- 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 June 14, 2009 - June 20, 2009
Total this week: 163
Dartmouth U Students Spend Summer Vacation on Green Road Trip
by Roberta Cruger, Los Angeles on 06.20.09
Riding the "Vehicle for Change," a team of 15 Dartmouth College grads and students "dedicated to diminishing environmental and economic issues through education," clamored aboard the Big Green Bus to drive 12,000 miles across the US. On June 17, they stopped off at the Timberland store in Manhattan to unveil the newly retrofit 1989 MCI bus's eco-features. Where are they headed next and what are they up to?
...
When the Love of Animals Becomes Deadly
by Eric Leech, New York, NY on 06.20.09
Photo via: Fyunkie
Can you find the cat amongst this hoarders 'collections'?
Hoarders have been around for years. Some prefer to classify themselves as “pack rats,” others “collectors.” Whatever they choose to be called, they are still among the same mental illness which is categorized by the compulsive need to collect things. Some people collect mugs, others newspapers, but probably one of the most destructive of these people are those who are drawn to collecting animals......
Coal Exec Challenges James Hansen to a Climate Change Debate
by Daniel Kessler, San Francisco, California on 06.20.09
Vote for Your Favorite Farmers' Market Today
by Sara Novak, Columbia, SC on 06.20.09
photo: Summerville, SC Farmers' Market
Love your farmers’ market and want everyone to know it? Well now you can vote it your favorite thanks to American Farmland Trust’s (AFT) farmers’ market contest. AFT is promoting the connection between local farms and the foods we eat with the America’s Favorite Farmers’ Market Contest....
No Impact Man Documentary Film Is Low on Carbon, High on Awareness
by David Friedlander, New York City on 06.20.09
TreeHugger attended a pre-release screening No Impact Man, a documentary made about Colin Beavan (aka No Impact Man) and his family’s yearlong experiment to live a zero waste lifestyle in New York City. We were happy to see that the movie treated its premise with a great deal of self-awareness, addressing the fact that the no impact conceit could easily be labeled as gimmickry rather than an earnest experiment to see what one can and cannot live without. ...
Can Raw Food Go Mainstream? World's First Licensed Raw Academy
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 06.20.09
Cafe and Culinary Academy Taking Raw Food to Mainstream Audiences
As an avid eater, I've always been a little skeptical about the raw food movement. After all, can a life without bubbly blackened pizza crusts, caramelized onions, or the joys of a good burger really be called a life at all? And yet there is something appealing about raw, living food. Simple, minimally processed fresh ingredients, presented beautifully, can make for some of the best meals you'll ever have. As I noted in my post on low carbon cooking techniques, not cooking is about as energy efficient as you can get, and some advocates claim that raw food can even 'cure' diabetes. But just as Meat-Free Mondays may be a good first step for reducing your impact, maybe we all need to consider eating a little more raw as part of a healthy, balanced diet. Now an innovative cafe, culinary institute and shop in Oklahoma City is aiming to put raw, or living, foods at the center of our culinary consciousness. But can they win over us doubters?
...
Good News Department: New, Clean Diesel Engines Perform Way Better Than Expected
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 06.20.09
A Plug-In Hybrid for $10 an Hour? Rent Your Own EV in Central London
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 06.20.09
Streetcar Offers Plug In Hybrid Rentals
When Streetcar car sharing club set up in major London stations I got pretty excited. When Plug-In Hybrids started appearing on the streets of London, Michael was enthused. Now we're going to see the best of both worlds as Streetcar have just announced they will be renting out plug-in Priuses for as little as £5.95 ($10) an hour. Here's the details....
Can a 'Green New Deal' Boost Turkey's Economy Too?
by Jennifer Hattam, Istanbul, Turkey on 06.20.09
Image via Yeşil Ekonomi Konferansı.
With unemployment at 15.8 percent and the slow-down in the country's GDP estimated at more than 10 percent, the Turkish economy, like many others around the world, could use a shot in the arm. So why not make the medicine something that's good for the environment as well?...
Plane Food Café Delivers the Joys of Flying Without The CO2
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 06.20.09
the view inside
George Monbiot told us that flying is dying; London artist Richard DeDomenici tells us that a return transatlantic flight is equivalent in CO2 and pollution output to driving a car 30 miles a day for a year. So the artist/humorist has developed the Plane Food Café to "help discourage the environmentally conscious and paranoid from further flying, whilst simultaneously enabling the 95% of people in the world who have never travelled by plane to inexpensively experience the delights of aviation cuisine."
...
How Do You Plan on Easing Your Burden on the Planet When you Die?
by Eric Leech, New York, NY on 06.20.09
Photo via: Papalars
There are only two things in life that are certain... taxes, and you know, that other thing!
While death is not something that anybody wants to talk about, they certainly should. The process of what to do with your remains is a very important question. Society has a set list of procedures for the moment our time on this planet comes to an end, and most of them are not very green......
Backyard Wind Turbine by Wind Simplicity Mirrors Art and Nature
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 06.19.09
Image via: Wind Simplicity
Backyard wind turbines are becoming more aesthetically pleasing and still completely functional, and one of the latest on the market is the Wind Dancer - a copper-colored, 8-bladed fancy-schmancy residential wind turbine. Created by father and daughter duo, Sharolyn Vettese and Alfred Matheiu, the WInd Dancer offers residential applications and a "pretty" option, particularly in areas with low wind speeds, reports the Globe and Mail....
Quote of the Day: Politicizing Carbon Cap & Trade (More Than It Already Was...)
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 06.19.09
This quote by an unnamed author at The Economist speaks for itself: "Under a mammoth carbon-emissions bill now working its way through Congress, 85% of valuable permits to emit carbon dioxide (which might all have been auctioned) will be given away free. This creates a huge new pot of favours for government to hand out, and new incentives for businesses to lobby. It will be costlier to fight climate change, while harder to avoid political favour-trading." Safe to assume that many companies will decide its cheaper to hire a bunch of lobbyists to get some of those free permits rather than to make cuts in emissions... *sigh*...
Piggy Paint Nail Polish Turns Toes Green (In a Good Way!)
by Naturally Savvy on 06.19.09
Piggy Paint Nail Polish is geared to kids, but adults will love their non-toxic formula, too. Photos courtesy of Piggy Paint.
This little piggy went to market, this little piggy stayed home. This little piggy ate roast beef, this little piggy had none. And this little piggy went "Wee, wee, wee" all the way . . . green?
The chemicals in most nail polishes had me thinking twice about nail polish this summer—until I gave Piggy Paint a second chance.
Marketed as a kid-friendly, non-toxic nail polish, Piggy Paint is equally great for eco-friendly, health-conscious adults. The water-based, odorless polish is free of formaldehyde, toluene, phthalates, bisphenol A, ethyl acetate and acetone. And did I mention it comes in a wide range of bright colors, perfect for summer?
The real question however is: does it actually work?...
Are Labor Unions 'Greenmailing' Solar Power Companies?
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 06.19.09
Photo via Sustainable NY
Call it the seedy underbelly of green business--reports have been surfacing that solar power companies who start projects without agreeing to hire unionized labor are finding themselves in a suspicious bit of trouble. They're suddenly buried under legal demands to ensure the project won't interfere with dozens of different species, face hostile testimony at public hearings, and are forced to conduct lengthy, barely relevant environmental studies. The companies are facing a seemingly simple choice: hire union, or go greener than humanly possible. They're getting greenmailed. ...
Confirmed: Biofuels Better Than Fossil Fuels in Jet Engines - Scaling Them Up is the Major Problem
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 06.19.09
Data on biofuel test flights than took place nearly six months ago (Continental Airlines' flight took place in January and JAL's a bit more recently) is resurfacing at the Paris Air Show.
The gist of it is something that has been repeatedly highlighted in the intervening months, that biofuels perform as well or slightly better than fossil fuels in jet engines, with Continental saying that their biofuel blend increased fuel efficiency by 1.1%. But that doesn't mean that we're really much closer to wide-scale use.
Writing in Yale Environment 360, David Biello really sums up well the nut that's got to be cracked:...
Water Watch Shows Safe Swimming Spots in European Waters
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 06.19.09
Wondering where it's safe to swim in Europe? An initiative called Eye on Earth - Water Watch created by Microsoft and the European Environment Agency and powered by Bing will help you find out what water you can swim in without wondering if you're going to go home with more than just memories. ...
As U.S. Cities Waver on Plastic Bag Tax, China's Bag Ban Saved 1.6 Million Tons of Oil
by Alex Pasternack, New York, NY on 06.19.09
A ban on super thin plastic bags cut the use of 40 billion bags, reduced plastic bag usage by 66 percent and saved China 1.6 million tons of petroleum, according to recent government estimates, Worldwatch reports.
In a byzantine federal-local system in which officials often flaunt national environmental policies, China's bag policy is widely considered to be a shining example of the powerful, positive effects Beijing can have over the environment when it chooses to.
Last week, as the U.N. Environment Program's chief called for a global ban on plastic bag production, Washington, D.C., approved a bag tax. But Baltimore backed out on a bag fee, and a week-old bag ban in Philiadelphia was killed, apparently under pressure from lobbyists of the petroleum and retail industries....
The First Real-Time Carbon Emissions Counter Starts Ticking in NYC
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 06.19.09
Photo via RedGreenandBlue
We know carbon emissions are accelerating rapidly, but just how rapidly? Ticking at a frightening rate, a giant billboard was unveiled in New York outside Madison Square Garden and Penn Station, showing atmospheric greenhouse gases are rising by 800 tonnes a second. And the calculations are legit. ...
Conserve Now or the Rainforest Gets It! Cameroon Forest Given 30 Day Logging Reprieve
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 06.19.09
photo: Graham via flickr
Talk about an ultimatum: Mongabay reports that the government of Cameroon has given conservation group Wildlife Works 30 days to come up with a conservation plan for a 830,000 hectare (3,205 square mile) area of rainforest or the whole thing gets sold off to loggers:...
Bobby Kennedy, Jr.: "Let's Get Arrested!" (Video)
by Alex Pasternack, New York, NY on 06.19.09
Photo: Douglas Mason / Getty
Civil Disobedience to Fight Coal
Before Bruce Springsteen took the stage at Bonnaroo over the weekend, Bobby Kennedy, Jr. told a crowd of thousands that "coal is a crime," and called on festival-goers to get arrested with him (and James Hansen) on the 23rd of June at Coal River in West Virginia.
Beforehand, Jacob from TreeHugger Radio and I caught up with the attorney-activist, who heads the Waterkeeper Alliance. Yesterday I posted an interview with Kennedy in which he detailed his problems with Obama's policy on mountaintop coal mining and the "corruption" of his "family friends." The radio interview is here, but see after the jump for the full conversation....
Survey: Is Expanded Fossil Fuel Exploration & Clean Coal Part of Green Energy Policy?
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 06.19.09
If you missed it yesterday, the Senate Energy & Natural Resources committee passed a new energy bill which, apart from having pitifully low renewable energy targets (15% by 2021), would open up large areas of the Gulf of Mexico to oil and gas drilling, gives another hand out to 'clean coal' and approves a new gas pipeline through Alaska. As you can we weren't entirely pleased. I'm assuming most TreeHugger readers think the renewable energy requirement is beyond unambitious, but what about the rest? Is expanded fossil fuel exploration and clean coal part of a greener energy policy?
...
PETA Calls Obama's Kung Fu Fly Swat an "Execution"
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 06.19.09
How Development is Hurting, Not Helping, China's Poor (Video)
by Alex Pasternack, New York, NY on 06.19.09
Cash for Clunkers Passes - Auto Industry Saved? Blue Skies Ahead?
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 06.19.09
Photo via Alice Springs
There's plenty of debate as to whether there's anything green about the Cash for Clunkers program that just passed the Senate, and is on the way to the White House to be signed into law. The law will allow owners of "clunkers", or old, emissions-spewing vehicles, to receive up to $4,500 when they trade it in for a new, more fuel efficient vehicle. The bill will allegedly curb emissions while boosting the auto industry. But will it work?...
Apple Changes MacBook Ads After Dell Challenges on Greenwashing
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 06.19.09
Image via Apple
Well, Dell finally can do a little victory dance. Sort of. Dell has been after Apple for awhile now, challenging that the company greenwashes its line of MacBooks. Now Dell has made a little progress in its quest for green computer cred domination - the latest challenge by Dell against how Apple phrases its ads has resulted in Apple doing a tiny rephrase. ...
Stanley Greenberg, World-Renowned Pollster, Talks Enviro-Politico Shop
by Neil Chambers, New York City on 06.19.09
Photograph: Jay Westcott/Rappor
Never heard of Stanley Greenberg? Probably means you’ve been living under a rock for the last, say, twenty years. He’s a political mastermind – akin to being described as the world-champion of public opinion polls. His client list reads like a who’s who of domestic and international government – Bill Clinton, Tony Blair, Nelson Mandela and Ehud Barak. When the chance to talk enviro-political shop with the Grand Pooh-bah “o” Polling appeared, it was an easy vote of YES WE CAN!...
Haven't Biked Yet? Don't Berate Yourself. Read Bicycle Lifestyle Guide
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 06.19.09
Photo via midnightridazz.
This new 30-page booklet, Bicycle Lifestyle Guide, takes just an hour to read, and it is an inspiring and cheerful general audience guide to urban biking from the non-profit C.I.C.L.E. organization. If you thought bike commuting just wasn't possible for you, the BLG just might change your mind. What is great about the booklet, in addition to the lively, varied graphics, is that the BLG isn't preachy. It doesn't exhort you to fully embrace the bike commuting lifestyle, or necessarily give up your other forms of commuter transportation, or feel guilty when you leave the bike at home. ...
The H2Orb Flushes Your Leaky Toilet Troubles Away
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 06.19.09
Image via: Maybemay on Flickr.com
It's easy to ignore, that little ripple of water in your toilet tank that you think might be a leak, but you don't have time and you're really not sure. The next time you pop a squat, there it is again, mocking you, taunting you but you figure you'll remember to pick up a new flapper the next time you're out at the store. What if there was something that could alert you to the problem and stop it instead of waiting for you to get around to fixing it? ...
Hydrogen 'Matchmakers' Find Place for Pricey Power in Developing World
by Jennifer Hattam, Istanbul, Turkey on 06.19.09
A hydrogen-powered mobile home, sea taxi, and forklift are among the innovations developed with support from a UN project in Turkey. Photos via ICHET.
With enthusiasm about hydrogen energy on the wane in the United States, it seems a bit implausible that this expensive technology might find a home in the developing world, but that's exactly where Dr. Nicolas Lymberopoulos thinks it belongs--with a little "matchmaking" help....
10 Awe-Inspiring, Sustainable Designs for a Living World: Showing Now at Cooper Hewitt (Slideshow)
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 06.19.09
Photo credit: Mackenzie Stroh
Not able to hoof it to New York City's Cooper-Hewitt Museum for the Nature Conservancy's Design for a Living World"? Fret not, because we've brought the exhibit to you through the magic of the Internet.
In our slideshow, you'll find prominent designers from the worlds of fashion, industrial, and furniture design (Yves Béhar, Maya Lin, Isaac Mizrahi, Hella Jongerius, and Kate Spade, just to name a few) who have explored natural, sustainable materials from specific parts of the globe where the Nature Conservancy works, from the grasslands of Idaho to the forests of China's Yunnan Province. The result: Beautiful yet practical objects with the potential to revolutionize entire industries and reshape lives.
Design for a Living World runs through Jan. 4, 2010.
...
EPA Announces Asbestos Emergency in Libby, Montana
by Daniel Kessler, San Francisco, California on 06.19.09
photo via www.adrworks.com
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson today announced that her agency has determined that a public health emergency exists in Montana's little town of Libby. The town has suffered hundreds of asbestos-related disease cases and will now have $6 million dollars to help clean it up. ...
Numi Introduces First Organic Puerh Teas in the U.S.
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 06.19.09
Photo credit: Numi Organic Tea
It's true what they say about hybrid vigor. Case in point: Numi Organic's new Chocolate Puerh blend, which fuses Mayan ingenuity with China's beverage par excellence to produce a scintillating concoction that, despite the incongruity, is surprisingly smooth on the palate....
Peau Ethique Makes Fair Trade Baby Toys With Color Grown Cotton
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 06.19.09
Image via: Peau Ethique
Lions. Giraffes. Elephants. Oh My! These cute new baby toys from Peau Ethique are made with natural, organic cotton, therefore using no dyes in the process. FanFan the Elephant, the GiGi Giraffe family (mom, dad, baby) and Lili the Lioness are all waiting to make your child's crib their new home....
Venice, Italy, Rebrands Tap Water As Aqua Veritas to Fight Bottled Water Waste
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 06.19.09
Spoofing the marketing of bottled water, as we highlighted the other day, is but one of the myriad tools being engaged to counter this resource hogging scourge. Another method is to fight fire with fire, such as the famous water city of Venice, Italy, is doing.
To reduce the escalating volume of discarded plastic water bottles, the city has rebranded their own municipal water as Aqua Veritas (or True Water). ...
Worthless Is a Shop and a Concept
by Bonnie Alter, London on 06.19.09
Worthless was a pop-up shop that examined consumerism and art and the value of material objects. It's a take-off on the much-missed Woolworth's stores except everything is free. "Customers" are invited to bring something to the store and it will be transformed into a work of art.
People have brought in everything from an EasyJet plane ticket to a broken clock to an odd shoe. The not-so-precious objects have been carefully worked over by the shop's resident gnomes and returned to their owners as something priceless. The customer will be asked to pay however much they feel the new item is worth....
Safia Minney Awarded MBE; 5 More Green Fashion Stories of the Week
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 06.18.09
In the week when green fashion icon Safia Minney is awarded an MBE by The Queen for her services to British Fashion TH Blog Love waltzes round the blogosphere in search of 5 more stylish fashion stories of the week. Click through to enjoy our sartorial discoveries......
Flower Power Thwarts Burglars in Japan
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 06.18.09
Studies have shown that hospital patients make a speedier recovery when they have a exposure to living vegetation, like trees and flowers. And certainly great metropoli are made even more liveable by their extensive parks and gardens. Now it seems that plants can also deter burglars. Sort of.
Suginami, a district of Tokyo, Japan experienced over 1,700 break-ins in 2002. By 2008 this had dropped by about 80%, down to a mere 390 thefts. This dramatic change is attributed, in part, to Operation Flower, according to a Reuters report....
Way Basics Offers 20% Off All Furniture Products
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 06.18.09
Image via Way Basics.
A few days ago we covered Way Basics, a company that has invented simple, basic furniture that is practical and versatile. The Way Basics line of modular furniture is made from the company’s signature zBoards, a super-durable board made from post-consumer recycled paper that weighs much less than particle board. Each zBoard comes equipped with 3M double-sided tape, eliminating the need for tools or hardware and making assembly as easy as peel, stick, done. ...
What It's Like to Live in a Biosphere (Video)
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 06.18.09
Okay, so we already live in one, so we kinda know already. But what about a human-made biosphere, as in Biosphere 2? Jane Poynter explains just what it's like, from the crazy challenges they came across even to breathe, to what it feels like to experience very closely the interconnectedness of the ecosystems to the point where "you're eating yourself, in a way," to how bad people outside the biosphere stink. ...
How to Craft Water Democracy, Earth Democracy & Survive Climate Change: TreeHugger Interviews Dr. Vandana Shiva
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 06.18.09
I first became aware of Dr Vandana Shiva's work through the anti-globalization movement in the 1990s and the all documentaries produced at that time in which she managed to appear. Later I became more aware of her advocacy of environmental and social justice going back to the Chipko movement in the 1970s (India's original tree huggers).
More recently she's become one of the globe's most prominent people advocating for a (re)embracement of small-scale, organic, biodiverse agriculture on the grounds that not only is more productive and more environmentally benign that monoculture agriculture (even when that monoculture is certified organic), but is the key to producing enough food as our climate changes.
She's also written extensively about water privatization, water conflict, water management and how these are further disempowering people throughout the globe.
Recently I had a chance to talk with Dr Shiva on the phone and get a first hand report on how these issues are having an impact in India today:...
New LED Bulbs by Sharp Can be Remotely Tuned Between 7 Shades of White
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 06.18.09
Photo: Sharp
Honey, I Feel More Like Cool White Today...
Sharp's introducing 9 new models of LED lightbulbs to Japan in mid-July, but the most innovative of those is the one pictured above (the others are below). What's that thing on the right? It's actually a remote control that allows you to tune the color of the DL-L60AV LED Lamp (Sharp calls it "Adjustable Color Function"), or of a series of those plugged into the same circuit. Why is that a good thing? More details on how it works and its performance below....
Australia Takes Lead on Combating Desertification
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 06.18.09
Photo via Paleontour
Scientists at the Desert Knowledge CRC say that Australia may hold some important keys to combating desertification, which is what happens when we take more resources from the land than it can handle and turns to desert. Two sets of tools are vital in combating desertification: methods of monitoring when it is occurring, and methods for managing the effects so as to avoid land degradation to the point of desertification. It seems Australia is advancing on some interesting ways to handle both concerns....
The Man Who Can Stop the Climate Bill Doesn't Understand What Climate Change Is
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 06.18.09
Photo via Inforum
Every so often, you stumble upon something that you just can't seem to find anything nice to say about. In this case, it happened when it became clear that there was a single man who could potentially decide the fate of the Waxman-Markey bill; what could be the best hope the US has for fighting climate change. And that man doesn't even understand what climate change is....
Senate Committee OKs "Alternative" Climate Bill—and Offshore Drilling, Clean Coal, and New Gas Pipeline
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 06.18.09
Photo via Getty
While environmentalists everywhere anxiously await the next step in the slovenly saga of the Waxman-Markey climate bill, an entirely different energy bill has just slipped through the gates. And I'm going to venture a guess that they're not going to be quite as interested in seeing this one pass into law. This measure, which just made it through the Senate Committee, would open large areas of the Gulf of Mexico for gas and oil drilling, funds clean coal, and approves a new gas pipeline through Alaska.
...
DOE Blowing $23 Million in Next 5 Years Over BS Energy Management Errors
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 06.18.09
DOE is caught using old school energy practices in an energy savvy world. Photo via Marcin Wichary
The U.S. Department Energy's Office of the Inspector General audited seven facilities, including its own headquarters, and found that dumb issues in IT energy management resulted in a wasted $1.6 million in energy costs in fiscal year 2008. Even more frustrating is that these missteps - especially apparent in their data centers - can add up to $23 million in the next five years at just these seven sites. If the fact that the Department of Energy found it is wasting energy doesn't make you want to slap your forehead and sigh in frustration, I'm not sure what will. Oh wait, I know...their recommendations for improvements will. ...
Video: Phoenix’s Brand New Light Rail Has 60% More Users than Expected
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 06.18.09
Photo: Phoenix Valley Metro
Shows a Big Pent Up Demand for Quality Public Transportation
The sprawling city of Phoenix, of all places, is showing us how light rail should be done. They just opened a 20 mile line with 28 stops last December, and ridership statistics are beating all forecasts (evidence that the same might be true in other cities where they are afraid to invest because their forecasts are too low) with 40,000 daily riders instead of the 25,000 expected. As you can see in the video below, the trains also have bike racks, which is a must to encourage multi-modal transportation. Read on for more details, and make sure to check out the video below....
"Carbon Bomb" Detonating Megatons Per Day, Acidifying The World's Oceans
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 06.18.09
Oceanic carbon dioxide flux. Image credit: NOAA, "The oceanic sink for carbon dioxide:" Sabine and Feely, Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, NOAA, Seattle, Washington.
I try to keep my posting on the sunny side of life. Climate change, as fearful as it seems at times, is still a distant risk and one that it is definitely not too late to mitigate. That's the good news. The bad news is that the world's oceans have variously absorbed more than one-third of the last 150 years worth - roughly 130 billion tonnes of CO2 emissions - becoming, as IPS points out, "30 percent more acidic as the extra CO2 combines with carbonate ions in seawater, forming carbonic acid". ...
The World in 200 Years According to Pete Alcorn (Video)
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 06.18.09
Kids might not need to fear the apocalypse after all. At least, that's what Pete Alcorn thinks. According to Alcorn, we have a hopeful future, because we're just about 150 years away from a new enlightenment. Check out his short talk about why we can be optimistic about the earth in 2200, and why that optimism is exactly what will ensure a happy future. ...
Bobby Kennedy, Jr.: Coal-State Democrats Are "Endorsing Criminal Behavior and Destroying their State" (Video)
by Alex Pasternack, New York, NY on 06.18.09
Coal companies would not exist if not for the "corruption" of politicians, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. told TreeHugger in an interview at Bonnaroo, singling out "family friends of ours forever," like West Virginia Democrats Jay Rockefeller and Robert Byrd.
"They're allowing and endorsing criminal behavior and destroying their state," he said.
The attorney-activist, who is president of the Waterkeeper Alliance, also said that President Obama's recent refusal to ban mountaintop mining is a "huge disappointment."
See the video after the jump....
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Talks Dirty Coal at Bonnaroo, and More
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 06.18.09
Image credit: Jeff KravitzWith 80,000 people, America's biggest music fest is a colossus. But Bonnaroo keeps making good on its commitment to get greener each year. TreeHugger Radio chatted at length with Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. who is calling people to civil disobedience in Appalachia to fight mountaintop mining. We also heard from director Robert Stone about his forthcoming Earth Days documentary, and get a ukalele-accompanied song from Norweigan band Katzenjammer. Also, check out our on-the-ground coverage of the green and not so green, and see why Andrew Bird no longer tops off with biodiesel. Listen to the podcast of this interview via iTunes, or just click here to listen, right-click to download. ...
The Day After ZipCar Makes a Profit - Part I
by Rocky Mountain Institute on 06.18.09
What are the implications of the world’s largest car sharing company rolling into the black? Image credit:Convertible Mini, Zipcar
In the year 1 A.Z.P. (After Zipcar Profits) the biggest counterpoint against proponents of car sharing will dissipate and we may have to rethink its meaning entirely. Until the present, car sharing has been discussed in terms of being a boutique car rentalship model instead of the mobility revolution it actually represents, because when Zipcar finally turns a profit, end-use questions will start to bubble to the surface including, “Do we want a car or mobility?” Or, “Do we want more efficient electric cars or more transit-oriented development?”...Or, “Is it not an either/or question at all anymore?”
...
The State of Climate Change Science & Policy: Copenhagen Climate Congress Releases Synthesis Report
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 06.18.09
photo: University of Copenhagen
You may remember that back in March the University of Copenhagen and the International Alliance of Research Universities hosted the Copenhagen Climate Congress, whose goal was to sort of fill in the gaps and update everyone on the science of climate change, since the last IPCC report. At the end of the conference an interim summary was produced, but now the final synthesis report has been released. It has six key messages:...
Surprisingly Persistent Gender Gap in Computer Technology Short Circuits Our Future
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 06.18.09
Photo via whiteafrican
A new report tells of old news - that there's a gender gap in interest in computers and careers in technology. While that's no breaking news, what is surprising is the sheer size of the gap during a time when we think we're becoming quite progressive. And when we think of the vital role computer technology plays in our route out of the climate crisis, these rather shocking numbers give us a worrisome pause about the potential brain power we're missing out on....
Survey: Is a Solar Charger Built Into a Phone Just Eco-Bling?
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 06.18.09
In the past few days we've seen a couple of cell phone offerings with integrated solar panels, with the Google Android getting the solar power makeover most recently. Now I'm entirely for more applications for solar power charging, but as someone whose phone is either in a) my hand or b) my bag as I go about my day—and all my charging done at —I can't help but think that integrating the solar charger into the phone seems more like eco-bling than anything else. What do readers think?
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Android Phone Users May Get to be Part of the Solar Power Party Too
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 06.18.09
Image via Android Central
Cell phones powered by renewable energy sources seem to be a buzz topic lately. And solar cells on mobile devices are the energy source of choice, it seems. Back in February, ZTE showed off the first affordable cell phone featuring solar power. Now, it looks like the company is planning on releasing a version for Android users, which could make the phone big in two ways....
Do It Yourself Father's Day Gifts by MAKE Zine
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 06.18.09
Image via: Shapeways Cufflinks
You may feel the pressure, know that it's getting down to the wire to get that perfect Father's Day gift and get it sent, or maybe you didn't even realize that this sunday is Father's Day. Not to worry, the gang over at MAKE has several tips for the perfect do-it-yourself Father's Day gift. ...
Neat House Refurbished with Demolition Materials, by A77 Architects
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires on 06.18.09
Photos: Courtesy of a77.
When asked to refurbish an old house in an upscale neighborhood in Buenos Aires, architects Gustavo Dieguez and Lucas Gilardi from a77 studio turned to demolition materials and rescued about 50 meters of highway guard rails and close to 300 meters of discarded metal profiles, apart from doors and windows from the original home.
How did these blend into the place? Take a look in the extended.
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Video: How Geothermal Is Heating Up in Beijing
by Alex Pasternack, New York, NY on 06.18.09
The Wonderful World of Bamboo (Slideshow)
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 06.18.09
Photo credit: Joi @ Flickr
Bamboo has been back and forth across our radar ever since TreeHugger was but a sprout, and we've seen the wonder-grass used for just about everything. And, while bamboo isn't always super-green, there's no denying its utilitarian handiness. Take a spin through the wonderful world of bamboo, in pictures.
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The All Nighter Styling Powder Keeps 'Dos Fresh Between Washes
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 06.18.09
Photo credit: The All Nighter
We all have our reasons for not washing our hair religiously everyday: water conservation, sheer laziness, to cut our scalps a break, or because we're parenting a cranky, teething six-and-a-half-month-old who won't stop pounding our eardrums with the unmitigated, full-throated fury of her immense disquietude until we've begun to comprehend EVEN THE TINIEST FRACTION of her agony.
But I digress. ...
Green Meals on Wheels: Green Truck Delivers Green Food to Los Angeles
by Roberta Cruger, Los Angeles on 06.18.09
Taco truck with mercury-free line-caught fish and local organic vegetables from the Green Truck.
If hungry for lunch in LA, you have to find out where to go by checking Twitter for location updates. Yesterday, for example, had this: Wed, 6/17 Green Truck will be at our usual 3 stops today from 11:30-2:30 Museum Square, MySpace, and MTV/ Water Gardens/Yahoo Ctr…then posted an hour later: Ashley and Allie will be at Wilshire and Doheny in Beverly Hills…11:30-2:30. New route, new chef…new AWESOMENESS. And what's the daily special?
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Five Ingenious Ways Humans Move Water
by Blythe Copeland, Great Neck, New York on 06.18.09
Photo via R Stanek @ flickr
Sometimes it's not the lack of water that causes problems but the difficulties in reaching the nearest water source that can send societies scrounging. But for centuries, inventive city planners have found ways to work around that challenge, moving mass amounts of water over incredible distances. Read on to see some of the most brilliant ways - both ancient and modern - that humans have found to control their water supply....
Paul McCartney and Other Celebs Support Meat-Free Monday (Video)
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 06.18.09
Star-studded Lunch Heralds Launch of Campaign for Part-time Vegetarianism
Former Beatle Paul McCartney's vegetarianism is no secret, in fact he recently proclaimed that going vegan as one of the most important things you can do for the planet. But just because you are unwilling to go all the way, when it comes to a meat-free diet that is, it doesn't mean you can't make a difference. Like the Belgian town of Ghent which is going vegetarian once a week, Paul McCartney is putting his weight behind a campaign to ask everyone to cut out meat from their diet just once a week.
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Keeping Sewage Out of Turkey's Salt Lake
by Jennifer Hattam, Istanbul, Turkey on 06.18.09
Tuz Gölü (Tuz Lake) in Turkey. Photo via Resim Kalesi.
The primary source of water flow into Tuz Lake is neither rivers nor rainfall, but sewage from the nearby city of Konya and local villages and towns--and the pollution is not only killing the lake's ecosystem, but also making its way onto dining tables across Turkey....
Goodbye Detergent: Lose Your Suds Addiction With Scrubs From Recycled Food Powders
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 06.18.09
I admit to two kitchen addictions - dish detergent that provides suds, and horror of horrors - steel wool impregnated with soap, similar to Brillo pads. Otherwise I'm using baking soda, vinegar and lemon juice for most tasks. But now over at the Cool Hunting blog there's an alternative that actually looks like it could kill two addictions with just one product. Goodbye Detergent scrubs and pads 'utilize the abrasive powers of recycled food remnants like ground peach pits, corn cobs and walnut shells to tackle household clean-up.' Now that is right up my alley...but will it treat my one non-stick pan kindly? Read on....
MAKEA your life, other furniture is possible
by Petz Scholtus, Barcelona, Spain on 06.18.09
MAKEA stands for fixing it, customising, personalising, tuning things, adapting or basically making it beautiful yourself. It is an alternative to the throwaway culture (hence the reference to IKEA!). MAKEA, active since 2006, is a multidisciplinary group from Spain, fed up with our current way of consumption, the brands and their products that loose personality when they are not associated with the brand name any more. But MAKEA is a brand that sells nothing, they are doers and warn us about the infectiousness of the MAKEA virus (see MAKEA video on YouTube)....
Green Winners: One Lottery Winner Loves His Allotment, the Other Gets an MBE
by Bonnie Alter, London on 06.18.09
Image from the Times
Some really big green winners in Britain this week... The recent winner of the EuroMillions lottery, Brian Caswell, won £24.5M, that's $40M US, and is a passionate allotment gardener. Upon learning of his win, he went straight to his allotment to gather his thoughts.
What is he going to do with his new-found riches? He gave a reporter his answer: “I’ve been trying to grow carrots ever since I’ve had that allotment and I’ve never had any success, what I’m going to do now is bring in a professional.” Extolling the virtues of his plot, he explained: “This is clearly a hobby I’ve had for many, many years now, and it’s dear to my heart. It’s very friendly up there. You can go up and have a chat. It’s somewhere to go in the morning — work in the morning, play in the afternoon. That’s predominantly what I did. I can’t see that stopping.” His wife said that she might spend some of the money on a "chaise longue and a new water feature for the garden.”
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Try a Weekday Vegetarian Diet: Eat Green Food without Taking the Plunge
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 06.17.09
Photo credit: adactio @ Flickr
TreeHugger founder Graham Hill helped originate this concept and write this post. Thanks boss!
The Challenge to Going Vegetarian
To most people, meat tastes great. To ask them to go cold turkey (har, har) is a huge ask. The vegetarian movement has focused on pushing a binary decision. A "Either you're with us, or you're against us" approach. A result of this is that meat-eaters either immediately reject the concept or promise themselves that they'll go vegetarian later. And that "later" rarely comes....Awesome Idea: Copenhagen's Cyclist Counter (#500,000 Gets a Free Bike)
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 06.17.09
Photo: Copenhagenize
It Also Doubles as an Air Pump
The city of Copenhagen, Denmark, our Best of Green 2009 winner for "Best City To Be a Cyclist In", has installed what I think is a totally awesome cyclist counter ("cykelbarometer") in front of city hall (it also has an air pump if you need to inflate your bike's tires). The two numbers on the counter are "total number today" and "total number this year so far", according to our friend Mikeal from Copenhagenize. The city will give a Biomega bike to cyclist number 500,000, and since there are about 12,000 cyclists that pass by on a week day (about 25k both ways), it shouldn't take too long for that number to be reached. Read on for more details and another photo....
Big Room's .eco Domain Could Make the World Greener, More Transparent
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 06.17.09
Solar Roof 3x Bigger than GooglePlex Solar Array Being Installed on Phoenix IT Data Center
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 06.17.09
4.5-Megawatt Solar Roof on 538,000 Square Foot Phoenix ONE Data Center
The giant data centers required by the internet age can often look like big boxes, and just like some big box stores have found that all those square feet on the roof could be used for solar panels, some data centers are starting to follow suit: "Phoenix IT infrastructure provider i/o Data Centers is installing a huge array of solar panels on the 11-acre roof of its new Phoenix ONE data center. The company says the photovoltaic panels will generate up to 4.5 megawatts of power to supplement the energy needs of the massive facility." Read on for more details....
Don't Get Distracted by Eco-Bling: Let's Use a 1% Rule of Thumb to Judge New Products & Projects
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 06.17.09
photo: EverJean via flickr.
Over at The Guardian, David MacKay has proposed something that I think we all ought to take seriously: A 1% rule for reporting on energy-saving gadgets or renewable energy systems. MacKay's 1% rule is this: "A gizmo may be discussed only if it could lead to energy savings of at least 1%." It's framed in the context of reporting, but its a rule of thumb we could all use:...
Un-TreeHugger: Beer in a Pouch
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 06.17.09
Photo via Dvice
When we first saw the CarboPouch on Dvice, we figured it for a rather silly product that had more cons than pros, but we could at least think of some pros. However, we caught a glimpse of something on their website that is a big TreeHugger no-no, and sent it straight to the Un-TreeHugger bin....
Sky's the Limit: SkySpark 100% Electric Airplane Sets New Speed Record
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 06.17.09
Photo: SkySpark
New Speed Record for an Electric Airplane, That Is...
Flying is currently the fastest-growing source of CO2, and is expected to keep growing rapidly in the next 20 years. We're still at the early stage of finding greener alternatives to our current planes (other than not flying and ground transportation), but each new milestone is important. One of those was the new electric flight speed record set by the SkySpark 100% electric plane. More details and videos of the flight below....
US Gov Launches New Agenda for Smart Growth and Sustainable Development
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 06.17.09
Image via AIA Colorado
Back in March, Obama announced that he was partnering the Department of Transportation and Housing and Urban Development to forge a strategy for sustainable, smart growth in the US. But one important government agency was curiously missing: the EPA. Now, the Environmental Protection Agency is joining the fray, and it could result in the creation of the greenest agenda the US has seen for sustainable development....
"Plan B" - Efficiency and Conservation Measures Can Drop Energy Demand By 2020
by Lester Brown, Washington, D.C on 06.17.09
"Better Economy, Better Energy, Better Planet". Image and tag credit:World Changing.
Projections from the International Energy Agency (IEA) show global energy demand growing by close to 30 percent by 2020, setting the stage for massive growth in the carbon dioxide emissions that are warming our planet. But as I note in Plan B 3.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization, dramatically ramping up energy efficiency would allow the world to not only avoid growth in energy demand but actually reduce global demand to below 2006 levels by 2020....
Deconstructing Duke Energy's Clean Coal Lingo (Video)
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 06.17.09
Survey: Should Harassment of Cyclists Get Its Own New Law?
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 06.17.09
photo: Bridget Colia via flickr.
April just pointed out that harassment of bicyclists by car drivers is now a special misdemeanor offense in Missouri—it's got its own specific law prohibiting it, rather than it just being included under existing driving laws. Colorado will have a similar law go into effect on August 5th. Personally I think it's not a bad idea at all. Although I haven't experienced it myself, I've had plenty of friends who have been swerved at by drivers, nearly sideswiped, or otherwise harassed by motorists who seemingly feel that anything in the road other than a car deserves to be physically pushed off it. So, what do readers think?
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Chevron, Sierra Club Go Mano-a-Mano
by Greg Haegele of Sierra Club on 06.17.09
It's Gooey. It's Gross. It Kills. Beware . . . Rock Snot is Invading New York
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 06.17.09
Photo via PopSci
It grows at a furious rate. It kills fish and threatens rivers and streams everywhere. It sprouts tendrils and looks like the sludge from your worst sanitation nightmare. It's disgusting. It's rock snot. And it's invading New York. ...
Quincy, WA Spending Big Bucks on Recycling Water for Data Centers, But It's Just a Drop in the Bucket
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 06.17.09
Photo via bugeaters
Quincy, Washington loves data centers. The facilities put up by Microsoft, Intuit and Yahoo!, and the coming facility by Sabey Corp have all been a boon to the city's economy. But what isn't so appealing is the sheer amount of water the data centers demand for cooling. So, the city is shelling out $9 million to set up water recycling to help lighten the data centers' demand on the water supply. But what are data centers doing to contribute?...
Deadly Protests Force Peru's PM to Resign after Law Opens Up Amazonian Land to Oil, Gas Companies
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 06.17.09
Photo via Intercontinental Cry
At least 34 people have been killed in clashes between indigenous groups and the Peruvian police after the government passed a law opening up regions in the Amazon for foreign oil and gas ventures. The crisis has escalated to such heights that Peru's Prime Minister, Yehude Simon, has said that he plans on resigning due to his failure to win the support of the indigenous population in moving ahead with the land law—but has the Amazon been spared?
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Solar Powered Kiosks, Trash Compactors, and USB Ports, Oh My!
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 06.17.09
Images via Core77, Brando, and Good Clean Tech
It seems like there's a rash of solar powered devices hitting us, but in some interesting places. How often, for instance, do you see sewing kiosks set up on the street, soaking up sun so sewers can serge seams? (How's that for a little alliteration on a Wednesday morning...) Waste Management is also amping up distribution of solar powered trash compactors. And, of all things, a USB hub that also features solar power so you can give your gadgets a little mini boost. Humm......
5 of the Greenest Cities in the World to Visit
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 06.17.09
Image: Flickr, StuSeeger
What is it that gives a city title to the claim of "greenest?" How would you like to visit a city with no fossil-fueled cars allowed? How about the best city for bicyclists? Or the perfect city to explore sustainable city planning theories which have really been implemented? Our list of the 5 greenest cities in the world sorts through the pack of potentials to find the emeralds....
Modern Sport of Cyclist Harassment Now Against the Law in Missouri
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 06.17.09
Jillian Michaels Wants You to Master Your Metabolism, the Green Way
by Neil Chambers, New York City on 06.17.09
Calling Jillian Michaels a fitness guru is kinda like saying Oprah Winfrey is sorta influential or Kim Jong-il has a little problem expressing himself. She is a fitness god…or goddess, whichever! She is the go-to for millions of people that want a full-tilt, kick-butt, take-no-prisoners approach to exercise and wellness. She sees the secret for performance squarely on a more organic/vegetarian diet and green lifestyle. ...
The Greener Gardening Idea: Drip Irrigation or Xeriscaping?
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 06.17.09
Drought tolerant garden photo via Anna and Andy; Drip irrigation system photo via thomas pix
It's tough to calculate precisely how much water the average American puts on their landscape every day. Sizes of yards, systems for watering, and ecological locations all vary greatly. But reliable estimates each of us uses between 112 gallons to 180 gallons a day, and the EPA estimates 30% of a household's water use goes to watering the yard. While estimates are varied, there's one thing we can agree on: When water is scarce, pouring it on ornamental landscaping is wasteful. But there's another thing we can all agree on: Well-tended landscapes are pretty. How can we have our cake and eat it too? Two options come to mind - drip irrigation and xeriscaping. But which is the more eco-friendly solution?...
Amazing Waterfalls from Around the World (Slideshow)
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 06.17.09
Yosemite Falls photo via: JLMPhoto.
TreeHugger has been writing about various aspects of the worldwide water crisis for the past few weeks, so it seems appropriate to highlight some of the great water wonders of the world. From sea to shining sea, we take you on a tour from New Zealand to Africa to the United States. These nine spectacular waterfalls will make you want to appreciate them in person and snap your own photos.
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Andrew Bird Tells Us Why He's Not Using Biodiesel on Tour
by Alex Pasternack, New York, NY on 06.17.09
California Steps Up Paint Disposal and Recycling Efforts
by Daniel Kessler, San Francisco, California on 06.17.09
photo credit: Mark Evans/istock
California, already a leader in both environmental progress and state debt, is now trying to lead in paint disposal and recycling. San Joaquin County is developing a statewide paint program to reduce the estimated 8-million gallons of leftover paint the state generates each year. ...
Green Fashion Icon Safia Minney of People Tree Gets Royal Seal of Approval
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 06.17.09
Image via: People Tree
Many congratulations to Safia Minney, founder of pioneering ethical fashion label People Tree, on being made a Member of the Order of the British Empire this week. We have always been inspired by Safia's amazing work, which has pushed forward Fair Trade fashion with the People Tree label, and now it seems her energy and enthusiasm has reached the attention of the royal palace, although we're not sure if her influence has extended to Her Majesty's royal wardrobe...yet. ...
Sundrop Jewelry: Baubles Powered by Solar Rays
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 06.17.09
Photo credit: Sundrop Jewelry
Talk about soaking up some rays this summer. Sundrop Jewelry uses a giant 31-by-41-inch Fresnel lens—originally designed for lighthouses—to focus the the power of that bright orange orb in the sky to melt glass into delicate teardrops. ...
Amateur Hour For Nuclear Power? Alaska Landowner Proposes Residential Mini-Reactor
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 06.17.09
Fairbanks NorthStar Borough CWPP Area Overview. Image via Alaska Dept of Natural Resources, Map 3.
An Alaskan land owner has floated a proposal to develop a small parcel he owns near Fairbanks with a mini-nuclear reactor, which would be available for delivery in 2013. Something tells me that municipal and county officials everywhere are going to be updating their zoning ordinances if a project like this one gets the go-ahead... ...
Choolips is a Green Fashion Success Story
by Bonnie Alter, London on 06.17.09
Image from Topshop
We love hearing about green success stories, and here's a good one. Two years ago TreeHugger had a post about a design contest that would link up young designers with producers in Ghana to create clothing trendy enough to be sold at the British high street stores. The prize was the manufacturing and sale of the dresses at Topshop. The winner was Annagret Affolderbach and to her delight, the dresses sold out within days.
Well now Annagret has come back with her own little company, Choolips, and her new line is coming out at Topshop next month. The great looking series of 3 dress styles is made of 100% Ghanaian Fairtrade cotton, and is sewn by local workers there who are paid a very decent living wage....
German and Italian Design Team Go Nuts with Recycled Veneer
by Mairi Beautyman, Berlin, Germany on 06.17.09
All photos courtesy of Transalpino
What can 13 designers do with a pile of post-production veneer in seven days? Last week, during the DMY International Design Festival in Berlin, the combined German and Italian talent of design collective Transalpino went wild with veneer in the experimental exhibition "Open Progress," creating a total of 64 different objects. Since ideas like these get the creative recycling juices flowing, we took note....
Supply Chain Emissions Software a Silver Bullet or Slippery Slope?
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 06.16.09
Image via Planet Metrics
Back in January we saw a company called Planet Metrics at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. They've created a software that allows companies like retailers, product manufacturers, and consumer packaging manufacturers to see their supply chain carbon emissions and easily identify ways to reduce the footprint of their products or services. The software has finally just launched and companies like Method are already taking advantage.
But in the bigger picture, is software like this still too simplified to help make the complicated decisions around sourcing goods? While companies get a helping hand with software like this, two big issues arise. One is that the information is still not detailed enough to be the be-all-end-all for supply chain decisions for the lightest footprint. And the second is, how will consumers know?...
Catch Tonight's TV Premiere of The Lazy Environmentalist on Sundance Channel
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 06.16.09
The 300 MPG Urban Car Is a Hydrogen-Powered Product Service System
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 06.16.09
Photo of the Urban hydrogen-fueled open source car via AboutMyArea.
Hugo Spowers could be doing everything wrong from a mainstream automobile design perspective: he's designed a hydrogen-powered car when hydrogen is fast losing adherents. The Urban is also a city-centric vehicle which will reach top speeds of only about 50 miles per hour, where most pundits think drivers want highway speeds and a 300-mile range. Last but not least, Spowers is attempting to create a car as a product service system - the cars will only be leased, and not only are the designs for the Urban open source, the company is also trying to get its suppliers to embrace the same open source mentality and reveal proprietary secrets out in the open for others to improve upon. ...
Plug In America's Electric & Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle Tracker
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 06.16.09
Image: Plug In America
Track Plug-in Hybrids, Electric Cars, Electric Motorcycle, 3-Wheel Vehicles, etc
In the past few years, there's been a deluge of information about plug-in vehicles coming from almost every car company out there (plus many startups, motorcycle companies, etc). It can be hard to keep track of all the release dates, technical specifications, etc, so Plug-In America's Plug-in Vehicle Tracker promises to be useful. How does it work? It's very simple... Read on for more details....
It's Time For an Inconvenient Talk About Peak Fossil Fuels
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 06.16.09
With oil prices down from where they were a year ago (though rising steadily in the past few weeks) and the constant stream of project announcements in the renewable energy sector still flowing in I'll forgive you if you haven't thought about peak oil and peak fossil fuels in a while. But it's time to bring it up again.
If you need a good inside view on it from a former petroleum geologist—it seems the alarm always comes from the geologists looking at the data and not the policymakers and economists assuming supply can always expand if money is there—then be sure to check out a new piece in The Walrus. It's a worthwhile read at length, but if you've only got time for the short attention span version this is it:...
$1 Billion Clean Coal Stimulus Project A Big Fat Earmark?
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 06.16.09
Image via Jetson Green
What's perhaps the most infamous clean coal project in the US--the controversial multi-billion dollar FutureGen plant in Illinois--has just gotten some major funding from the stimulus bill. Around $1 billion dollars worth. Which seems to make sense; even though clean coal's a joke, we already knew there was funding in the stimulus bill for it. But what makes this a curious case is the political maneuvering involved--Futuregen was once a pet project of Obama's when he was still a senator, and some are claiming the once-ill fated project's funding is nothing but a big fat earmark....
IREO Renewable Energy Awards Honors Industry's Best, Brightest (and Youngest)
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 06.16.09
Amazing, Newly Discovered Salamander Looks Like ET
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 06.16.09
Photo via Bloomberg
So it's not exactly adorable, but it's pretty amazing looking. Recently discovered on an expedition through Ecuador by Conservation International, the salamander belongs to the Bolitoglossa family, and yes, it looks a lot like everyone's favorite Extra Terrestrial.
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Tears of a Cloud: A Bottled Water Video Spoof
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 06.16.09
China's Hydroelectric Plans to Damn the Mekong Threaten Millions
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 06.16.09
For people living along the Mekong, the river supplies them with about 80% of their protein intake. Photo: Fredrik Thommesen via flickr.
A few short weeks ago it came out the China had plans in the works to place 20 hydroelectric dams on the upper reaches of the Yangtze. It also has dam plans in the headwaters of the Indus and Brahmaputra Rivers. The Mekong, too, won't be escaping the wrath of large-scale hydroelectric power. In a recent piece for Yale Environment 360, Fred Pearce examines the devastating consequences that these dams will have for millions of people downstream:...
Government Report Breaks Down How US Will be Hit by Climate Change
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 06.16.09
Photo via Tim Panogos
. . . And as you might imagine, it's not pretty—climate change's usual suspects like more severe tropical storms, drought, and raising sea levels make appearances, but it's some of the lesser-known threats detailed here that make the report truly scary.
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Breaking News: TH!NK Electric Cars Gets Massive Funding Boost
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 06.16.09
Image credit: ElectricAid
TH!NK Electric Car Company Receives Huge Cash Injection
TH!NK may have been considering a leap into the US electric vehicle market, but the Norwegian electric car company's well-publicized financial struggles have had commentators on tenter hooks to see if this promising little enterprise can survive. Now campaigners who have been pushing for government support of EVs have reason to celebrate - TH!NK just announced a massive cash injection from anonymous investors that should put the company on a path to profitability.
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Huge Solar Power in the Sahara Project Moving Forward
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 06.16.09
image: Desertec
Utilizing the vast solar power potential of the Sahara has been a twinkle in the eye of many a European politician for a while now. Even though the logistics of building huge solar power arrays in the desert and then transmitting that electricity back across the Mediterranean isn't exactly simple, to say the least. Well, a consortium of German companies wants to turn that dream into reality and is raising money to make it happen:...
Survey: Would You Bike to Work if You Had a Shower When You Arrived?
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 06.16.09
Warren recently highlighted a pretty cool looking bicycle shelter that incorporates a changing room and a solar-powered shower, pointing out that the design takes aim at an oft-heard response to the question of "why don't you bike to work?" What I want to know: Would you be more inclined to bike to work if you had the chance to shower once you arrived? Is that what's holding you back?
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New York City's First Rooftop Hydroponic Farm To Yield 30 Tons Of Produce Annually
by Jerry James Stone, San Francisco, CA on 06.16.09
Photo by NYDailyNews - Viraj Puri on the rooftop at 148-02 Archer Ave.e in Jamaica.
It seems city farming in New York is all the rage these days. Just a few steps from the Long Island Rail Road's Jamaica Station, a church's rooftop will soon transform into New York's first hydroponic rooftop farm. At least, that is the hopes of a startup called Gotham Greens.
Winners of the grand prize at New York's Green Business Competition, they plan to start construction of the 12,000 square-foot greenhouse this fall and yield their first harvest early next year. The project, with an estimated cost of $1.4 million, will be powered by 2,000 square-feet of solar panels and will capture rainwater for irrigation. ...
Weird Solar Device of the Day - The Solar Bird-B-Gone
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 06.16.09
Photo via Coolest Gadgets
There's all kinds of random junk out there that someone saw fit to slap a solar panel on and call it cool. Well. Sometimes it turns out adding a solar cell does make it cool, and sometimes it doesn't. We're a bit on the fence about which sides the Solar Powered Bird-B-Gone Bird Repeller falls. ...
Wall-E Robot Made From Recycled Materials
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 06.16.09
Image via CRAFT
Seriously, could WALL-E be any cuter?! Well, yes...when he's made of recycled materials. Filth Wizardry (which is one of the coolest names for a DIY blog) created this super cute WALL-E, and you'll never guess what all went into him......
USB Hub With On/Off Switches for Energy Efficiency
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 06.16.09
Photo via Ubergizmo
We're all over smart power strips that allow you to cut power to individual ports and cut phantom power loads. But we haven't yet seen one for USB devices...until now. ...
San Francisco Launches iPhone Recycling App to Help Citizens Avoid Fines (Video)
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 06.16.09
Photo via Cleantechnica
Back in May we talked about Earth 911's iPhone app that helps make local recycling really easy. Then last week we talked about San Francisco cracking down on recycling, and even implementing fines for improper composting or recycling. For those residents who want to avoid that fine and like the sound of an iPhone app to help, you've got one!...
Why Buy When You Can Rent? 5 Product Service Systems I Wish Were More Common
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 06.16.09
photo: N_Creatures via flickr.
One of top things you can do to make your life a bit greener is cut down on stuff. Limit your purchases to things you really need, really use and will last a while. Making it more difficult is that some of the things that are really useful only get used every so often. Why buy something you're only going to use once or twice a year, or perhaps seasonally but then have to store the rest of the time? You can now easily rent cars by the hour, and more cities are establishing bike share programs, but programs to rent smaller items aren't as prominent, nor as convenient. This may be a very personal list, I admit, but here are five things that I wish I could rent more easily: ...
FLUF: From Sustainable Pillows to Eco-Chic Handbags
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 06.16.09
Photo credit: FLUF
FLUF's Nathalie Butterfield and Terra Kushner are accidental environmental-textile designers. After coming up empty in their search for sustainable yet attractive fabrics for their collection of pillows—it was, after all, 2006—the Toronto-based duo decided to roll up their sleeves, both literally and metaphorically, and create their own. ...
Wal-Mart Reports Its Global Carbon Emissions in 2009 Sustainability Report
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 06.16.09
Wal-Mart reports CO2 emissions for 2006, 2007, & 2008.
In its 2009 Sustainability Report Wal-Mart reports on its carbon emission reductions progress. A portion of a chart for the 2009 report, depicting emissions for the 2006 - 2008, is shown here. What makes it noteworthy is the straight-up explanation by Wal-Mart that the apparent reductions in emissions per unit of sales is associated with currency valuation swings. ...
Solar-Powered Bicycle Parking Pods Provide Solar Hot Water Showers in Queensland
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 06.16.09
It’s a shame we missed this for the recent Ride To Work week. Because it directly answers the main concerns people have about commuting on bicycles, namely arriving at work sweaty from exercise or wet from rainy weather. Business partners Tim Ceolin (Masters in Architecture student) and Mark Rossiter (business graduate) established Penny Farthings Pushbikes to design and develop bike parking stations. And specifically the Green Pod, a solar-powered bike storage unit that also sports change rooms, showers, a self-cleaning device and use of recycled water....
Food Crisis: "Today It's Oil, In Ten Or Fifteen Years, Food"
by greenz.jp, Tokyo, Japan on 06.16.09
Photo from blu-raystats.com
We read in Financial Times this week that we may be heading for a new global food crisis. Of course that depends on where you live, and where you get your food. How are we doing, dear readers...? Should we be worried?
Almost unnoticed, agricultural commodities prices have returned to levels last seen at the start of the 2007-2008 food crisis, prompting concerns about a fresh rise in food costs....
How Will the Digital Television Transition Impact the Environment?
by Pablo Paster, San Francisco on 06.16.09
"Sunset for Analog," by Robert Couse-Baker via Flickr.
Dear Pablo: What will be the environmental impact of the digital television transition? I haven't been able to find any numbers on the increased electricity use from the digital converter boxes. ...
Gore's Alliance for Climate Protection Urgers Viewers, Gov't To Give Up Foreign Oil in New TV Spot
by Daniel Kessler, San Francisco, California on 06.16.09
Amazing and Crazy Water Collection Methods
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 06.16.09
What better way to start an homage to the amazing and crazy inventions for collecting water than modern plastic bottle proliferation? Because plastic bottles are crazy. Paying for water in little bottles is insane, if you consider the clean water flowing practically free from the tap in developed countries. Consumption of vast quantities of water in vessels that go straight to waste and never biodegrade: the archeologists of the future will certainly file this under "crazy." Yet it is amazing that we have an infrastructure that can turn millions of barrels of oil into bottles to deliver freshly melted glacier and other exotic waters to a store near you!
But bottled water is just a small facet of of faux-faucet devices. Human survival depends upon water. And the methods humans have developed to collect water for everyday needs can be amazing, and sometimes crazy. Enjoy a look at the fun and frustrations, and downright ingenuity, of water collection in this series of images.
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Allotment Gardens are Featured at Open Garden Squares Weekend
by Bonnie Alter, London on 06.16.09
Open Garden Squares Weekend is the annual chance to see 190 gardens that are rarely open to the public. Given the popularity of allotment gardens, we took the opportunity to visit a very famous one: the allotment worked on by staff at the Observer and Guardian newspaper. This has to be one of the few allotments that is run by a newspaper. Having seen so many photos and read about it so often, we had to see the real thing.
We weren't disappointed; it is a delight, packed to the edges with vegetables, herbs, red stemmed swiss chard, potatoes, a useless owl to keep away the birds and some flowers too. As an extra plus, sitting in regal splendour was the Editor of the Observer Magazine, Alan Jenkins, who was having a drink and holding forth on the joys of allotments and the politics of keeping them going....
The Uniform Project: One Dress, 365 Ways to Wear It
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 06.16.09
Photo credit: The Uniform Project
How many ways can you wear a single dress? For Brooklynite Sheena Matheiken, one nondescript black frock (or rather, seven carbon copies of the same dress) provides a launching point for 365 distinct looks, one for every day of the year.
The Uniform Project, which kicked off May 1, is an online record of Matheiken's daily attempts at reinventing an unvarying silhouette—distinguished only by a solitary pintuck pleat and buttons running down the back—as an exercise in sustainable fashion. ...
Author of Whole Earth Catalog Favors Nuclear, GMOs, and Geoengineering at Off-Site TED Conference
by David Friedlander, New York City on 06.16.09
On June 3rd, TreeHugger was able to attend TED@State, a one-day mini-conference sponsored by the US State Department, and organized by the folks over at TED Conference. As part of their Global Partnership Initiative, TED@State was meant to reflect Secretary of State Hilary Clinton’s assertion that the department is “opening its doors to a new generation of public-private partnerships.” A good idea we think. ...
Gavin Newsom Talks Green Goals as Governor of California (Video)
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 06.15.09
Zem Joaquin Gets Gold for Making Fashion Eco-Friendly
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 06.15.09
Zem Joaquin enjoying her moment at Global Green Awards; Photo credit: Alyssa Nicol
The Global Green Awards held at the end of May highlighted some amazingly talented people who are moving green mainstream. Among those honored was Zem Joaquin, founder of Ecofabulous, which is a TreeHugger favorite for eco-friendly fashion. Zem was given the Founders Award for her great work in helping Global Green go. She's been talked about as someone with magical powers to make even the most unlikely people want to go green. We caught up with her to find out about her knack for green, as well as the difficulties of combining fashion and eco-consciousness. ...
World Bank, Wal-Mart Take Stand Against Brazilian Deforestation Beef
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 06.15.09
photo: Leo Freitas
Shame and blame appears to be working in the Amazon. A short while ago Greenpeace released a report on the deforestation impact that the cattle industry in Brazil was having and how several major international shoe brands may be supporting that forest destruction through the purchase of Brazilian leather. Well, in the last day or so the World Bank has withdrawn a loan to one of Brazil's cattle giants; and Brazil's three-largest supermarket chains (one of which is Wal-Mart) have announced that they will suspend contracts with cattle companies associated with deforestation:...
From the Model S to the Lawsuit: Recent Tesla Motors News
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 06.15.09
Photo: Tesla Motors
So What's Going on With Tesla These Days?
Tesla Motors has been fascinating many greens every since the electric Roadster was unveiled on July 19th, 2006 (but the company was founded in 2003 and spent about three years working in stealth mode). Since then there has been lots of successes, but also lots of failures. The company entered a new phase of its life a few months ago with the launch of its second EV, the Model S electric Sedan, and a lot has been happening at Tesla Motors since then. Here's an overview of recent Tesla news, with everything from technical prowess to tales of betrayal....
Obama Launches US Ocean Protection Plan
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 06.15.09
Photo via iWebQuest
Though it's in the early stages of development, Obama announced he's creating an Ocean Protection Plan that will provide a comprehensive national policy for protecting seas, coastal areas, and the Great Lakes. Here's how he's going to do it....
Keds, Loomstate Play Footsie With New Footwear Collection for Barneys
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 06.15.09
Photo credit: Keds/Loomstate
An alliance among Keds, Loomstate, and Barneys may not seem like a shoe-in, but if you're looking to walk the talk, the launch of a new collaboration between the all-American footwear brand and the organic fashion house—to be sold exclusively at select Barneys New York stores and Barneys.com—will have you striding right. ...
It's a Matter of National Security: Gov Refuses to Reveal Hundreds of Hazardous Coal Ash Sites
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 06.15.09
Photo via ABC News
Senator Barbara Boxer, the Chairwoman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, was working to build a system to regulate the hazardous ash sites around the country—places where toxic coal ash has contaminated the land; places like the site in Tennessee where a giant slurry broke free and wreaked major havoc on the surrounding environment. But she's hit a bump in the road: the Department of Homeland Security refused to allow her to disclose the locations of ash spill sites, saying—get this—the knowledge of their location could be a threat to national security.
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Cykel: A Plug-in Electric Bike Sharing Concept
by Jerry James Stone, San Francisco, CA on 06.15.09
Photo courtesy of Brian Mcallister
Cykel is a plug-in electric bike sharing system designed for a wide range of users and topographies. The concept was inspired by the popular bike share programs found throughout Europe.
It functions on either pedal-power or fully as an electric bike, which opens up transportation to wide range of users. It's especially appealing for cities with more difficult topographies like San Francisco.
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How an Electric Meter Works (Video)
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 06.15.09
Photo via Beige Alert
Monday is a good day to learn something new. While we talk a lot about how smart meters are helping to change our power use, the development of the smart grid, automated homes and so on, not everyone knows how an electric meter actually works. Well, click through to get a quick course on details that many of us don't realize we don't know about reading our electric meters. ...
Endangered Gorillas Become Dinner for Rebels in the Congo
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 06.15.09
Photo via Current
The already endangered Eastern Lowland Gorillas in the Congo are facing a brand new threat—rebel war. Due to deforestation, an illegal charcoal trade, and rising pollution, there were only 118 gorillas monitored before fighting intensified in the region. And now the Kahuzi-Biega national park that safeguards the gorillas may have to be closed down because of escalating violence, leaving the gorillas unmonitored, unprotected, and about to become dinner....
Renewably-Powered Cell Phones are Cool, But Realistic?
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 06.15.09
Samsung Crest Solar phone; image via Unwired View
News has come out that rather than Samsung sending out their (sorta) solar-powered Blue Earth phone to the market of patiently waiting greenies, they're sending out a much cheaper Crest Solar. Like the Blue Earth, it incorporates a solar cell that can gather about 5 minutes of talk time from about an hour's worth of sunlight. At the same time we caught this news, we also heard word that Nokia is working on a cell phone that charges with ambient radio waves. Charging cell phone batteries with renewable energy sources seems to be getting closer, but what types are practical, and what will win out in the long run?...
The Conservation Report Hosts Carnival of the Green
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 06.15.09
This week is Carnival of the Green #184 and it's being hosted The Conservation Report, a blog that presents the latest environmental buzz, news, and comment. From air pollution to political issues to zoonotic diseases and everything else in between.
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. Also, as we recently announced, this week's Carnival makes the debut of our new #bestgreentweets feature from Twitter. Find out which ones made the cut - enjoy!
We are now accepting host requests for 2010! Read on to find out how to host....
New York City Building Water Towers Could be Turned into Wind Turbines
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 06.15.09
photo: Joshua Davis
See that water tower in the photo above? Most of New York City's buildings of a certain era have them. And Dr Majid Rashidi of Cleveland State University has a plan for them: Use them to generate wind power. Well, maybe not those towers specifically, but towers no more obtrusive than them. Here's how:...
Top 5 Ways Water Gets Polluted
by Blythe Copeland, Great Neck, New York on 06.15.09
Photo via gambier20 @ flickr
If you thought throwing your sandwich wrapper in a stream while camping was most common form of water pollution, think again: from agricultural runoff to waste treatment, pollution affects more and more of the Earth’s water supply every minute. Check out five of the most invasive and damaging types of pollution (but please: still throw that sandwich wrapper in the trashcan)....
7 Simple, Unexpected Ways to Save Water
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 06.15.09
Photo credit: Carolina
Even though three quarters of our planet is considered water, there is still a demand for it in almost every community, and a scarcity in many. That’s because we can actually only use one to two percent of it, which is why we’ve written a slew of articles over the years about conserving water. And with so many items that are now more available, like low-flow showerheads, faucet aerators, rain barrels, and efficient washing machines and dishwashers, there really isn’t an excuse to not be more conscious. Unless, of course, it means spending money. ...
Survey: Have You Started to Grow Your Own Vegetables?
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 06.15.09
The Obamas have done it. The Queen of England has done it. On a train ride across suburban Long Island on Saturday there where countless vacant places in people's yards to do it. Of course the 'it' being, growing your own vegetables. Whether it be in containers, a small plot in the backyard or community garden, or something larger, how many of you have started to take some portion of your fruit & vegetable production into your own hands?
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Daniel Libeskind Does Sustainable, Affordable Prefab...Not!
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 06.15.09
Daniel Libeskind does modern prefab with the first of the Studio Series, a 515 square metre (5,500 square foot) number that Libeskind claims is built to "the highest level of sustainability in the world." It has solar power, "the maximum amount of insulation, and of course, is beautifully built to last hundreds of years- "that's sustainability!"
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Cool Globes: Purpose Driven Art on Display in Los Angeles (Slideshow)
by Roberta Cruger, Los Angeles on 06.15.09
The Cool Globes eco-art project currently on display at Los Angeles’ Exposition Park, exhibits giant 5-foot by 7-foot globes decorated, painted, sculpted, and designed by artists, from the Blue Man Group to Jim Dine, with meaningful environmental messages. The collection, originally installed in Chicago in 2007, has toured San Francisco Golden Gate Park, Washington DC’s Botanical Gardens, and other towns with local additions. It arrived in Los Angeles on Earth Day this year, and will be there until the end of July, when it sets sail for London. Take a tour, in pictures, of it's current incarnation with our latest slideshow.
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In Amazon, Protecting Rainforest by Policy or Force
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 06.15.09
Brazilian Amazon Rainforest. Image via: Author's collection.
Two reports came out this weekend about different methods that are being used to stop economic pursuits from cutting down the Amazon. The first involves legalizing squatters in the Brazilian Amazon, according to New Scientist. The second method involves using force to keep outsiders out of the Peruvian Amazon, reports the Christian Science Monitor....
Indoor DDT Spraying (Unsurprisingly) Linked to Health Hazards
by Sara Novak, Columbia, SC on 06.15.09
photo: 415vince
While Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring catalogued the environmental and health impacts of the agricultural spraying of DDT in the US, early studies of the impacts of indoor spraying of DDT in developing nations as a form of malaria prevention are just emerging. Unsurprisingly, these studies show that far higher concentrations of DDT are found in the blood of those exposed to the chemical through indoor spraying than have ever been found in a population exposed to the chemical through agricultural spraying....
Eat Khaya Cookies to Support Women In South Africa? No Problem...Or Is There?
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 06.15.09
Image via: Khaya Cookies
Recently I sampled several of the creations from the Khaya Cookie Company , a women's cookie co-op located in South Africa, and the only problem I had with them was...that I couldn't stop eating them....
To Battle Mountaintop Removal, Sierra Club Launches New Website
by Daniel Kessler, San Francisco, California on 06.15.09
Photo via planetsave.com
Enemy Number 1 for the Sierra Club is coal. In recent years, they have successfully stopped dozens of new coal plants from being built and now they have set their sights set on mountaintop removal, the devastating mining technique that blows up mountains and destroys communities....
Sustainable Harvest International Offers Fair Trade Chocolate Tours in Belize
by Sara Novak, Columbia, SC on 06.15.09
photo: Sustainable Harvest
As you sink your teeth into that decadent chunk of bitterly dark, Fair Trade chocolate, you can’t help but thank the chocolate gods that such an indulgent treat was ever invented. And now you can take your thanks straight to the source. Sustainable Harvest Chocolate Tours allow you to see where your Fair Trade, organic chocolate comes from and how this incredibly important industry helps the communities it serves.
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Way Basics: Paper Furniture That Holds Its Own
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 06.15.09
Image via: Way Basics
Furniture made from paper? Paper can't stand up on its own, much less hold people, books, pets or the clothing you don't feel like hanging up, for that matter. Not to worry, this recycled paper furniture by Way Basics can do the job, and can even be recycled when it reaches the end of its life. ...
Swedish Greenwash: 'Fossil-Fuel Free' by 2020 Says Skåne
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 06.15.09
Biogas is growing more popular - photo via fordonsgas.
Swedes are fond of making sweeping proclamations - oil-free by 2050, they promised, and now Skåne, the country's southernmost region, is claiming it will end its dependence on fossil fuels by 2020 - just 11 years away. It's a bit of greenwash, in that it means the region itself will only own and operate alternative-fuel vehicles, and only heat the apartment buildings its controls with alternative fuels. It doesn't mean there will no longer be any gas stations and gas cars, plastic bags, or fossil-fuel grown food, unfortunately, which is what the region would need to do to be TRULY fossil-fuel-free. The pledge does go a bit further than the rest of Sweden, which gives itself an extra decade (until 2030) to make all fleets run on ethanol and methane biogas....
Queen Elizabeth Grows a Royal Vegetable Garden
by Bonnie Alter, London on 06.15.09
Image from the Telegraph
Allotment gardens are the new new--everyone wants one. And why not--the word is out that growing your own vegetables is healthier, cheaper and more delicious. Michele Obama has one, and now Queen Elizabeth, always a frugal woman, has her own on the grounds of Buckingham Palace.
In a move reminiscent of the Victory Gardens during the War, an organic vegetable patch 10 X 8 yards has been created where a whole range of vegetables are being grown. These include runner beans, sweetcorn, beets, carrots and an endangered species of climbing French beans called Blue Queen.
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In the News: Radiation Affects the Homes of Both the Big... and the Small
by Eric Leech, New York, NY on 06.14.09
Photo via: D. Fletcher
This week in the news, the mud dauber wasp and Navajo Indians are facing similar problems... radioactive homes.
Read on......
The Joys of the Two-Wheeled Commute
by Jesse Fox, Tel Aviv, Israel on 06.14.09
Tel Aviv's beachfront promenade (photo courtesy of Daniel Cherrin).
I used to hate commuting. For two years, I studied in another city. Twice a week, I would hop on a bus, transfer to a train, and then catch another bus. The entire trip took two hours, and the round trip consumed a four hour(!) chunk of my day. I wish I could say I took advantage of the time in transit to do something productive, but the truth is that I was too worn out from a long day of studying to do anything useful on those trips. It never occurred to me then that another kind of commute existed, one that was actually enjoyable. ...
Hope May Be Harmful to the Environment
by Josh Peterson, Los Angeles, California on 06.14.09
Photo: Gene Hunt via Flickr
Imagine that you are on a rocket ship that might be headed into the sun. One of the leading scientists on board tells everyone that the ship is going to become trapped in the sun‘s gravitational pull within ten years. The scientist shows everyone a picture of the rocket ship’s trajectory into the sun. He uses evenly spaced dashes to denote flight path. There is also some hard math to go along with the pictures. After revealing this evidence, the scientist spends the next few years throwing up his arms in defeat and shouting, “Doomed! Doomed!” even at parties.
Now, let’s imagine that another leading scientist comes in and says, “Yeah. We might hit the sun, but we can avoid this tragedy by making a few simple lifestyle changes. Enacting these changes will give us enough fuel to get out of the sun’s gravitational pull. The important thing is not to worry.” (End ham-fisted metaphor.)
Which one of these scientists is more helpful? According to a couple of Michigan researchers, neither scientist is very helpful. ...
Bonnaroo 2009: The Green, the Bad and the Ugly
by Alex Pasternack, New York, NY on 06.14.09
On Friday afternoon, Diana, a volunteer "trash talker" at Bonnaroo, was picking a cup out of a trash can. "This is for the compost -- it's made of corn!" she told a bleary-eyed festival-goer. "A lot of people are surprised they can compost the cups, the plates, forks and knives -- everything," she told TreeHugger. "Zero waste is the goal."
But given the sheer scale of the U.S.'s biggest, "greener" festival, Bonnaroo's green efforts can still feel like trying to stuff a big foot into a small shoe....
Earn Extra Income By Renting Out Your Excess Space
by Eric Leech, New York, NY on 06.14.09
Attack of the Reused Traffic Barrel Monsters
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 06.14.09
In some circles it is known as repurposing, or even reusing. Taking a material or product and giving it new form to fulfil a different function. But apparently police in North Carolina also consider it larceny. And technically they are correct. For they allege that Joseph Carnevale misappropriated safety traffic barrels by cutting them up an turning them into the so-called Traffic Barrel Monster. Given that he describes the act of subversive art on his website, No Promise of Safety, the police might be on to something.
But it’s hard to deny the sheer creative ingenuity of his work. Particularly when he also made up an alligator using the same concept. (Photo after the fold.)...
General Motors Release LPG Hybrid Car - The Spark. In India.
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 06.14.09
We’ve heard much about the Tata Nano, India’s $2,000 car that has over 200,000 Indians lining up to own one. We’ve also well aware that General Motors USA has filed for bankruptcy, although many of its international subsidiaries, like in China, are hanging tough, particularly those offering small cars. Well just the other day GM Chevrolet India unveiled their Spark LPG vehicle.
Not to infer that LPG represents any long term solution to resource depletion. LPG is still a finite fossil fuel that will also reach its peak. But LPG does offer some significant short term benefits....
DIY "Terra Preta" Explored: How to Enrich Your Soil (Video)
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 06.14.09
Former Kansas U Athletic Director, and Helmet Advocate, Dies in Bike Crash
by Daniel Kessler, San Francisco, California on 06.14.09
Photo by Richard Gwin, courtesy of LJWorld.com
Bob Frederick, a former player, basketball coach, and bike helmet advocate at Kansas University who also worked as athletic director for 14 years, died Friday night at the age of 69 as a result of injuries incurred from a bike accident. Frederick hit a pothole, went over the bars, and suffered traumatic head injuries....
Monster Tomatoes to Invade Turkey in Bio-Security Bill?
by Jennifer Hattam, Istanbul, Turkey on 06.14.09
Environmental groups toured a "monster tomato" balloon around Turkey to protest the arrival of GMO tomatoes in the country in 2004. Photos via FoE Europe.
The fresh, colorful produce overflowing from market stalls and corner-store display stands even in Turkey's biggest city are evidence of the country's agricultural bounty, and the justifiable pride Turks take in the food they produce has made proposed new rules about genetically modified organisms (GMOs) controversial....
No Safe Amount: The Handshake Theory of Chemical Toxicity
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 06.14.09
Image: Author
The medieval physician Paracelsus said: "Poison is in everything, and no thing is without poison. The dosage makes it either a poison or a remedy." Often quoted in paraphrase as the dose makes the poison, this truism has dominated regulation and chemical management for centuries. Agencies strive to keep people and the environment healthy by establishing the "safe" level of a chemical.
At the same time that regulatory systems have proceeded on the "safe" level theory, biochemists have expanded the state of knowledge about the role of chemical messengers in the body. And the clash of cultures is about to change the way we think about chemicals in our lives. What does it mean for you?...
