.09
Photos: Courtesy of Greca.
Greca is a small design firm from Buenos Aires that makes objects and fashion accessories from recycled buttons and resin. Now recovering buttons might not seem like much of a merit, but it is when you work right into a buttons factory that discards hundreds of units because they're not for sale.
Put that varied material with discarded resin from the same factory, and you got yourself a vast amount of plastic that would go into the trash to turn it into amazing little animals, flowerpots and fashion accessories.
If you like the frog here you need to see the elephant! Click through for more pics....
How (Not) To Lock Your Bike: The Return of Hal
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 05.12.09
Your Facebook Profile Could Get the National Parks Foundation Needed Funding
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 05.12.09
Big box store Target has launched a charity campaign on Facebook, selecting 10 charities that will compete to receive a chunk of $3 million. You and your Facebook profile could help make some dreams come true, including for one charity in particular - the National Park Foundation. ...
Seven American Foods with Regional Availablilty
by Mark Ontkush, Boston, Massachusetts, USA on 05.12.09
Image by Travel MSN
One of the gentle ironies of the American Cultural Situation is the widespread availability of a limited amount of foodstuffs. Pick up any diner menu between the shining seas and it will have identical offerings; omelets, burgers, Reubens, chicken fingers. While there may be some comfort in the realization that we have all agreed to a National Palette, isn't it better to hunger for that only-locally-available edible which binds us culturally together, via food and place? Here are seven of these dishes which are only available regionally....
Organic Mania Hosts Carnival of the Green
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 05.12.09
This week is Carnival of the Green #179 and it's being hosted by Organic Mania, an "organic and green mom blog" that helps to make sense of healthy, green living. Organic Mania cuts through the hype and helps to figure out when it makes sense to lay out the big bucks for organic and green purchases, and a place to find out how to save money while going green.
So head on over to this week's Carnival, which includes 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....
UK's Green Party Wants to Save Energy By Consolidating Cell Phone Networks
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 05.12.09
Photo via smith
The UK's Green Party is taking a hard look at mobile phone networks and says that unnecessary duplication of coverage is an energy waster. If the UK wants to save as much as 300 gigawatt hours a year, rival companies that are overlapping each other with the more than 50,000 base stations across the country should consolidate networks into a "super-network." ...
Life Goes On Without Cars in Vauban
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.12.09
Martin Specht for The New York Times from a terrific slideshow
Vauban is one or TreeHugger's favorite models of development, with its solar roofs, cooperative ownership, clever design and car-free streets. Elisabeth Rosenthal of the New York Times has a look, concentrating on the issue of cars. But she implies that cars have been regulated and designed out of the picture. She writes:
...
6 Steps to Saving the World's Coral Reefs
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 05.12.09
Photo via World Resources Institute Staff
At the World Oceans Conference 2009 in Manado, Indonesia, scientists are focusing on the Coral Reef Triangle, a section of ocean near the nations of Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and the Solomon islands. The Coral Reef Triangle is home to the largest number of diverse coral species on the planet, and while it remains relatively healthy right now, researchers know that it is only a matter of time before climate change and pollution do their damage...unless we put in place a few rules right now. ...
Library Bikes: Too Good An Idea to be Quiet About
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 05.12.09
How have we missed this for so long? Three of our favourites; local communities, libraries and bicycles; all merged into the one enterprise, known as the Arcata Community Library Bike Project.
Volunteers repair an eclectic mix of bikes, then they offer them to the public for a six month loan, asking just for a $20 refundable deposit. Young folk get a chance to muck around with spanners, ball bearing and grease. Long-time cycle advocates have the opportunity to pass on their skills. The world's most efficient form of transport is saved the indignity of rusting in a garage or taking up space in a landfill. Citizens can travel about their local community for free. And that’s just for starters....
Duke Power Investing In Distributed Solar Generation Scheme
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 05.12.09
Rooftop solar installation. Image credit:Earth2Tech
Via Industry Week we learned that Duke Power now has permission from the North Carolina Utilities Commission to move on a novel investment strategy for renewable energy production. Over the next 2 years, Duke will install up to 400 roof-top solar panel installations in the South Carolina service area (a downward adjustment from the proposal we first heard about last year in Mikes' post: Duke Energy Announces 20 Megawatt Solar Power Project in North-Carolina). Duke's 'Eastern strategy' of going for distributed solar power is remarkably different than the large-scale concentrated solar power (CSP) projects being planned across the Western half of the nation....
National Design Awards Honor Amory Lovins
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.12.09
The National Design Awards, sponsored by the Smithsonian and Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, are out and a big green winner is Amory Lovins, who got the Design Mind Award, which "recognizes a visionary who has affected a paradigm shift in design thinking or practice through writing, research and scholarship." ...
76% of Americans Have No Idea What Cap and Trade Is
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.12.09
It might as well be about beer collections. H.L. Mencken wrote "Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public." But that doesn't keep the pollsters from asking questions. Rasmussen recently asked:
Does the cap-and-trade legislation address health care reform, environmental issues, or regulatory reform for Wall Street?
The responses:
17% Health care reform
24% Environmental issues
29% Regulatory reform for Wall Street
30% Not sure
...
Is Space Tourism a Good Thing?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.12.09
Leo Hickman writes that Leaving the Planet Costs the Earth. Those of us who grew up reading Arthur C. Clarke always dreamed of going into space, but then we put away childish things and realized that there was a lot of work to be done right here on Earth, and that it would be too dangerous and polluting and expensive to go into space. Or did we?
...
Mountain Lodges of Peru: A Green Alternative to Hiking Machu Picchu
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 05.12.09
Image via: Author's collection.
Hiking the Inca Trail. Ahh, the mythical allure of getting in touch with a culture that is hundreds of years long gone. Walking in the same steps of these mighty people, for some, is something of a bucket list item. Yet, as more and more people check this trek off their list, the trail is now overcrowded and its hard to keep this hike as green as the many landscapes around the trail. Mountain Lodges of Peru (MLP) offers an environmentally and socially responsible alternative.
If you want beautiful mountain vistas and breathtaking landscapes, then hiking Machu Picchu is for you. If you’re not interested in hiking the same crowded trail as everyone else, then consider an alternative route that also gets you to Machu Picchu but also helps over 200 local families. MLP is a series of four different eco-lodges that are strategically placed along the route from Salkantay to Machu Picchu. ...
That Was Pretty Darn Quick. END Footwear is Bought
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 05.12.09
We only started writing about END Footwear a year ago. They didn’t even have retail product at that stage. Their Environmentally Neutral Design(ed) running shoes and boots eventually debuted in August 2008. Now they’ve just announced the company has been purchased by another Oregon based footwear company LaCrosse (who already own the Danner brand). ...
Eco-Design Continues Unabated: Ergo, Mocean UK
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 05.12.09
When I first started talking with Graham in mid 2004 about his embryonic TreeHugger web concept, I expressed some reservation about how long we could keep the project going. I figured that, at our then rate of 6 posts a day, we’d run out of eco design products in abut 4 months. Boy, was I wrong. And deliriously happy to have been so.
Here we are five years on, and just yesterday alone we published a ginormous 43 posts. Admittedly not all eco-design related. But still. The growth in products that consider their environmental and social impact has simply gone ballistic in the past few years. New eco start-ups continue to appear at a phenomenal rate of knots. And here is yet one more.
A British based surf company, Mocean, making surfboard bags from hemp and recycled polyethylene, as well as leashes from recycled polyurethane. ...
Power Shift: Australia’s National Youth Climate Summit Is Coming Soon
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 05.12.09
The Australian Youth Climate Coalition is on a mission: to build a generation-wide movement to solve the climate crisis, through uniting diverse youth organisations around this common challenge.
And as a physical manifestation of this goal they’re organising the Power Shift event, which will come to Sydney on 11-13 July 2009. It will be Australia’s first national youth climate summit and is quite some occasion. Aised from the usual plethora of presentations and keynote addresses there will also be training workshops in community organising and leadership development; a National Green Jobs Fair, an evening music concert with Australian performers.
One unusual aspect of the event is the Ride2Power event....
Bike Moves (No U-Haul Required) Branching Out (Video)
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 05.12.09
Gruber Assist is a Stealth Electric Bike: No One Will Know But Your Mechanic
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 05.12.09
Would you know there's an electric-assist motor hiding in the seat tube?
In honor of bike to work week, here's a product to help the hill-plagued bicycle commuter - Gruber Assist, a 200 watt electric-assist motor which hides in a bike's seat stem. I am of two minds about any bicycle that is not human powered: 1) why would I get an e-bike when part of the reason I ride is for the continuous exercise? and, conversely 2) wouldn't it be nice to have a little help climbing this/that/the other hill? The contradictions continue - while I hate getting passed on the bike path myself with anything motor-equipped, extending the range of my bike to places I seldom travel now is enticing. So, would Gruber Assist be a guiltily purchased but highly practical bike accessory, or just a too-fancy gadget? ...
The Apprentice Features Eco Bike-Bag
by Bonnie Alter, London on 05.12.09
Image from BBC
Last week's episode of The Apprentice t.v. series featured the Bee3Pod bike bag, a well-designed bag for carrying groceries over the back wheel of a bicycle. It was the ecological choice for one of the teams--their assignment was to flog it to department stores. And they did: they sold a bunch to Heal's, an upmarket design store. Unfortunately they lost the competition but that's life in show biz.
The really exciting thing is that TreeHugger featured it last year! The inventor, Paul Thomas, was showing it as his graduate design project at the Royal College of Art and we saw it, liked it, and wrote it up. ...
Desert Essence Organics Fragrance-Free Bath and Body Products Nothing to Sniff At
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 05.11.09
Photo credit: Desert Essence
If no-frills skin- and bodycare is what you thirst for, then Desert Essence's new organic fragrance-free line is the oasis you seek for your head, shoulders, knees, and toes, especially if you have chemical sensitivities, allergies, or asthma.
Pumped full of get-gorgeous ingredients like antioxidant-rich green tea, Shea butter, and jojoba and sunflower oils, the aroma-impaired quartet—shampoo, conditioner, body wash, body lotion—only smell stripped down, without sacrificing the hair- and skin-mollifying virtues of their redolent counterparts....
Honda Insight: Japan's Best-Selling Car, First Hybrid Ever To Top The List
by greenz.jp, Tokyo, Japan on 05.11.09
Image: joshinthecity
Honda Insight, the new hybrid car from Japan's second largest automobile company, became the first hybrid to be crowned Japan's best-selling car in April. Japan Automobile Dealers Association notes that 10,481 units of the Insight were sold last month, "catapulting" it from 21st place in March, as Reuters put it. Toyota's long-selling hybrid, the Prius, came in 21st on the list of best-selling cars in Japan.
While this may show that car buyers here are getting more interested in fuel efficiency, a lot of questions come to my mind:...
Caboodle Corrugated Habitats for Cats
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 05.11.09
Photo credit: Caboodle
It's a banner day for my cat, Chekhov, whenever the FedEx truck pulls up in front of my door, hefty box in tow. It's almost comical the way he pads hurriedly into the living room, tail quivering with anticipation as I slice the package open and empty it of its contents. That explosive boom you hear? That's mi gato launching himself into the box's corrugated depths, where he'll spend the rest of the day pondering the various inequities that have been visited upon him. Or how to solve world hunger. You never quite know with cats.
I want to keep my fur-baby happy, but I'm not about to leave random boxes around the house to satisfy his yen for cardboard. Enter the Caboodle, a three-level kitty condo that is far easier on the eyes than anything I could cobble together.
...
California Drought Means Thousands of Trees to be Cut Down
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 05.11.09
Image via: Getty Images
It's not just climate change that is killing the trees, though that is part of it. With California now in its third year of drought, many farmers are taking a chainsaw to the trees in order to save their farms, reports NPR. Can that be right?...
FIG Chef Forages for Food in Santa Monica
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 05.11.09
Image via: FreePressure.com
Opened in February 2009, FIG Restaurant chef Ray Garcia is serving up inspired dishes that don't just include greens, they are aiming to run the gamut of green by including all of the buzzwords - local, organic, sustainable, fresh - and really incorporating them into all of their dishes....
Smart Meters in Every UK Home by 2020
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 05.11.09
UK Government Reveals Ambitious Smart Meter Plans
The European Union has already made moves to mandate smart meters, but now the Guardian tells us that the UK Government has revealed that it will be ensuring that every UK home is fitted with a smart meter by the year 2020. So what's the big deal?
...
Indigenous Climate-Affected Communities Using Film to Highlight Plight & Solutions
by Kimberley D. Mok, Montreal, Canada on 05.11.09
Did Obama Forget to Trash His Green Stimulus Bill?
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 05.11.09
Photo via Boston
Trash never gets any love. Just because it's dirty and smelly and it clogs up landfills, it gets a bad rap. That's why Waste Management, the largest waste hauling company in the US, is saying Obama overlooked trash as a huge resource for "renewable energy" when he drafted his green stimulus bill. Some companies have indeed found success in burning trash for energy—in 2007, 450 landfills and 87 incinerators produced about 24 million megawatt-hours of electricity, about 2 days of total U.S. electricity use. So should Obama take out the trash, and put it into the US energy plan?...
Chevron: There's Two Sides of Every Story, Right?
by Daniel Kessler, San Francisco, California on 05.11.09
When 60 Minutes profiled Ecuadoreans who accuse Texaco, a company acquired by Chevron in 2001, of poisoning the rain forest, the world listened. So what did Chevron do, knowing that the story was coming? It hired its own journalist and made its own special....
The Comfort Zone vs Comfort Point
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.11.09
Terri Meyer Boake teaches sustainable design at the University of Waterloo, and is teaching architects how to prepare for the 2030 challenge, where architects are working toward making buildings zero carbon. This will involve a lot more natural lighting, ventilation and passive solar. But one problem is our expectations. She spoke recently at the Ontario Association of Architects convention in Toronto.
...
Green Eyes On: Herbal Remedies for Stress
by Sara Snow on 05.11.09
Lavender pillows help to promote relaxation.
Last week I did my usual segment, Living Green with Sara Snow, on CNN.com/LIVE. I answered viewer questions about herbal remedies for common ailments like stress and asthma. Reducing stress naturally is a great topic and one that I figured merited some additional attention.
The question, as it came in, made reference to the fact that the inquirer had played around with taking pharmaceuticals for her stress and anxiety in the past, but was disheartened (or stressed!) by all of the potential side effects listed…for which she was afraid she’d just have to take more meds. A slippery slope for certain.
...
Learn How to Make Your Own Bamboo Bike in One-Weekend, Plus Support a Good Cause
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 05.11.09
photo: Bamboo Bike Studio
If you ever get a hankering to merge your love of DIY projects, bamboo and bicycling, plus want to support a good cause in the process, then look no further than Bamboo Bike Studio's two day bike manufacturing course. The only thing standing in your way (if you don't already live in the metro-NYC area) is coming to Red Hook, Brooklyn, and the $1000 course price tag:...
Does Building-integrated Wind Power Work?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.11.09
All images via Building Green
Everybody loves integrated wind power, like this big turbine at the Bahrain World Trade Center, but does it actually work? Or is it just there to make a green statement? Alex Wilson of Building Green doesn't think much of it, and calls it "folly."
There is no question that they do make a green statement, visibly spinning while photovoltaics just sit there. But do they actually do what they say? ...
Pocahontas Gets a New Hydrogen Car!
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 05.11.09
Q'orianka Kilcher with her new Honda FCX Clarity hydrogen-powered car. Photo: Honda
Q'orianka Kilcher Gets a New Honda FCX Clarity Hydrogen Car
Green actress Q'orianka Kilcher, know for her role of Pocahontas, has been driving a first generation Honda FCX fuel cell car since she was 17 (see photo below). But that was 2 years ago, and her lease was up, so she decided to renew with the new generation of Honda FCX Clarity. "Since my first car was the Honda FCX, I am proud to say that I have never pumped a gallon of gasoline," said Kilcher. "As a young person, I feel it is my responsibility to always try my best to think about the consequences of my actions and choices as a consumer, and the impact they have on our planet." More below....
No! Canada to Mandate 5% Ethanol in Gasoline by 2010
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 05.11.09
Photo: Cote, CC
Going Against the Grain
Anyone who's kept informed about green issues lately knows that corn ethanol isn't a very good idea (except maybe for the farmers who get subsidized by tax dollars). First, there are the land use problems, the water use problems, the food competition problem (leading to higher food prices), etc. Yet governments keep on passing mandates (historically, subsidies of all kinds have been very hard to repeal) for more corn ethanol, and Canada's not doing anything different......
Climate Change to Cause "Cultural Genocide" for Australia's Aborigines
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 05.11.09
Photo via AFP
Just as a band of Carteret Islanders are abandoning their homes due to the effects of climate change--becoming the world's first climate change refugees--word has come that rising sea levels and more severe weather patterns may claim an even greater victim: the entire cultural legacy of Australia's native Aborigines. It would be the world's first case of climate change-caused "cultural genocide". Could climate change really wipe an entire, culturally rich people off the map?...
India Wants More Biofuels, But Supply and Convoluted Tax Laws Hamper Efforts
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 05.11.09
photo: Erin Collins via flickr
With all the recent wrangling over California's Low Carbon Fuel Standard and the Federal Renewable Fuel Standard it's heartening (if only in the ever popular spirit of schadenfreude) to see that other nation's efforts to promote biofuels don't go entirely smoothly either. India had established a mandate that all gasoline be blended with 10% ethanol as of October 2008, but supply shortages and inter-state tax structures are hamstringing efforts:...
Dave's Picks: Best of the Huffington Post Green
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 05.11.09
The Huffington Post is one of the definitive leaders in online news, and its green page is no exception. In fact, Huffpo Green editor Dave Burdick was chosen by you, the readers, as the top dog in TreeHugger's Best of Green awards. As in the numero uno, best of the best in the green world. So it's safe to say the man knows what he's talking about, and above all, he knows how to pick out a good green story from the teeming mass of news out there. We asked him to send over his 9 favorite stories on the Huffington Post Green last week, and he's graciously complied: here are Dave's picks.
...
Whaling 'Peace Talks' Stalled, Japan Won't Cut Its Hunt Quotas Deep Enough
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 05.11.09
Sea Shepherd Conservation Society vessel Steve Irwin attempting to thwart Japanese whalers, February 2009. Photo: John via flickr
BBC News has seen a draft of a report on the progress of talks between pro- and anti-whaling nations and the outlook for whales isn't good. Talks between the sides, organized by the International Whaling Commission, have stalled and there is no chance of an agreement in 2009:
...
Venture Capital is Shifting from Creating Clean Power to Energy Conservation
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 05.11.09
Bullish on Energy Efficiency
One of the impacts of a global recession is that those who have money will invest differently. That's even true for big venture capital firms; a few years ago, the hot investment was in startups that were trying to generate clean energy. Solar, wind, algae, cellulosic ethanol, wave power, etc. But since that's very expensive and it can take years before there are any returns, venture capitalists are said to be shifting their attention (for now, anyway) to way to reduce energy demand. Good ol' conservation. More details below....
An Update on Molly the Cow and Her New Home
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 05.11.09
Photo via New York Post
Last week we let you know about Molly the cow, who escaped from a slaughterhouse for the freedom of the streets of Queens, New York. We awaited news of her fate - whether or not she'd be returning to the slaughterhouse. Turns out, she has a new home that is far more peaceful. ...
Leaving the Planet Costs the Earth
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.11.09
The Guardian
We have accused Virgin Galactic's new spaceport of the Sin of LEED Green Buildings That Are Laughably Inappropriate, asking "what is the point of being ""both sustainable and sensitive to its surroundings" when your purpose for being is neither?"
Now Leo Hickman in the Guardian calls them out for the ride itself. He questions their claims that "every astronaut is an environmentalist," that "viewing earth from space would transform people's attitudes to the environment."
Hickman suggests that they watch a David Attenborough documentary, or perhaps the Discovery Network, instead.
...
New Technology Hopes to Boost Tire Recycling by 50%
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 05.11.09
Photo via psyberartist
Researchers in Australia are hot on the trail of a new energy efficient technology for recycling tires into high quality rubber powder and they hope it will lead to a boost in tire recycling by as much as 50%. ...
A 45 MPG Minivan with Turbocharging and Direct Injection that Runs on CNG and Gasoline
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 05.11.09
Photo: VW
VW Touran Minivan gets Dual-Fuel TSI EcoFuel Powertrain (CNG & Gasoline)
Volkswagen has decided to put its 1.4-liter TSI EcoFuel engine in its Touran Minivan/MPV. This means that it can run on both gasoline and compressed natural gas (CNG), giving it cleaner emissions and reducing the amount of CO2 produced per kilometer (more technical details below). Of course, natural gas is still a fossil fuel (well, unless it is methane reclaimed from a landfill or something like that), but it greener than gasoline (The 2009 Honda Civic GX was recognized by the EPA as the "cleanest-internal combustion vehicle on Earth") and most people could refuel from their home, so it's surprising that CNG vehicles haven't caught on....
Robert Redford: Utah's Renewable Energy Opportunity is Vast
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 05.11.09
photo: Mike Saliba via flickr
Robert Redford may be opposed to a new green housing development in Napa—and for what it's worth his objections are sound on the siting of the project—but in a recent opinion piece for the Salt Lake Tribune, he makes the case for expanding renewable energy generation in Utah. Check it out, the overall point made is valid no matter where you live:...
The Mud Computer Brings Gamers Back to the Earth (Video)
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 05.11.09
Photo via Gizmodo
The tank of mud you see before you is more than just a tank of mud - though that alone could be a lot of fun to squish your fingers through. However, underneath all that mud is a computer, and you use the mud to control it. Checkout the Mud Tub in action after the jump....
Sprawl is the Death Of Us All
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.11.09
This Photo Cost 48 Tons of CO2
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 05.11.09
This photo cost nearly 48 tons of carbon emissions to be spewed into the atmosphere. Via Twitpic
Now that Obama has released the photo capturing Air Force One doing a staged flyover of Manhattan--and scaring the crap out of thousands of people--we can see what all the trouble was for. The answer is: not much. This photo cost tax payers a couple hundred thousand dollars--and according to my calculations, the plane emitted 48 tons of CO2 on its pointless trip to the Statue of Liberty. ...
Ledalite's Ergolight Touts 80% More Energy Efficiency
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 05.11.09
Image via Cleantechnica
If you want a lamp to be super efficient, make it shut itself off when no one is using it. That's the premise behind the Ergolight, a lighting system that takes the need for a switch or dimmer out of the equation for office buildings. ...
Ten Reasons Not to Bike To Work. All Debunked. Threefold
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 05.11.09
The mayor of Copenhagen reckons Biking to Work in that city is as commonplace as brushing one’s teeth. But, as was evidenced by Utah’s plan to make cycling fashionable, much of the rest of the western world is well served by awareness-raising events like Bike to Work week. This week! In the US anyway. (In the UK Bike Week is 13 to 21 June and Australia’s Ride to Work Day is 14 October 2009)
But who needs some arbitrary date to get motiviated, huh? Dust off that racer, tourer, MTB or clunker in the garage, dig out the pant’s clips, or just tuck your duds into your socks and get pedalling. ...
What is Green Design? 13 Questions We'll Be Asking at ICFF
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.11.09
What is "Green design?" Why do things appear on TreeHugger? What criteria do we use?
We are covering ICFF and New York Design Week again this year, looking for the best in green design. But sometimes it must appear to readers to be a bit of a stretch. But somewhere in there, the things that we show have got something, some feature that attracted us. This slideshow lists some of the questions we ask to determine if something should be on TreeHugger, what we look for to decide if something is green.
...
San Francisco's New Solar Power Array Will Triple Renewable Energy Capacity
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 05.11.09
photo simulation of completed project: Recurrent Energy
Here's another reason why San Francisco is rightly perceived as one of the greenest cities in the United States: The Board of Supervisors has approved a deal with Recurrent Energy that will bring a 5 MW solar power array to the Sunset:
...
Organic Nation Goes on Ultimate Foodie Roadtrip
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 05.11.09
Is Virtual Gaming Actually Helpful for Cutting Energy Consumption?
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 05.11.09
Image via Shaspa
OpenShaspa Home Energy Kit is a cool new tool coming out today from Shaspa that allows you to monitor and control your home's energy use while roaming around a virtual world. It's an online gamer's dream way of making sure their home is energy efficient - much like Stanford professor Byron Reeves has predicted, and hopes will catch on. However, when virtual gaming uses a huge amount of power to keep people online, does it really present an option for significant energy savings?...
Computer Lays the Prettiest Brick Walls Since Eladio Dieste
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.11.09
Images by Jessica Rosenkrantz
One of the oldest building materials known to humankind, bricks have great thermal mass and last almost forever. But laying them takes skill, and complex forms and shapes are hard to design and build.
Now Professor Ingeborg Rocker and students at the Graduate School of Design at Harvard have taught a computer to do it....
The Nitty Gritty on e-Cycling: Buy-Back, Take-Back, and Recycling Programs
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 05.11.09
Photo via Dru Bloomfield
We recently talked about the notion that e-waste will plateau in the next few years, thanks to a growing awareness on the part of government, companies and consumers about properly disposing of electronics. One of the biggest ways damage from electronic waste can be mitigated is through consumer knowledge of how to dispose of old gadgets. There are currently three major ways to put electronics in their proper resting place or back into the consumer stream. We're going to talk about each, and give you the resources you need to make a quick and easy decision about your old device when you choose to replace it....
Should the Hydrogen Highway Be Put Out Of Its Misery?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.11.09
Hydrogen has had its ups and downs in the transportation biz. A few years ago America was going to build hydrogen highways; now President Obama has pulled the plug on it. Smart move?
...
Spare Some Change For Change: Worldchanging’s Online Auction
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 05.11.09
Our pals over at Worldchanging are throwing an ‘Worldchanging Ideas Online Auction.’ You can bid on some groovy stuff like Ed Burtynsky's globally-recognized photographs, a trip for two to see polar bears face-to-face, Nau's game-changing apparel, and World of Good's life-changing artisan crafts. But they are equally chuffed with the non-stuff on offer. Such as a tour of the California Academy of Sciences, a years membership of the long-term thinking Long Now Foundation, as well as passes to a whole swag of top flight conferences and events to be staged all round the globe, from Capetown to Amsterdam.
But don’t dilly dally. You’ve only until this Friday the 15th May to get your bids in.
All gifts, including auction proceeds, will be matched up to $100,000 to help Worldchanging continue on with its “smart, original, award-winning discussion of the planet's best innovations, big ideas and cutting-edge solutions for a bright green future.” Details at ::Worldchanging....
How to Get a Roadmap for Greening Your Home
by Pablo Paster, San Francisco on 05.11.09
Image Source: HUD
Dear Pablo: You have written about home energy efficiency in the past, but aside from individual technologies like CFLs, what can I do to get the "whole picture" and how do I prioritize my investments?...
IKEA, Meet The Salvos. Southern Hemisphere Giants As Retail Neighbours
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 05.11.09
IKEA’s plans to build their largest retail store in the southern hemisphere, have apparently just received New South Wales government approval to proceed. Reports suggest it will require a short stroll of just 2.5 km (1.6 miles) to wander from the store’s front entrance, past all the famous flat-pack merchandise, to the cash register. This store will be 37,000 square metres (for comparison, the largest IKEA in Stockholm is said to cover 50,000 sq m).
There are several intriguing environmental aspects to this announcement, which we explore below....
Shanghai Proposes a Different Kind of Bicycle Fashion
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 05.11.09
Love the Marimekko knock-off rain boots. Via Shanghaiist.
The New York Times Magazine bicycle fashion spread of three Sundays ago was notable for its focus on Dutch city cycling bike styles, expensive suits that nearly none of us can afford, and a near complete absence of women. Well, Shanghai decided to give us a slightly different take on bike fashion over at Shanghaiist, and the result is definitely quirkier and more in line with an equal opportunity city biking aesthetic. Because China is the capitol of knock-offs, from Rolex watches to Little Kitty t-shirts, the fashion spread includes quite a lot of fashion fakes. Read on for more Shanghai bicycle fashion fun....
realfood festival is realgood
by Bonnie Alter, London on 05.11.09
The realfood festival is dedicated to bringing together the finest produce and products from the UK and abroad. It is a celebration of small and large producers of delicious, healthy and nutritious food direct from the farmers. There are lectures, animals, cooking shows and endless bits to taste.
Trends this year: lots of cupcakes, olive oil, sausages, coffee and chocolate brownies. Several places selling fresh herbs or kits to grow them. Tons of muesli and granola. Impact of the credit crunch? Several producers saying that they would no longer have an organic range of their food because it was too expensive and customers were shying away from buying it.
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The Year of Natural Fiber's Alpaca Stomp & Romp
by Roberta Cruger, Los Angeles on 05.11.09
Spring Fling at the Alpaca Extravaganza. Photo via Flickr: by Barnoid
Since the Dacron sweaters of Sixties and polyester leisure suits of the’70s, synthetic materials have taken a chunk of the market share from natural fibers, impacting developing countries and the profits of small-scale farms. So the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN hatched the idea of making 2009 the International Year of Natural Fibers. The goal is to heighten the fibers' profile as a key to sustaining farmers around the world. Stories of changes happening are impressive, from the return of sisal farms in Tanzania to educational programs about removing pesticides that significantly increase yields....
Fred Krupp at the World Innovation Forum: Cap and Trade will Drive Eco-innovation
by Bonnie Hulkower, New York, New York on 05.11.09
Fred Krupp being interviewed at the World Innovation Forum. Photo courtesy of Dov Friedmann - PhotographybyDov.com
Attendees from over twenty countries filled the Nokia Theater in NYC this past week to hear speakers on a range of topics, including disruptive innovation, global innovation, and the behavioral economy. As it was the World Innovation Forum, innovation was naturally on everyone’s mind. Fred Krupp spoke about Eco-Innovation. Krupp, the President of Environmental Defense Fund and author of Earth: The Sequel, held an apropos talk given the simultaneous discussions by the House Energy and Commerce Committee on the draft Waxman-Markey bill. The bill, if passed, will be the most significant action the U.S. taken to date in addressing climate change. Krupp lured attendees by pronouncing that the climate change bill would lead to a “gold rush” for innovators with “new fortunes to be made.” ...
What Can Trigger An Asthma Attack May Surprise You
by Eric Leech, New York, NY on 05.10.09
Photo via: Fredo Alvarez
What Causes Asthma?
According to Dr. Todd Mahr, a Gundersen Lutheran pediatric allergist and asthma specialist, it is many things. It is allergens (pollen, mold, pets, rodents, food, bugs), pollution (cigarette smoke, smog, exhaust fumes), temperature fluctuations, respiratory infections, etc. It would be great if we could find a key instigator to this rampant form of lung disease which effects millions of both children and adults, but a disease with so many causal factors can get a little tricky to deal with. But things are about to get a little more tricky as research uncovers a few more potential causal factors......Prejudism and the Green Entrepreneur
by Eric Leech, New York, NY on 05.10.09
Photo via: Tony the Misfit
As the mortgage and banking industry collapsed last year, a painful reminder that prejudice banking still exists echoed over thousands of foreclosed homes whose minority owners had taken out a second mortgage (with unfavorable terms) to obtain additional money. There are no government statistics of how many of these owners were green business owners looking to build their business with these loans, but we can safely assume that many were. If there is anything to be said here, it is that lending institutions are not always on the green entrepreneurs side, especially the minority entrepreneur....
ToFLU: Next Pandemic to Hit Vegetarians
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 05.10.09
Kansas To Get 400 Jobs Making Wind Turbine Nacelles
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 05.10.09
Image credit:Flickr,Kansas.gov's photostream, Mary Dague - Lincoln County, KS
Via The Witchia Eagle:- Siemens Energy has announced its selection of Hutchinson Kansas for building a $50 million wind turbine plant, employing approximately 400 workers. "The plant will assemble nacelles, the oblong structures at the top of wind towers that include the generators, gears and electronics." The high excitement level over this announcement seems slightly ironic in that the Kansas legislature just approved construction of a massive coal fired electricity plant designed to serve out of state customers. ...
Alternative Builders Search for Solutions in Southern California
by Josh Peterson, Los Angeles, California on 05.10.09
The 6th annual Alternative Building and Design Expo took place in Santa Monica, California on May 8th and 9th. They had free valet bicycle parking, but non-valet car parking cost eight dollars, just another fine example of how going green saves you money. The expo had over 150 exhibits and ongoing lectures by leaders in green building and design.
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Bay Area Towns Reconsider Support for High-Speed Rail
by Jesse Fox, Tel Aviv, Israel on 05.10.09
Rendering via The State Worker.
Six months ago, most of the San Francisco Peninsula voted in favor of California's high-speed rail plan. Lately, however, many have begun having second thoughts. “The more we’ve gotten into it, the more we think the procedures determining the route were flawed,” Palo Alto City Council member Larry Klein told the San Francisco Examiner recently. “We think high-speed rail is a great idea, if done properly.”
What happened? Residents say they are concerned about the effects the high-speed trains will have on their communities...
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Think Mom's the Best? Share Her With a Sea Turtle
by Jennifer Hattam, Istanbul, Turkey on 05.10.09
A Mother's Day card for contributors who adopt a sea turtle in their mom's name. Image via WWF-Türkiye
"My Dear Mother, I felt that this sea turtle also needed a mother as extraordinary as you, so I have adopted him in your name. From now on, he will swim in safe water..."...
Obama Kills Hydrogen Car Funding
by Daniel Kessler, San Francisco, California on 05.10.09
Photo via Energy Ethos
Buried in news about President Obama's budget was the news that George W. Bush's $1.2 billion plan for hydrogen fuel cells was killed Obama, saving taxpayers $100 million a year. Why?...
There's a Serious Sustainable Beer Culture in Appalachia
by Sara Novak, Columbia, SC on 05.10.09
The Appalachian Mountains are near and dear to my heart. I was born and raised in the Blue Ridge. For those that love the outdoors, the Appalachian Mountains are the ideal east coast playground for keeping in touch with nature. According to a recent issue of Blue Ridge Outdoors, these hills are also a great place for beer....
Modular, Sporty, Flexible Steintrikes from Bike Revolution
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 05.10.09
Image: author
Steintrike Mungo Takes the Stairs
Apologies for the unfocused photo, but when a Mungo flashes past you down the steps, there is not much time to point and shoot. The amazing suspension in the Mungo Sport trike makes going anywhere easy. Now we just need to campaign for bike paths on the stairways.
Steintrike Nomad Sport with No Waste Design
Hard to miss at the recent Specialized Bike Convention (Spezi), Bike Revolution earns their name. Bike Revolution distributes some of the leading specialized bike names, including Hase, Zox, and HP Velotechnik. But their partnership with Steintrikes, and the prototype 4-wheeler (photo below), seized the day at Spezi. The revolutionary findings include: - Impressive suspension
- No Waste Design
- Modular concept
- City-friendly velomobile concept.
