- 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 September 27, 2009 - October 3, 2009
Total this week: 184
Forests a big focus at Governors' Global Climate Summit 2
by Roberta Cruger, Los Angeles on 10. 3.09
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said he'd be back to co-host the second Global Climate Summit in Los Angeles, this past week he addressed the group again saying this reprise will be better than most movie sequels ("except for mine," added the Governator). US governors gathered with international governors from Canada, Mexico, Indonesia, Brazil, Nigeria, and The Philippines, from Tuesday September 29-October 3. Also present were Lisa Jackson, Administrator of the EPA, Energy Department representatives, a delegation from the UN, and a host of others trying to gather steam leading up to COP15. One of the themes: don't leave out forest. ...
Sierra Nevada Comes Through For Wild Rivers
by Daniel Kessler, San Francisco, California on 10. 3.09
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., which produces a most excellent Pale Ale that's currently in my fridge (but not for too long), has helped to raise $73,342 for Western Rivers Conservancy from the beer maker's 2009 "Wild Rivers" campaign. Sierra Nevada donated 25 cents to the Conservancy from the sale of every 12-pack of Pale Ale and Summerfest Lager purchased in the U.S. ...
Will Carbon Capture & Storage (CCS) Conflict With Mineral & Property Rights?
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 10. 3.09
"Red lines represent existing CO2 pipeline infrastructure; the green lines represent the hypothetical pipeline scenarios..." Image credit:R. Lee Gresham, Jay Apt, M. Granger Morgan, Sean T. McCoy, from pre-publication draft paper: Implications of Compensating Property-Owners for Geologic Sequestration of CO2
Pretend it's 2040. US citizens live in a Carbon Constrained Era, in which Federal law enables legal access by carbon injectors to geological pore space, deep under the earth--pretty much wherever they want it. The law also protects carbon dioxide injectors and generators from being held liable for any CO2 "leaks" that may come, regardless of cause. Installation of high pressure pipelines, to move carbon dioxide from coal plants to distant injection well fields, were seen as a "taking" of private property rights as well as a taxpayer bailout of the coal utilities. Outrage over the pipeline projects brought conservatives and liberals together in a fight which they eventually lost....
Mens Fall Fashion: Collection PAS - Skateboarder Style Suits, Duct Tape Tees, Military Mosquito Nets, and More
by Emma Grady, New York, NY on 10. 3.09
C PAS (left to right): Re-used military blanket blazer, organic denim jeans; Organic wool turtle neck and organic cotton jersey pants; Organic wool blazer, organic cotton oxford shirt and jersey pants. Credit C PAS
If an environmentally and style-conscious skateboarder walked the red carpet, he'd wear Collection Pierre André Senizergues (C PAS). The innovative collection is made with recycled military mosquito nets and parachutes, Salvation Army shirts, organic cotton and wool, and is rising to the top of a niche market; upscale eco-conscious mens clothing. Click through for a photos of their Fall 2009 collection. ...
Pimp My Green Ride: This Souped-Up Tesla Roadster Rocks
by Jeff Kart, Bay City, MIchigan on 10. 3.09
Credit: Photos courtesy of Al & Ed's Autosound
The all-electric Tesla Roadster is a green car without the dinky green look (Sorry Toyota Prius).
Some audiophiles at Al & Ed's Autosound in West Hollywood, California, decided the Tesla needed a non-dinky radio system, too.
So they've have revamped the $100,000 Roadster, refurbishing the interior and installing a new sound system. ...
Food to Energy Plants: A Load of Pig Swill?
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 10. 3.09
Image credit: Prospect Magazine
We all know that waste food is a problem, but luckily there are plenty of solutions. Grocery stores are turning food waste into electricity, and Stockholm is even embracing garbage disposals to collect biogas. But is there a better way? Could it be that there's a greener alternative for using up unwanted food? ...
Bicycles for Humanity: Donate Bikes, Change Lives
by Jennifer Hattam, Istanbul, Turkey on 10. 3.09
The Uukumwe ("Togetherness") Bike Shop in Nkurenkuru, Namibia. Photo via Bicycles for Humanity Colorado.
An inexpensive, environmentally friendly form of transportation anywhere, bicycles are a true lifeline in Africa, where they allow health-care workers to visit three to four times as many patients as they could on foot, help struggling entrepreneurs expand their markets and keep more of their profits, and encourage children to go to school. In fact, according to Bicycles for Humanity Colorado (B4H), African girls are 70 percent more likely to attend school if their family owns a bike. But even a cheap set of wheels is a big expense for someone living on $1 a day. That's where groups like B4H come in....
Beer Wars: When Corporate Conglomerates and Microbreweries Go Head to Head
by Sara Novak, Columbia, SC on 10. 3.09
photo: Dominion 3
We're in a beer renaissance in this country. And, according to Anat Baron, it's a welcomed change from the tasteless watered down beer for which we've come to settle. Microbrews are on the rise and more and more people are choosing to taste richness in their beer. Organic breweries are even getting a share of the marketplace. But, though your taste buds may crave an Organic Nut Brown Ale or a Dogfish Punkin' Ale, the big guys are fighting tooth and nail to keep their share of the marketplace. In the recently released documentary Beer Wars, sent over from Dominion 3, Anat Baron invites us into the lives of small time brewers battling corporations for just a small piece of the pie. ...
Browner: Climate Bill Before Copenhagen? Probably Not.
by Daniel Kessler, San Francisco, California on 10. 2.09
Photo via Flickr
Carol Browner, President Obama's director of the White House Office of Energy and Climate Change Policy, said Friday that the chance that Congress will pass a climate bill before December, when the international climate negotiations in Copenhagen will take place, is "not likely." With a bill or not, Browner said the U.S. is serious about action as demonstrated by the EPA's announcement this week that the agency will begin regulating so called stationary sources of greenhouse gas emissions that exceed 25,000 tons per year of emissions....
College of the Atlantic Offsets Campus Emissions Via Truck Stops?
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 10. 2.09
Image via: diamondreo90 on Flickr.com
Not satisfied with being the first carbon-neutral college in the US, College of the Atlantic is taking it to the streets, literally. Their latest plan to achieve carbon-neutrality, installing electrification systems at truck stops so idling trucks no longer spew. ...
Bella Floria Offers 20% Off All Beauty Products
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 10. 2.09
When Emelyn Rodriguez started to do research as a result of her own sensitivities to chemical additives in personal care products, she realized that others could greatly benefit from this research as well. And so, she started her online company Bella Floria, a natural and organic beauty boutique offering top, (often hard-to-find) brands in skin care, makeup, bath & body, baby care, and aromatherapy. Not only does Bella Floria review every ingredient in every item that they carry to ensure quality and purity, but they also test every product themselves and do not carry products they wouldn't recommend to family and friends. Now that's called commitment.
...
Project Runway Tips On Revamping Your Wardrobe
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 10. 2.09
Image via: eHow.com
For the women on the Great American Apparel Diet, women on a tight budget, and women who frankly are tired of looking at the same outfits every week (and men, too, for that matter), here are some tips from Project Runway contestant Johnny Sakalis on how to relook and rework your wardrobe. He sat down with eHow.com to talk fashion and these simple tips are easy to work into any closet....
The Feast: Full on Good Entrepreneurship for the Long Now
by Petz Scholtus, Barcelona, Spain on 10. 2.09
TED Conference has got competition! Yesterday we attended the Feast Conference in New York, where we laughed, we cried, we became passionate about changing the world, we met amazing people and we learnt a thing or two about good decision making and playing poker! It was definitely one of the most inspiring and "full on good" events we have been to. If you don't believe me, check out the tweets of the Feast, an initiative by All Day Buffet. The 12 cross-disciplinary speakers that shared their experience of how to address social innovation and new ways to make the world a better place really left us inspired to go out and do good. The keywords of the day were passion, creativity, community, empathy, curiosity, good, clean & fair, menstruation and entrepreneurship. Read on if you are curious enough, or watch the Feast presentations via Stream57....
How Can You Tell If Your City is Bikeable? Hint: Count the Women.
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 10. 2.09
Image via: rlsycle on Flickr.com
What does it take to make a city bike friendly? Bike lanes? Isolated bike lanes? More bikes than cars? All of the above? In a recent article by Scientific American, the indicator species for determining how bikeable a city is is...women, and particularly the number of women on bikes. In European cities, male to female biking ratios are nearly equal, so why are men two times more likely to hop on a bike?...
We Still Have A 50-50 Chance At Not Frying Ourselves, Says MIT Study
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 10. 2.09
Photos via MIT Energy Initiative. Credit: Donna Coveney
Good News! If we make the needed changes, we still have a 50-50 chance of stabilizing the climate and not going more than a few tenths above the 2 degree target for maximum global warming. At least, that's what MIT says after utilizing their Integrated Global Systems Model to create a computer simulation of global economic activity and climate processes. So, what do we have to do to hit the positive side of that warming scenario?...
Radical Green Groups Attack Al Gore and the Climate Bill
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 10. 2.09
Image via Grist
Al Gore's harshest critics call him a leftist, tree-hugging propagandist for his efforts to bring about large scale climate action. I wonder, then, what those critics would call the green groups attacking Al Gore for not doing enough. I guess their heads would just explode. The groups in question are charging that Al Gore and the new Senate climate bill aren't tough enough on polluters, and they're doing so by dressing up like pirates, passing out fake Gore money, and hurling pies....
Meet Your New E-Waste Recycling Symbol: "4th Bin" Winners Announced
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 10. 2.09
The iconic "möbius strip" recycling symbol that we know so well was designed by a 23-year-old in 1970; it was his submission into a design competition sponsored by the Container Corporation of America. Symbolic history may have just been made once more with the winners of the 4th Bin design contest. Valiant Technology sponsored the competition to design a logo for e-waste, as well as a container specially engineered to receive it, initially for New York City, then for the world. E-waste, or electronic waste, is an ever faster-growing category of trash consisting of computers, cell phones, game consoles, printers, etc. We've seen how e-waste creates toxic nightmares overseas, and how better recycling could recover a lot of cash. But many e-waste recycling programs are still disjointed or ad-hoc, and the 4th Bin contest is trying to make it a more recognizable part of our daily habits....
From the Isn't It Ironic Dept: Clear Lake is World's Most Mercury Polluted Lake
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 10. 2.09
Ducks swimming in Clear Lake. Image via: denjones on Flickr.com
This just in, Clear Lake, located in northern California (and for that matter, several other lakes in that region) is quite possibly the most mercury polluted lake in the world, reports the Associated Press. A history of silver mining throughout the area has left many of the lakes polluted and the fish highly toxic, if consumed. And it gets worse, the people most affected are some of the poorest in the area. ...
You Can Plan New York's Energy Future with Gotham Gazette's Switch
by David DeFranza on 10. 2.09
Image credit: Celia Johnson, Ya-Hsuan Huang/Gotham Gazette
In the wake of Climate Week, with New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg painting roofs white, one thing is clear: Energy is on the mind of New Yorkers.
Looking to capitalize on this moment of interest, the Gotham Gazette has created a game to teach people about energy-saving initiatives under consideration in the Big Apple....
West Coast Green 2009: Instant Housing for Disaster Relief Fits In A Shipping Container (Video)
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 10. 2.09
Image via Green Horizon Manufacturing
This year's West Coast Green showhome is a special one, on display in public for the first time. The timing, really, couldn't have been more appropriate considering the horrible news streaming in about massive earthquakes happening globally. It is a shipping container disaster relief house from Green Horizon, carefully engineered to be incredibly simple to deliver, fast to set up, and self-sustaining....
Cyclist to Attempt 3-Year, 38,000 Mile Zero Carbon Bike Ride Around the World
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 10. 2.09
Photo via the Guardian
Kevin Shannon isn't even crusading for green causes. No, the ambitious 23 year-old cyclist is embarking on a 38,000 mile biking and sailing trip around the world for a different reason altogether--to raise money for a charity that assists combat veterans. His aim is to create absolutely no carbon emissions throughout the course of the daunting 3-year journey, which will take him across Europe, Asia, Australia, and both North and South America. Here's how he's going to do it....
Ellen Page Gets Down and Dirty, Michelle Obama Hits the Street, and More
by Blythe Copeland, Great Neck, New York on 10. 2.09
Photo via Hollywood Today
This weekend, actress Ellen Page returns to movie theaters in the Drew Barrymore-directed roller derby film Whip It--and she returns to the spotlight with a decidedly non-L.A. perspective: ...
West Coast Green 2009: PlanetUp is a Carbon-Offsetting Digg, But Will It Work?
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 10. 2.09
Photo via Jaymi Heimbuch
A giant net filled with balloons greets visitors as they enter the West Coast Green tradeshow floor. It's from PlanetUp, who says that this is the amount of CO2 put out by utilizing one gallon of gas. 19.6 pounds, to be precise. PlanetUp is the latest in news aggregation with an environmental edge. Calling itself "The Most Sustianable Site On The Web," it's a green Digg but with a twist. Every time a link is submitted, PlanetUp gives funding to carbon offset projects. And they offer a whole lot more than just news (and feel-good carbon offsets) to readers. ...
What Would Gandhi Do? Certainly Not Buy a Luxury Fountain Pen
by David DeFranza on 10. 2.09
Image credit: Eneas/Flickr
Mahatma Gandhi, born 140 years ago today, is remembered as the father of modern India but it was his simple lifestyle that has continued to inspired activists around the world. This humble aesthetic, however, is at odds with recent attempts to commemorate his legacy. Take, for example, the £15,500 limited-edition Montblanc fountain pen, which features an engraving of Gandhi and comes with a gold string symbolizing his spinning wheel....
Obama Went to Copenhagen. Will He Go Again in December?
by Daniel Kessler, San Francisco, California on 10. 2.09
Photo via Flickr
Environmentalists are all a flutter with the news that President Obama brought his lead negotiator on climate change, Todd Stern, with him on his trip to Copenhagen to lobby for the 2016 Summer Olympics in his hometown of Chicago. The pairing raises the question that many greens have been asking for months: Will Obama personally attend the make-or-break climate negotiations in Copenhagen in December?...
Vertical Farm + Amusement Park = Oogst 100 Wonderland
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10. 2.09
Designboom shows us just about the coolest vertical farm yet, by Studio Tjep. Actually, it is much more than a farm; it is a restaurant and amusement park as well. It is designed to educate as well as produce; "The entire process is visible to the visitor, giving the complex a didactic function as to new agricultural developments."...
West Coast Green 2009: Free Design Clinic Makes Quality Design Accessible
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 10. 2.09
Photo via Jaymi Heimbuch
Among the many familiar faces at West Coast Green this year, one booth stood out that I hadn't seen in the past. In part, it was because it was outside by itself, rather than inside amidst the crush of green building materials, solar panel purveyors, and sustainable living solutions. And in part, it was because of this really cool hanging plant display created from repurposed water bottles. It's the Free Design Clinic, a collective of creative professionals that work to make design not the source for luxurious dream products, but the source for solutions to every day problems. ...
Adorable Polar Bear Cub Goes for a Piggyback Ride
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 10. 2.09
Photo via BBC
It's been a busy, stressful week, with Iran's nuclear plans, tragic natural disasters in Samoa, Indonesia, and the Philippines, and a new climate bill in the Senate packing the headlines with nail-biting tension. So what do I have to say to all that? Why, it's nothing an adorable picture of a polar bear cub taking a piggyback ride on its mom's back can't fix, right?...
Water Sucking Solar Farms Breed Water Wars
by Naturally Savvy on 10. 2.09
A worker inspects a large mirror that directs the sun's energy to water-filled troughs at a solar thermal plant in the Israeli desert. Photo by Steve Jurvetson via Flickr.
If you thought there were water wars brewing before, just wait. The sun is often touted as a fantastic source of energy, which it is, but there's a hitch: Many solar projects consume enormous amounts of water. How much water are we talking? According to a recent New York Times article, proposed plans for two solar farms in Nevada would gulp up 1.3 billion gallons of water annually--or 20 percent of the area's available water. And the worst thing is this heavy water use in renewable energy projects is all about the bottom line....
13 Great Vegetarians From History (Slideshow)
by David DeFranza on 10. 2.09
People have practiced vegetarianism for centuries. In that time, some truly great people have joined the cause. Here, in no particular order, are 13 of the greatest vegetarians from history.
...
Are You the Voice of Green Britain? Shout Loud if You Are.
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 10. 2.09
Image credit: 10:10 Campaign
It's only weeks since the launch of the high profile 10:10 Campaign, an ambitious initiative to encourage Britain to cut its carbon emissions by 10% in just one year, but things seem to be hotting up. We've already seen Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Ed Miliband signing up, and celebrities, major companies, local authorities and individuals are joining up in droves. Now the campaign, in conjunction with The Energy Saving Trust, is looking for the Voice of Green Britain. Read on to see if you qualify. ...
Friends Again? HP Gets Props from Greenpeace in Latest Gadget Guide
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 10. 2.09
Image via Greenpeace
Greenpeace has released its latest iteration of the electronics guide ranking manufacturers on the sustainability of their products and processes. Turns out there was a reason for HP to get a little huffy about Greenpeace tagging their roof - they had a nearly PVC- and BFR-free computer up their sleeve. Greenpeace is rewarding them with higher points in their new gadget guide, as well as Apple, which just released carbon footprint data on their website. Check out where they rank along with other big name manufacturers, and see who is still languishing at the bottom of the list. ...
Happy Sixth Birthday, Worldchanging!
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10. 2.09
Wow. Alex Steffen and the gang at Worldchanging have been cranking out serious stuff for six years. In honour of the occasion, they have put together Worldchanging 101; what they consider to be their most popular and important stories on the planet, politics, business, community, shelter, cities and stuff.
Sometimes Worldchanging is heavy going; other times, it is, well, worldchanging. My favourite ever, that anyone interested in the issues of cars and cities must read, is My Other Car is a Bright Green City.
Congratulations and Happy birthday, Worldchanging....
Paddlefish and Vultures: Species Lost and Found
by Jennifer Hattam, Istanbul, Turkey on 10. 2.09
The bearded vulture is rare in India. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
The recent news that one of the planet's largest freshwater fish is close to going extinct was, sadly, hardly a rare occurrence in a world where habitat infringement and pollution, among other factors, are rapidly diminishing ecological variety. But even dwindling species can, fortunately, surprise us with appearances in unexpected places....
World Habitat Day is a Reminder that Everyone Deserves Decent Housing
by Bonnie Alter, London on 10. 2.09
The United Nations has designated the first Monday in October as annual World Habitat Day. This is the day to reaffirm that decent shelter is a basic human right and a time to join together to remind governments that the lack of decent, affordable housing is unacceptable.
Monday, October 5 is World Habitat Day this year and the theme is "it all starts at home." Habitat for Humanity International is campaigning for security of tenure in the world and neighbourhood revitalization in the U.S.A....
WalMart For All, Susty Conferences & Dumping the US Chamber of Commerce
by Nick Aster of TriplePundit on 10. 1.09
A weekly wrap up of green and socially minded business news from the gang at TriplePundit.com.
Nike, PG&E, Exelon Quit US Chamber of Commerce Over Climate Change Stance - is it the latest eco fad, or are major corporations the new eco-activists?
WalMart's New Sustainability Index is For Everyone - Though created initially to green Wal Mart's massive supply chain, the new index is a piece in a larger conversation and benefits many companies.
Can California Meet Renewable Energy Goal with a Mandate? - Governor Schwarzenegger won't sign the latest California energy bills, but offers an alternative for the same goal. Whose method is best?
Why the G20 Wasn't About Climate Change -- And Shouldn't Be - Climate progress at the G20 meeting in Pittsburgh was a shrug, but environmentalists may be placing too much emphasis on the wrong meeting.
How to Choose Your Sustainability Conferences - It's conference season and the number of green events these days is overwhelming. Here are some tips to get the most of them with minimal carbon impact....
Coal-Fired Power Generator To Supplement Boiler Feed With Switchgrass And Sorghum
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 10. 1.09
Sorghum seed cluster. Image credit:Wikipedia
Remember all the excitement over growing switch grass as feedstock for ethanol fuel? Forget that sissy fermentation stuff. Real powerhouses burn it outright. NRG Energy Inc, a company with combined generation capacity of 24,000 megawatts, plans trial burns of switchgrass and sorghum (as pictured) to supplement the coal normally fed to boilers at the company's Big Cajun II power plant, in Louisiana. Sorghum has been around for centuries as a food grain, a molasses substitute, and a pasturing plant. Chopped up, it is also used for sileage. Because power plant emission limits are measured on a per-ton of fossil fuel consumed basis, and because coal fired plants may be carbon "capped" in proportion to fossil-fuel derived emissions only, a power plant might be able to add some biofuel, up it's capacity, stay within permit limits, and avoid purchasing carbon credits. Sounds like a strategy....
George Will Joins Chamber to Call for Scope's Trial on Climate Change
by Daniel Kessler, San Francisco, California on 10. 1.09
Clarence Darrow, defense attorney in the Scopes evolution case, and William Jennings Bryan, associated prosecuting counsel.
Washington Post columnist George Will has again entered the climate fray. The last time he did this, Will was called out for spreading misinformation by his own newspaper not less than three times. If you remember, Will was shot down over his assertion that climate change was not melting the Arctic. Now he's back at it, and he's joined with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to call for a "Scopes Monkey Trial" on the veracity of climate change science. ...
Nissan to Take LEAF Electric Car Reservations in the U.S. in Spring 2010
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 10. 1.09
Photo: Nissan
This Electric Car Made a Spark
Nearly 22,000 people in North-America have contacted Nissan since the company unveiled the car in August. Because of this strong positive demand, Nissan is now announcing that it will begin taking reservations for the Leaf EV in the Spring of 2010. "Of those who have contacted Nissan, about half report that they want to obtain LEAF as soon as it's available, and another 45 percent indicate interest in owning an electric vehicle within the next two to three years."...
Solar Panel Importers to Face 70$ Million in Unexpected Fines
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 10. 1.09
Photo via the NY Times
Thanks to the global recession, solar industry is already struggling. But now, according to the NY Times, companies that import solar panels to the US are facing unexpected tariffs--to the tune of $70 million. This could be bad news not only for the fragile solar power industry, but for trade relations with countries that send over their panels. ...
Killer Fungus Attacks Rare Frog Species
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 10. 1.09
Hemiphractus fasciatus. It carries its eggs on its back. Photo: Roberto Brenes, via Discovery News
Rare Frogs Threatened with Extinction
Many of the rarest species of frogs in the rainforests of Central America are vanishing. The culprit? It's apparently a type of fungus that seems to be deadlier for rare frogs than for common ones, which is leading to a homogenization of the local ecosystems. This is bad, not only for the local food chain, but also for eco-tourism in Central America and for medical science ("scientists have found potential cancer therapies in amphibian skin")....
25 US National Parks Under 'Grave Threat' From Climate Change
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 10. 1.09
View from Angel's Landing in Zion National Park. Image via: StevenLPierce on Flickr.com
You've heard the warnings, "Visit Glacier National Park While it Still Has Glaciers" and that Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Park won't have coral much longer, but now the National Resources Defense Council and the Rocky Mountain Climate Organization (RMCO) are reporting that climate change is way more serious and possibly the 'gravest threat ever' to US National Parks. Some of these areas are the most fragile in the United States, others, just don't lie far enough above sea level. Find out which ones, er, made the list, and what is being done to help....
Sempra Energy Working on 500 MW Solar Farm Near Phoenix, Arizona
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 10. 1.09
Photo: Sempra Energy
Could be Built as Soon as 2012
Sempra Energy, who already owns a 10-megawatt PV solar farm near Boulder City, Nevada, and wants to expand it by 48 additional megawatts, has announced a new project that could dwarf those: The company is looking to build up to half a gigawatt of new solar capacity near Phoenix, Arizona. Sempra doesn't know yet if it's going to be solar PV or solar thermal, or a combination of both. ...
The Green Future of Mercedes-Benz: The New Electric Smart Fortwo
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 10. 1.09
(Image: Jacob Gordon)Fully-electric Smart cars have been zipping around roads in various forms for some time. But now, Daimler AG, Smart's German daddy company, is ramping up to roll out the second-generation of its battery-powered Smart fortwo--this time taking advantage of its ace in the hole: a 10% ownership stake in Tesla Motors. The upshot will be a more powerful, longer-range EV that will be widely available by 2012. As you know, I've been writing about Daimler AG (owner of Mercedes-Benz and Smart) quite a bit lately (see my overview and S-Class hybrid test drive). My impression is that the company's green-technology ambitions are not well known in the US and that a closer inspection is worth while. Since it's debut, electric conversion enthusiast have loved getting their mits on the tiny Smart, which lends itself well to battery power. In fact, Smart claims the fortwo was designed with electric-drive components in mind from the very start, even when it was available only in gasoline and diesel models. Now, as the second-generation of the Smart EV gets ready to hit the assembly line next month, the Smart fortwo may be one a step closer to its true calling....
Naturally Nora Fudgy Brownies are Warm, Delicious, and in a Word, Perfect
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 10. 1.09
Image via: Olya on Flickr.com
Just got the box of Naturally Nora's Brownie mix, and while I'm eager to try them, I have to admit, I'm a bit apprehensive about whether they will stand up to a dessert lovers' sweet tooth. With both Fantastic Fudgy Brownies and Doubly Fudgy Brownies, I wondered, could Nora do me wrong?...
Big News: France to Spend $2.2 Billion on Electric Car Charging Stations
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 10. 1.09
Build It And They Will Come
Electric cars and charging stations go together, but there's a kind of chicken & egg problem; who's going to build charging stations along highways and public roads if there are no electric cars, and who's going to buy a electric car if there are no charging stations? The French government seems to have decided that the way to crack this dilemma is to build a network of charging stations using taxpayer money as part of a broader initiative to encourage the development of clean vehicle technology and battery manufacturing in the country....
New Concrete Made From Coal Plant Waste Lasts 10 Times as Long
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 10. 1.09
Photo via Science Daily
Researchers have created an impressive new kind of concrete that's made out of waste products from coal plants--concrete that could both last for hundreds of years and reduce carbon emissions by 90%. The cement industry is one of the most polluting industries there is, contributing 5-8% of the world's greenhouse gases. This new 'geopolymer concrete' could cut a major chunk out of that. And the best part is, it's made from fly ash--one of the most common industrial byproducts on the planet....
Stop Using Toilet Paper; Get a The Blue Bidet
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10. 1.09
People find the idea of going without toilet paper a bit shocking, but lots of people around the world do it, and there are good technologies available now to replace your toilet or add on to it. It is cleaner and healthier, and counterintuitively, saves a lot of water. Making a roll of toilet paper uses 1.5 pounds of wood, 37 gallons of water and 1.3 KWh of of electricity.
A lot of these bidet style toilets are expensive, as are may of the toilet seat add-ons. The Blue Bidet is only US$ 69, C$79 when I saw it at the local Home Show in Toronto.
...
On Climate Change, It's Like We're Lung Cancer Patients Sneaking Cigarettes in the ICU
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 10. 1.09
photo: Cellular Immunity via flickr.
Bill McKibben certainly has an enviable way with words: Nature Magazine has a new feature on planetary boundaries, which once crossed have devastating biological consequences -- and we've already crossed three of the nine identified. What McKibben does so well in a new piece for Yale Environment 360 is put this is more graphic terms: ...
10 of TreeHugger's Most Powerful--and Potentially Depressing--Slideshows
by Blythe Copeland, Great Neck, New York on 10. 1.09
Photo via Ebaum's World
Our lineup of slideshows highlights everything from wear-anywhere hemp fashion to attention-getting environmental ad campaigns. But they're not all so lighthearted: others tackle the effects of global warming, the dangers of mineral mining, and the almost-unbelievable levels of water pollution facing the Earth. The ten highlighted here might not be the cheeriest we've ever done, but they offer a powerful reminder of just how important sustainability can be....
Solar New England Makes Solar Hot Water Cheaper For Residents
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 10. 1.09
First installation for the Solar New England Project. Image via: Solar New England Project
Solar New England - See the Light, Feel the Warmth - is out to put solar hot water systems on at least 1% of the homes throughout New England. While this might not seem like a lot, they've managed to make the systems cheaper, and provide for many green jobs throughout the community....
How Hot, Wet & Dry Will a 4°C World Become? This Google Earth Layer Shows You
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 10. 1.09
Keep in mind that even the darkest blue areas indicate 1 or 2°C warming. The dark red is 15°C of warming.
I really love Google Earth layers as a communication tool, and here's a great new one, albeit on a grim subject. In the wake of the Met Office's forecast that if we don't cut emissions sharply by 2020, 4°C global temperature rise is likely (with up top 15°C in some places), New Scientist shows us just how hot things could get:...
Obama Gives EPA the Go-Ahead to Regulate Greenhouse Gases
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 10. 1.09
Photo via Bullfrog Builders
Showing that he's serious about curbing emissions, Obama announced that he's moving ahead with plans for the EPA to regulate greenhouse gases. Specifically, "large industrial facilities" that emit more than 25,000 tons of greenhouse gases a year will require an operating permit for those emissions. If, after inspected, they haven't taken reasonable measures to reduce emissions, they could face fines. This is big news--it provides a strong incentive for Congress to pass a climate bill, and sends a signal to the world that the US is serious about climate action....
Could Giving Children Candy Turn Them into Criminals?
by David DeFranza on 10. 1.09
Image credit: ginnerobot/Flickr
Everyone knows that eating too many sweets is bad for our teeth, but could giving candy to children lead to delinquency later in life? A new study, to be published in next month's British Journal of Psychiatry, claims that, indeed, it can....
Climate Change To Take 68% Bite Out of Tanzania's Economy
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 10. 1.09
photo: NataPics via flickr.
Continuing its string of climate change warnings this week, the International Institute for Environment and Development has commented on just how badly the poor in Africa are going to be hit by warming temperatures and changing precipitation. In the case of the poor in Tanzania things go from bad to worse:...
The Best of GOOD: The Future of Cities, the Gasoline Price Conundrum, the Environmental Toll of Divorce and More
by Alex Pasternack, New York, NY on 10. 1.09
Our friends over at GOOD share some of their finest offerings of the last week.
This week saw the launch of a bold (and dare we say beautiful) new series about the future of cities and how we can reinvent them. Topics included energy, traffic, water, education, government, and a host of others....
Architect Renzo Piano Charms Press at Cersaie with Below the Belt Humor
by Mairi Beautyman, Berlin, Germany on 10. 1.09
Photo copyright Mairi Beautyman
So it's easy to fall for the Italian charm of Renzo Piano. Though maybe my crush began when I wrote about his super green California Academy of Sciences way back in 2006. Piano, recipient of the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize and principal of Renzo Piano Building Workshop, was the keynote speaker this morning in Bologna, Italy at Cersaie, by far the biggest tile show in the world. TreeHugger is here tracking down green trends as the guest of Ceramic Tiles of Italy, and got to see first hand how quickly Piano had the crowd of Italian and international press at his fingertips: "It's not just that we need to consume less, but that we need a way to get out of this tragedy of performance anxiety--the idea of making (and wanting) things bigger and BIGGER," he said....
Green Roofs Help Fill Buildings: Good for Business As Well as the Environment
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10. 1.09
image via Plant Fantasies
Green roofs keep buildings cool, reduce heat island effect and provide habitat for insects and birds; they are wonderful whether or not people can see them. But they also are great amenities for people in the buildings. Older, lower buildings are well suited for them, if their structure can be beefed up to support them.
A neat one just opened at 250 Hudson Street in New York that is accessible by the tenants of the building. While green roofs aren't cheap, the developer thinks it's worth the cost....
Could Food Shortages Bring Down Civilization?
by Lester Brown, Washington, D.C on 10. 1.09
Breaking bread. Image credit: Jonzu in Seattle
In my new book, Plan B 4.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization, which we at Earth Policy Institute just launched today, I note that in early 2008, Saudi Arabia announced that, after being self-sufficient in wheat for over 20 years, the non-replenishable aquifer it had been pumping for irrigation was largely depleted. In response, officials said they would reduce their wheat harvest by one eighth each year until production would cease entirely in 2016. The Saudis then plan to use their oil wealth to import virtually all the grain consumed by their Canada-sized population of nearly 30 million people. The Saudis are unique in being so wholly dependent on irrigation. But other, far larger, grain producers such as India and China are facing irrigation water losses and could face grain production declines....
Tonic's Top Stories: Nike Stands Up, Farmers Find Their Match, Chernobyl Gives Chills
by Tonic, the "good news" site on 10. 1.09
Photo courtesy of blary54 via Stock.xchng.
World's Largest Wind Farm (781.5 MW) Completed in Texas by E.ON Renewables
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 10. 1.09
photo: Chrishna via flickr.
Living up to its bigger is better (for better and worse) reputation, Texas can now boast having the world's current largest wind farm. E.ON Climate & Renewables has announced the completion of the 781.5 MW Roscoe wind complex, which is expected to generate enough power for more than 230,000 average homes: ...
NOx-Sucking Sidewalks Could Save Lives (or at Least, Lungs)
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 10. 1.09
One of Malmo's busiest streets will get a stretch of NOx-sucking sidewalk (via Wikimedia Commons).
Cement has not had an easy time trying to profile itself as a green building material - it's energy intensive and has high carbon dioxide emissions, and cement kilns are a source of mercury emissions. But it has continued to try to do so. That's why the story of cement product concrete's abilities to both suck nitrogen dioxide (NO2) from the air and be self-cleaning have been almost magic for the cement industry, or at least for Italcementi, the company that has patented this process. Now after lots of pre-press, the additive is making its way into building panels as well as stretches of sidewalk....
Working, Talking and Texting While Driving: Something's Got To Give
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10. 1.09
Matthew Weiss
When I am on my bike I keep my eyes open for two things: parked cars with people about to open doors, and drivers with cell phones, particularly in big SUVs or vans. They just aren't looking for cyclists, and car concentrating on more important things. The New York Times looks at the issue of using cars as offices, and the dangers of talking or texting while driving.
Just this week US Transportation Secretary Ray Lahood complained that six thousand Americans were killed last year by distracted drivers....
Climate Change Hits Women Hardest? Sisters on the Planet (Video)
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 10. 1.09
Image credit: Oxfam America
It's become accepted wisdom among environmentalists that climate change hits the poor the hardest, and it makes sense. After all, if you rely on subsistence agriculture for your income, then weather is a matter of life and death for you. Building on this understanding is an increased recognition that women are often disproportionately affected, but that they also may be the key to fighting back. We've already seen the Clinton Global Initiative investing in women and girls to fight climate change and poverty. Now Oxfam America is stepping up the plate with a campaign to empower women in the fight against climate change. But just why are women so important in this equation? ...
"Drive-Aid": Artists and Musicians Throw Concert to Save.... Parking Spaces?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10. 1.09
The Mayor of Toronto, David Miller, just announced he is not running for re-election; really, you can't blame him, this place is impossible. Musicians and activists usually turn out her to stop expressways, demand bike lanes, improve transit. But the other night they all got together for a benefit to save parking spaces.
It seems that the local councillor got parking permitted in rush hour in a few years ago, but that they are seriously slowing down the streetcars. He is quoted in the Globe and Mail:...
Will Indian Car Maker Be First To Market A Tough, High-Mileage 4WD Pickup In The USA?
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 10. 1.09
Mohindra diesel pickup. Image credit:AutoGreenBlog. India's Mahindra may launch new diesel pickup in U.S. in 2010.
New York Times reports that domestic truck sales have plummeted badly. Real bad for auto workers and stockholders. Good for the enironment. Here's why the slump happened and what the win win alternative design might look like. A clip from the Times nails the main factor behind the dramatic fall off in truck sales. "Car dealers say that the suburban cowboys who scooped up pickups have pretty much disappeared from vehicle showrooms..."They didn't hunt or they didn't fish -- they just used it as a daily driver," said Chris Meyer, general manager of Heiser Ford Lincoln-Mercury in Glendale, Wis. "A lot of those people have gone back to more economical vehicles." Suburban cowboys (love that phrase) who want radically more efficient pickups, are waiting patiently. Maybe an Indian tractor company will get their business first (as pictured). Ford where are ya? Mohindra pickup specs below....
New Cork Furniture by Joe Pipal
by Bonnie Alter, London on 10. 1.09
This beautiful and luminous cork furniture was being shown at the London Design Festival in association with Craft Central. Made by furniture maker Joe Pipal, it was lovingly exhibited alongside a display which offered an explanation of cork and its roots and described the background of the materials and construction of the pieces.
The pieces were made with three materials: cork, oak and wenge. The cork was from Portugal and is used in its natural state and in the form of recycled bottle stoppers. The oak is European and the wenge is from reclaimed parquet flooring. ...
Solar Decathalon Team BeauSoleil Designs Home for Post-Katrina
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 09.30.09
Indians Using Cow Dung to Cremate the Dead
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 09.30.09
Photos via the BBC
In the remote, flood ravaged region of Bihar, India, a scarcity of trees has led the local people to adopt an alternative to traditional cremations. They've begun using cow dung in the burial ritual instead--a move that saves an entire tree for every ceremony. Strange as it may seem, the people in Bihar have no aversion to cremating their dead with cow dung--it's entirely socially acceptable, rapidly growing as a practice, and is now done by 40% of the population. And it's one of the oddest and best conservation stories to emerge in some time.
...
Downloadable Designs: DIY iPhone Stand
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.30.09
Why do I love the idea of downloadable designs? Because people do such amazing things out of so little substance, and they ship ideas, not objects. Like this iPhone stand designed by french industrial designer Julien Madérou, downloadable from his website Dessine Moi Un Objet. It is folded out of a single sheet of paper.
...
The Cove To Be Screened in Tokyo, One Time Only
by Roberta Cruger, Los Angeles on 09.30.09
Initially, the Tokyo International Film Festival passed on screening The Cove, the documentary about the annual slaughter of dolphins in Taiji, Japan. Though it didn't offer a reason, considering the government's media ban on whale/dolphin news due to the controversy involving Japanese whaling, it was no surprise. Ironically, the theme for this year's festival is: "Action for Earth 2009." So what happened?...
Readers, Send Us Your Fall Harvest Photos!
by Emma Grady, New York, NY on 09.30.09
A bountiful fall harvest; pumpkins. Credit: samatt
As the days get shorter and the weather gets colder, I'm ready for butternut squash soup and pumpkin pie! What's in your fall harvest? Do you have beans, beets, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, chard, cauliflower, chicory, endive, garlic, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, onions, parsley, peas, or pumpkins -- all in season -- in your garden? Prove it! This summer we asked for your farmers market finds, and now we want to see fall harvest photos from your farmers' market, backyard garden, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), container garden, or wherever you get local fresh fruits, herbs, or vegetables. Lacking inspiration? View all our readers' photos , and today's juicy composting and vermicomposting slideshow. Click through for details. ...
Feed Your Dogs, Cats, Horses and Gerbils Hemp Food with NuHemp
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 09.30.09
Image via: NuHemp
NuHemp claims their pet dog food provides holistic benefits for your pet, improves joint function and digestion, as well as improves your pet's coat. We know the benefits of hemp for humans, and now pets are joining the ranks. If you don't have dogs, no problem, NuHemp offers products for your horses and even bedding for your hampsters, gerbils and rodent friends. If you do have dogs, they are in for a treat because NuHemp has pulled out all the stops and created a variety of food and bath products from hemp that are down right gourmet. ...
Zipcar iPhone App Makes Car-Sharing Even Better (as Long as You Don't Abuse Remote Honking)
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 09.30.09
Images: Zipcar
Car-Sharing Goes High-Tech
Car-sharing is a great way to have most of the benefits or owning a car without most of the downsides. Zipcar, one of the heavy-hitters of the car-sharing world, has released a new iPhone and iPod Touch free app that will make interacting with the company's reservation service and vehicles better than ever, and that's good news because the more attractive and convenient car-sharing becomes, the more cars we can take off our roads....
Apple's Tablet to Take Over Textbooks, Magazines, Newspapers
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 09.30.09
Photo via Engadget
So Kindle seems to be bombing out among university students as a replacement for textbooks, at least in one trial run. But we mention that the Tablet from Apple could be a better solution since it is more interactive, and more familiar to anyone currently using an iPhone. And word on the street is that's just where Apple is headed with the new device, along with revolutionizing newspapers and magazines. ...
Cars Make You Fat
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.30.09
John Pucher
We have noted before that suburbs make you fat. Now research by John Pucher of Rutgers University suggests that cars make you fat.
And before you start commenting "correlation does not imply causation", consider that it makes a great deal of sense. Blogger Felix Salmon calls it the Urban Diet, noting that people who don't have a car can't fill their fridges with a ton of food, and have to give a lot more thought to what they eat. (Not to mention the fact that they walk and bike more)...
Get Paid to Save Energy and Sell Your Credits On the Carbon Market
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 09.30.09
Image via: Ma-Eh on Flickr.com
Do you love to compare your monthly energy savings? Do you have spreadsheets tracking years worth of data showing monthly snapshots of each new energy efficient upgrade you've installed? Well then you're in luck because My Emissions Exchange will pay you when you show them how you lowered your energy bill over the last year. (Even if you don't have spreadsheets, you can still play along)....
Senate Climate Bill Revealed: A Quick Guide
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 09.30.09
The Senate climate bill, called the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act, just made its debut today. There are still pieces deliberately left out of the bill that will be subject to Senate debate, and of course, time will need to be taken to properly analyze the 800-page bill (hey, at least it's shorter than Waxman-Markey's 1300-pager). But here's a first look--a rundown of its pros and cons, how it's different from the climate bill that passed the House, and what to expect next. ...
Clearing Space Junk from Earth's Orbit By Launching Water At It?
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 09.30.09
Photo credit NASA via Discovery News
Of all the strange ideas I've heard, this tops the list. The amount of catalogued space debris within our planet's orbit increased by nearly 50% since 2007, so DARPA wants to gather ideas for how to clear space junk from Earth's orbit. James Hollopeter of GIT Satellite lends one idea - launch rockets full of water out to space. ...
Super-Green Eco-Home For Sale, £3.5M (US$ 5.5M)
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.30.09
All images via Stonebee Barnsley Hill Farm
And we all just immediately say yeah, right, a KPMB Design The "Best Tall Building in North America" For Manitoba Hydro
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.30.09
Photographs by Gerry Kopelow
That's what the CTBUH (Council for Tall Buildings) calls Manitoba Hydro Place, designed by Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects, with Architect of Record Smith Carter Architects. They have long been among the best architects in the country, and with this building become one of the greenest.
Winnipeg is really cold, (hence the nickname Winterpeg) with a long heating season, but they have filled the building with impressive energy saving features and project an energy use of a quarter of that of a typical office tower, relying extensively on "passive free energy."...
Native Trails Copper Sinks Are Classy and Kill Germs Too
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 09.30.09
Image via: Native Trails
Native Trails constructs handmade sinks (for kitchen or bathroom) from recycled copper and they look great!! While that hammered copper sink adds a bit of texture and life to your kitchen, that copper provides other (health) benefits you may not know about....
GOP Proposes American Families Pay $500 a Year to Just Let Climate Change Happen
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 09.30.09
Image via Climate Progress
A great post over at Climate Progress points out that while Senators Boxer and Kerry are unveiling their version of the climate bill today, Republicans are holding a press conference to advocate doing nothing about climate change, doing nothing to increase energy efficiency, doing nothing about the nation's growing reliance on foreign oil, and doing nothing about rising energy costs. According to Mr. Romm's calculations (he used to work for the Dept. of Energy in the Clinton era), by proposing we do nothing about energy, the GOP would cost American families nearly $10,000 by 2030--and the cost to their children would be trillions more....
Sound Machines Could Help Monitor Health of Coral Reefs
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 09.30.09
An EAR on the reef in Kimbe Bay. Credit: Mark Eakin, NOAA via Nature Conservancy
Putting EARs in the water among the bustling life of coral reefs could help us monitor the health of coral reefs around the worlds. EAR is an Ecological Acoustic Recorder, a device developed by NOAA and the University of Hawaii, listens in on the sounds of coral reefs and helps determine the overall health and changing status of reefs. It looks to be a promising technology, and the first one to be deployed in the Coral Triangle has just been installed. ...
Toyota Recalls 3.8 Million Vehicles, Including Prius Hybrids
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 09.30.09
Photo: Wikipedia, Public domain
2004 to 2009 Prius Included in Toyota's September 2009 Recall
Toyota has just announced a huge recall. About 3.8 million vehicles are included, and that includes the 2004 to 2009 Prius hybrid. Since that's probably a fairly popular car with our readers, we thought it would be a good idea to let you know. Other models affected are: 2007 to 2010 Camry; 2005 to 2010 Avalon; 2005 to 2010 Tacoma; 2007 to 2010 Tundra; 2007 to 2010 ES 350; and 2006 to 2010 IS 250 and 2006 to 2010 IS 350. More details about the reason behind this Toyota recall below....
Sending The Wrong Message: Electronics Retailer Urges Customers To Replace, Not Fix
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.30.09
How is this for sending the right message? Canada's big electronics retailer, now owned by Best Buy, sells a replacement plan that tells customers NOT to repair. It's just for the small stuff under $200:
"MP3 players, portable CD players, portable cassette players, portable radios, mini systems, micro systems, boomboxes, info recorders, audio headphones, microphones, two-way radios, telephones, answering machines, caller IDs, calculators, handheld GPS systems, computer scanners, watches, radar detectors and video game hardware and controllers....PC keyboards, PC mice, PC speakers, headsets, paper shredders, web cams, remote controls,clockradios and small household appliances."I mean, why bother fixing things when you can get a shiny new one? ...
Two Meter Sea Level Rise Now Inevitable - But How Fast Will It Happen?
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09.30.09
This may have been a hurricane causing this, but many low-lying areas vulnerable like this will be submerged... photo: Mel Silvers via flickr.
Geez, this week is filled with dire climate change news: Reuters reports that sea level rise expert Stefam Rahmstorf of the Potsdam Institute says that two meters of sea level rise is inevitable at this point. The main variable now is how quickly that will happen:...
First Global Warming Lawsuit Against US Polluters a Success
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 09.30.09
Photo via City Pages
In a surprising turn of events, the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals has sided with a coalition of US states, New York City, and environmental groups who filed a lawsuit against the biggest coal-burning utilities in the country. The lawsuit charged that the utilities' heavy greenhouse gas emissions were a public nuisance--and the conservative, Bush-appointed court agrees. Now, experts are saying this opens up a whole new way to fight climate change: by suing the pants off polluters....
Readers' Composting and Vermicomposting Systems (Slideshow)
by Emma Grady, New York, NY on 09.30.09
TreeHugger readers' vermicomposting system. Credit: Frank Fitzgerald
If worms make you queasy steer clear -- readers sent in photos of their composting and vermicomposting systems, from countertop compost holders -- ice buckets -- found at thrift stores; the NatureMill composter for urban dwellers, to giant buckets filled with garbage eating worms and food scraps, and tales of gardens growing bountiful and dogs mourning the loss of food remnants, fed to the compost instead. View our juicy composting slideshow -- all Readers' Photos here -- and stay tuned, later today we'll be asking for photos of this season's harvest.
...
Kindle e-Reader Hits Schools, Students Say "Meh.."
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 09.30.09
Image via Amazon
The Kindle is often touted as a solution to textbooks in schools. Primarily, advocates feel it would be well placed in universities, helping to relieve the mass of textbooks carted from class to class. However, a pilot test at Princeton University in which 50 students were given a Kindle for three of their courses showed that in just two weeks, the students were less than impressed with the device as a substitute for textbooks, even calling it a "poor excuse of an academic tool." ...
Vert Catering Eliminates Waste, Delivers By Bike
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.30.09
Yesterday's images of a UGA tailgate party were troubling, and a demonstration of what happens when everything is disposable. If you have no producer responsibility and no personal responsibility, you get a big mess.
It doesn't have to be this way; Vert Catering, a green Toronto firm, figured it out. They take full producer responsibility and take back their own garbage.
...
Join TreeHugger's Graham Hill (and Sting...) & Stand Up for Rainforest Conservation - Send Your Rainforest SOS
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09.30.09
September Eco-Tidbits from Turkey
by Jennifer Hattam, Istanbul, Turkey on 09.30.09
While some worked to save bluefin tuna, others were illegally hunting wild rabbit. Photos by Greenpeace (left) and LastBestPlace via Flickr.
As Istanbul cleans up and dries out from massive floods earlier this month and prepares for the World Bank/IMF meetings in early October, we once again wrap up the latest eco-related news from Turkey, developments that prompted reactions of both "süper" (yep, just like in English, but with an umlaut) and "maalesef" (unfortunately):...
Best of BlogHer: Food Bloggers, Netflix For Clothes, Where Babies Come From
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09.30.09
Photo credit: hammer51012
The most inspirational panel at last week's BlogHer Food conference was about food bloggers who are changing the world! Get inspired by some amazing social action, and find out how you can get involved.
It's like Netflix, but for clothes! This green clothing-swap company figured how to let you go shopping--in other people's closets.
If you haven't seen the awesome Change Starts at Home site, check it out: It's supporting some of the most kick-ass change makers we've ever met.
Can buying conventional cotton support an eco-cause? Find out what this design company means by "pre-organic."
"Babies come from WHERE?" How I prepared my daughter for her brother's natural, at-home birth.
Hunger is a big, complex issue. It's a feminist, political, economic issue. It's a moral issue. So now that my awareness is raised, what do I do next?
BlogHer is the leading participatory news, entertainment and information
network for women online. Follow us on Twitter (@Blogher), on Facebook, and at BlogHer.com....
Breaking: Senate Climate Bill to be Unveiled Later Today
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09.30.09
The Washington Post (and others...) are reporting that later today (11:30 EDT to be precise) the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee will unveil their climate bill and at least based upon the draft that the Post has seen, there's some good news to report -- the proposed emission reductions are indeed stronger than the House climate bill. Elements of the bill will undoubtedly change, but this is what we know so far:...
Michelle Kaufmann Prefab Designs Live Again With Sale to Blu Homes
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.30.09
When Michelle Kaufmann closed her prefab business in May, I was saddened but not surprised; the housing industry and the lenders that made it possible were in deep freeze or bankruptcy. But if there was one thing you could bank on, it was that Michelle would somehow land on her feet. It appears that she has, and with her usual marketing flair, turned this sows ear into a silk purse.
Others would quietly sell off their assets and slink away; Michelle sends out press releases, announcing the sale of the rights to build her designs to Blu Homes of Boston....
UK£10 Million for Low Carbon Community Projects
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 09.30.09
Image credit: Energy Saving News
The UK Government has not been popular of late - with some saying the ruling Labour Party is in the fight of its life. It might be why Ed Miliband, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, seems to be going to some effort to reach out to grassroots environmental movements. From joining the high profile 10:10 Campaign to attending the Transition Conference as a keynote listener, Luckily, Mr Miliband seems intent on walking his talk too. His announcement of 34% emmisions cuts by 2020 already got a lot of people talking, and now he is throwing some serious money (UK£10m, or US$16m) at low carbon grassroots community efforts. Read on to find out how you can benefit. ...
Dell's Latitude Z and Its Wireless Charging Misses the Green Boat
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 09.30.09
Images via Dell
Dell has released the Latitude Z, a high end business laptop. One of the key ooh-ahh features is that it has a wireless charging capability. For an extra $200, you can purchase a stand that will charge up your laptop without any cords. And yet, this is possibly one of the laptop's most un-green features. ...
Green Roof School Disappears into Hillside
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 09.30.09
Image: OFF Architecture
Green Roof School in Revin, France
Some lucky students in Revin, France, will soon be attending a cool school. With undulating, grass roof buildings terraced into the hillside, the Lycee Jean Moulin is practically invisible when seen from a distance (image overleaf). From the inside, students will enjoy an environment with a natural feel, and plenty of exercise climbing to their next class (image overleaf)....
Andrea Zittel Creates Dresses as Art
by Bonnie Alter, London on 09.30.09
Are these dresses art because they are shown in an art gallery or are they dresses because they can be worn out of the door? Andrea Zittel is an artist well-known to some TreeHugger readers: Lloyd called her "our new role model" back in 2005.
She has moved on from designing habitats to designing dresses but they are still in keeping with her on-going theme: aesthetic investigations into the daily routines and experiences of everyday life.
...
I Breathe Dead People: Soot From Cremated Human Bodies Falls on Ottawa Homes
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 09.30.09
Okay, there are no zombies in Ottawa. But it's still raining human remains in some backyards.
A Different Kind of Pollution
Looks like we're celebrating Halloween early this year... Residents of Ottawa, Canada, have been complaining that soot from a crematorium on Bank street in the South of the city has been "falling and blowing on nearby homes" and making it impossible at times to open windows or sit outside. Dawn Lynch, a resident whose home is about 250 meters (820 feet) from the crematorium said: "It makes you feel like you're breathing in the remnants of a ... dead body." ...
Oh Don, Go On (Saying that Climate Change Isn't Real and that Coal is Good)
by Daniel Kessler, San Francisco, California on 09.29.09
Bagnesia Offers Free Set of Reusable Produce Bags
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 09.29.09
Image via Bagnesia.
As we are all aware, plastic bag waste is impacting our environment, including land and sea. No matter how many articles we've read, there is still the need to reinforce the cycle of taking our reusable bags from the house, to the car, into the store and back again. Bagnesia, a company that sells various types and sizes of reusable bags, has a solution to that problem. A kit designed to remind everyone of that revolving cycle. ...
Organic Grocers Expanding Local Offerings
by Sara Novak, Columbia, SC on 09.29.09
photo: J Novak
You can't help but to get a bit irked when you enter organic markets and find loads of organic produce trucked in from 3,000 miles away. Unless you're from the small patch of earth in California that seems to be the Mecca of organic mixed greens and arugula, you'd better hit the farmers' market to find the good stuff. Earth Fare is Columbia's equivalent of Whole Foods, but a much smaller chain and last Saturday, Earth Fare's Columbia, S.C. location played host to their first ever all local farmers' market event as a part of its new emphasis on local producers....
The Climate Bill is Already Killing Coal Plants
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 09.29.09
Photo via Photobucket
The largest utility company in Arizona has no plans to build another coal plant, despite the fact that energy demand is scheduled to rise 50% over the next 15 years. NV Energy, another utility with 2.4 million customers, is putting its only scheduled coal plant on hold indefinitely--until carbon capture becomes viable. These are just a couple of the utility companies that are willingly killing plans for coal power to prepare for laws that would put a price on carbon. Here's how the mere specter of a climate bill is phasing out coal--and how a good bill could finish the job without damaging the economy. ...
How Not To Have A Tailgate Party
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.29.09
Tom Ritch via AJC
When I read Sara Snow's post Green Eyes On: 3 Ways To Throw A Greener Tailgate my first reaction was "compostable disposables? why not washables?" and "Recycling bins? how about zero waste?" Then it was pointed out very graphically how bad a tailgate can get; shown above is the aftermath of the University of Georgia football game two weeks ago. Chip Towers of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution describes it:
Whole tailgate tents left half-standing. Abandoned portable grills. Urination in campus doorways. Defecation. Trash strewn everywhere....
An Insiders Look at Greening Movies Thanks to 'Away We Go'
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 09.29.09
The Green Future of Mercedes-Benz: Driving the S 400 Hybrid
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 09.29.09
(Image: Daimler AG)I'm still buzzing from the Frankfurt auto show. With its many visual delights, the IAA is arguably the most important gathering of automakers in the world. Much of my focus centered around Mercedes-Benz (after all, Daimler AG was my host), and I'm still sorting through all there is to say about this company as it becomes a more and more important contender in the green car battle. Mercedes is now moving into the luxury hybrid market, a space that has been decidedly Lexus' up till now. While the S 400 hybrid has been a fast seller in Europe (accounting for almost 20% of S-Class orders since June), it has only just rolled into US dealerships. I test drove the S 400 on roads winding through cabbage and pumpkin farms outside Mercedes' home of Stuttgart, getting a good feel for this new luxury hybrid offering....
MIT Professor Makes a Pickle Glow to Teach Us How OLEDs Work (Video)
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 09.29.09
MIT professor Vladimir Bulovic does a fantastic job explaining how OLEDs work by doing something that is sure to capture our attention - he makes a dill pickle glow. We posted a video back in January that explained the basics of OLED. This one goes into much more detail and shows us why OLED manufacturing will top LCD manufacturing for simplicity and efficiency as the technology matures. Video after the jump. ...
Tesla Model S to Have Kids! Electric Minivan, Crossover SUV, and Utility Van
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 09.29.09
Photo: Tesla Motors
Tesla Plans to Recycle its Platform
In a blog post where they try to explain how they will use the DOE loan (and make it clear that it's unrelated to the bailout money that went to Detroit automakers), Tesla revealed that the platform of its upcoming Model S electric sedan will be used to create other electric vehicles: An electric minivan, an electric crossover, and an electric utility van for fleets. Something for everyone, it seems....
Trash Talk: US Considers Tighter Regulations for E-Waste Exports
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 09.29.09
Ship leaving Bay Area. Image via: Derell_Licht on Flickr. com
With more countries tightening down on their e-waste disposal and exporting regulations and requirements, and with communities in the US requiring special disposal of E-Waste, but no follow-through on where it should go, US State Department officials are having to give trash another look, reports the New York Times. With more e-waste being collected in communities, will the US finally sign the Basel Convention?...
Green Eyes On: 3 Ways To Throw A Greener Tailgate
by Sara Snow on 09.29.09
Image via MargaritaVille Cargo.
A friend of mine threw a tailgate party recently (check out her blog entry) and did everything she could to make it a greener tailgate. She and her husband both are huge football fans and live for weekend home games. Naturally her idea for a greener tailgate was met with some opposition, such as "why ruin a good thing" comments, but eventually received a lot of applause.
If you're worried that you'll alienate friends by doing this, think again. You'll get the satisfaction of proving them wrong. Here's how you can get started with three simple steps.
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It's Not Them, It's Us: Developing World Population Growth Not Adding Much CO2
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09.29.09
photo: Geof Wilson via flickr.
Yesterday it was Fred Pearce saying that overconsumption of natural resources was the bigger problem than overpopulation, and here's another voice backing that point: Times Online reports that the International Institute for Environment and Development has found that growing populations in the developing world (at current consumption levels) are not contributing to rising carbon emissions anywhere near as much as developed nations:...
Clever Floating Hydro-Electric Barrel Generator Works Almost Anywhere
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 09.29.09
Photo: HEB
Low-Impact Micro-Hydro Power
Mike Lowery, a retired entrepreneur and inventor, and Paul Price have created a clever little device called the Hydro-Electric-Barrel Generator (HEB) that could help many people harness the power of rivers and stream while keep the impact on nature at a minimum. The beauty is that the HEB works in pretty much any type of river, regardless of depth or flow speed (though that will have an impact on the quantity of power generated)....
Nostalgic Pragmatism: I Want My 70 Horsepower, 1980 Volkswagen Rabbit Back - Only Better
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 09.29.09
1980 Era VW Rabbit (Golf). Image credit: VW Vortex
American car makers would have us believe they have an intense struggle to develop new designs and to capitalize new operations in which to make more efficient cars, suitable for the Climate Age. What a line of propaganda that is.
Back in 1980, amidst a serious oil shortage, I bought a cheap (for the era) VW Rabbit, as pictured, which consistently got over 40 mpg. Among the models introduced to meet the US' increasingly stringent emissions standards, Rabbit did this with fuel injection instead of the cobbled Detroit-style carburetion schemes prevalent at the time. It also had European style bucket seats - then a novelty, believe it or not - and, best of all, would reliably start in the 20-below temperatures common to where I lived in Wisconsin. Look below for a list of all the affordable, high-mileage, small- and mid-size models available, circa 1980....
Victoria Klein Hosts Carnival of the Green
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 09.29.09
This week is Carnival of the Green #198 and it's being hosted by Victoria Klein, who graciously stepped up to the plate last minute. As longtime Carnival host and friend of TreeHugger, Victoria is a writer, photographer, and eco-consultant. Her blog encompasses all of these passions, plus a little more too.
So head on over to this week's Carnival, which includes a round up of green news and events from the past week and your best green tweets, submitted by other bloggers and green sites. Enjoy!
We are now accepting host requests for 2010! Read on to find out how to host....
Scientists Solve Wind Power's Mass Bat-Killing Problem
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 09.29.09
Image via Earthfirst
Wind turbines are an essential to our prospects of building a clean energy economy. Unfortunately, there's a lot of evidence out there that the turbines kill bats in alarming numbers--more than they do birds. And not in the gruesome manner you'd think--no high speed collisions with the blades--but in another gruesome way altogether. The sudden drop in air pressure around the turbines causes severe injuries to the bats' lungs, an affliction called barotruama. Thankfully, scientists have come up with a way to reduce bat deaths around turbines by at least 60% without sacrificing any serious power generation from the turbines. ...
These Smart Clothes Dryers Could Reduce Electricity Demand by the Equivalent of 6 Coal Power Plants
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 09.29.09
Photo: Whirlpool
Smart Appliances are Coming: Whirlpool to Produce 1 Million Grid Connected "Smart" Clothes Dryers in 2011
Having a smart grid is great in good part because it allows you to more easily implement time-of-use electricity rates (power costs more at peak demand time, less at night and on weekends...). But to get the most out of it, smart appliances that can talk to the grid and "smartly" adjust their operation to reduce their power demand when electricity is expensive are required. This is why it's good news that Whirlpool is announcing that it will produce 1 million "smart" clothes dryer in 2011. If one million dryers went into power saving mode during peak time, that would reduce demand by the equivalent of about 6 coal power plants!...
Underwater Museum to Protect Coral Reefs in Mexico
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires on 09.29.09
Photo: Jason Taylor's sculptures, now in Mexico.
Mexico has announced plans to build the largest underwater museum in the world, with around 400 figures made of concrete submerged in the Caribbean sea, near Cancun. The goal? Protecting the regions coral reefs....
South Africa Already Using 98% of Surface Water
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 09.29.09
Image via: andy_eggenberger on Flickr.com
In a recent update to a study on water resource availability in South Africa, scientists are now warning that previous estimates were off and that there is even less water available than previously estimated, reports the Cape Times. With 98% of surface water already accounted for, what is this nation to do?...
Green Fashion NOW: SDN's Pant Shoes, T-Luxe Lingerie, Linda Loudermilk, and More (Slideshow)
by Emma Grady, New York, NY on 09.29.09
SDN Designer Marcus Hicks in his own design; pant shoes. Credit: Emma Grady
The NOW Showcase brought sustainable fashion designers out for a Spring 2010 preview at the Terminal Building in New York City this past week. Marcus Hicks of Sarah Dixons Nova (SDN) -- a Brooklyn-based clothing company that focuses on quality and social responsibility -- showed innovative pant-shoes (above). We saw a Linda Loudermilk dress created from a Steve McCurry photograph, lovely T-Luxe lingerie in organic silk, a versatile bamboo jersey dress by ANGeL RoX, what Rebe can do with vintage fabric, and more designs. Click through for show highlights and for photos of what designs will be hot come Summer 2010.
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Worlds Biggest Online Zoo Goes Live
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 09.29.09
Image via BBC
The BBC has just opened doors to the world's largest zoo...online. Zoos have their charm and wonder - and of course their importance for research and species conservation - but they aren't always accessible, practical, or healthy for visitors or residents. So the BBC has gotten techy with their natural history photography and film archives, and put together the Wildlife Finder, with over 370 exhibits (and growing) of animals doing their thing minus being penned up in some try-to-call-it-natural-but-it-isn't-setting. ...
China Buys 80 Very High Speed Trains (236 mph) for $4 Billion
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 09.29.09
Photo: Bombardier
See also: Warren Buffett Makes a $44 Billion (!) Bet on Trains, Buys BNSF
What's the US Doing?
The Chinese Ministry of Railways has announced that it will buy 80 "very high speed trains" from Bombardier's Chinese joint ventre Bombardier Sifang to add to China's fast-growing network of high-speed rail. The ZEFIRO 380 trains are both very efficient (more on that below) and very fast, and should help make transportation in China greener, especially if train trips displace plane trips. ...
EU & US Look to Eliminate Import Tariffs on Green Goods - Try to Woo China Into Global Climate Deal
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09.29.09
photo: Douglas Cataylo via flickr.
Helping the flow of low-carbon technologies around the world, in particular from developed to developing countries, is really a key part of forging a global climate deal. Well, here's some good news on that front: Reuters reports that the EU and US are holding talks to eliminate duties on green goods, in order to bring China on board to a post-Kyoto agreement:...
Dragonflies Go Thirsty in Mediterranean, Threatened with Extinction
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 09.29.09
Photo via Glen Bowman
Bad news for dragonflies and damselflies as the global water crisis crunches down on us. Due to climate change and poor land management leading to habitat degradation, one fifth of Mediterranean dragonflies and damselflies are threatened with extinction, according to a report by the IUCN....
Nation's Largest Utility Quits US Chamber of Commerce Over Climate Change Denial - Pushes Price on Carbon
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09.29.09
Exelon's Byron nuclear power plant, photo: Christopher Peterson via flickr.
The flight of utilities from the US Chamber of Commerce due to its climate change denial stance continues: The latest to quit (well, not renew its membership) is Chicago-based Exelon, the nation's largest gas and electric utility. In its press release, leaving the Chamber was really a footnote to pushing for Congress to pass climate legislation and set a price on carbon:...
John Kerry on Climate Bill: "Suppose Al Gore Is Wrong"
by Alex Pasternack, New York, NY on 09.29.09
Photo: Ralph Alswang
"Suppose they're all wrong." Sen. John Kerry, a co-sponsor of the climate bill that will hit the Senate this week, was talking about Al Gore, Jim Hanson, and other climate change worriers at a discussion last Monday, "and we get going at [addressing carbon emissions]?" His response was almost Friedman-esque (see yesterday's column) -- but thankfully without the PR sloganeering:
What's the worst that will happen? We'll be in the game in the global economy, we'll create jobs in America, we won't send 400 billion dollars to another country. The worst that could happen is that kids won't be going to hospitals in the summer. A healthier nation. We'll be leading world with respect to technologies that reduce disease and reduce poverty. The worst that could happen is that the security of the US is better......
Lowly German Clunker Goes Electric, and Sports a Solar Roof
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 09.29.09
Trabi photo Rick Dikeman via Wikicommons.
Ask almost any German what comes to mind when you mention the word 'Trabant' and they'll probably respond something like "East," "East German," and "clunker." But Trabants, with their smelly two-stroke engines, squat piggy bodies formed from plastic and cotton waste fiberglass, and tiny gas tanks that required lifting the hood and mixing both gas and oil together at each fill up, have gotten a 21st century electric makeover. Photo of the updated model after the jump.
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Six Super-Tips for National Park Visitors
by Greg Haegele of Sierra Club on 09.29.09
Abyss Pool, West Thumb Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park. Photo by Jim Peaco.
Those of us who have been exploring national parks all our lives know the tricks for organizing a great stay: how to bypass that heinously long line of RVs at the entrance station, score a coveted campsite, and save money on gas and gear. We expect there will be a lot of first-time visitors after PBS airs the new Ken Burns documentary, The National Parks: America's Best Idea, premiering this Sunday. So here are six of the tips we've compiled to help them out. Click here to see our full list of tips, as well as many other outstanding suggestions from our readers.
And whether you're a long-time lover of these treasures or are newly inspired to become one, we hope you'll join our "100,000 Champions of National Parks" campaign -- just sign your name and favorite national park, and we'll enter you in a drawing for a trip for two to San Francisco and Yosemite National Park. Tip #1 follows...
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World's Largest Meat Exporter Says No More Amazon Deforestation Beef
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09.29.09
photo: David Morimoto via flickr.
A little bit late to the game, but glad they've arrived... The world's largest exporter of meat products, Brazil's JBS-Frisboi has pledged to no longer buy cattle raised from areas of the deforested Amazon which were cleared after September 23rd of this year, Greenpeace reports. Additionally, they will not work with any farms found to be using slave labor (what year is it again?!?) or raising cattle in designated protected areas or on indigenous lands:...
Wretched Excess Department: SoleiraSun
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.29.09
So you go on vacation and there is no sun; no problem if the resort has SoleiraSun. Each of these little light fixtures pumps out 12,000 watts, the equivalent of 800 Compact Fluorescent bulbs, perhaps the electrical consumption of a dozen houses, so that you feel like you are on the beach.
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The Ice-and-Dice Trawler: The Future of Fishing? (Video)
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 09.29.09
Image credit: Greenpeace UK
Greenpeace has long been pushing the idea that our oceans are over-fished, advocating instead for sustainable line fishing of tuna, and other low impact practices. Now they are warning of a dystopian future where giant trawlers freeze whole chunks of ocean to harvest every last creature, a world where jelllyfish and chips is the new dish of Britain. Activist alarmism, or a chilling warning? You decide. ...
The Kitchen of the Future Today
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.29.09
Two years ago I was interviewed about the future of the green kitchen, and suggested it might look much like Donald Chong's design , saying:
Local food, fresh ingredients, the slow food movement; these are all the rage these days. A green kitchen will have big work areas and sinks for preserving, tons of storage to keep it in, but will not have a four foot wide fridge or a six burner Viking range. It will open to outdoors to vent the heat in summer, to the rest of the house to retain the heat in winter. The dining area will be integrated into it, perhaps right in the middle. A green kitchen will be like grandma's farm kitchen- big, open, the focus of the house and no energy from the appliances will be wasted in winter or kept inside in summer.It hasn't happened yet, but there have been a lot of new ideas in how you design a kitchen, what you put in it, where it goes when you are not using it. We look at some of the sliding, changing reinventions of the kitchen....
MADE Takes Canadian Design on the Road
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.29.09
MADE booth at IIDEX
MADE is much more than a design store; it is a curated collection of the best of Canadian Design. Shaun Moore and Julie Nicholson say "MADE invites a new definition of interiors with the melding of thoughtful, individual expression, skilled craftsmanship and modern design practice. Handmade works and small batch production are our focus."
This year they have taken it on the road, with a themed exhibition called "Radiant Dark."
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Google Earth Ramps Up for Copenhagen: New Layers for Exploring Climate Change Scenarios (Video)
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 09.29.09
Google has let loose an interesting tool in preparation for COP15 that allows users to explore what the world might look like if various levels of warming, sea rises, and so forth occur. You're able to see played out some of the what-if scenarios you're hearing about as the Copenhagen date approaches. And if really seeing what the world can look like if we don't get a handle on CO2 emissions doesn't seed some worry into people, we aren't sure what will. ...
The Best of Fast Company: A Distorted View of Climate Change, Ultra-Fortified Rice, and a Test Drive of the Wheego Whip
by Ariel Schwartz of Fast Company on 09.29.09
This week at Fast Company, we looked at an unsuccessful attempt to champion global warming, talked to the people behind PATH's fortified rice for developing countries, took a spin in the Wheego Whip EV, and evaluated Newsweek's green company rankings.
CO2 is Green, an initiative backed by oil and coal execs, makes the case that global warming is a good thing. The public isn't exactly buying it.
PATH's Ultra Rice, a recent Tech Awards laureate, is a micronutrient rice-shaped delivery system stuffed with vitamins and minerals. The rice is already licensed to producers in Brazil, Columbia, and India.
Want to see the much-hyped Wheego Whip low-speed EV up close? We've got your pictures right here.
Newsweek's attempt to rank America's largest 500 companies in order of sustainability was a herculean task, to say the least. But did it succeed?
Fast Company sets the agenda, charting the evolution of business through a unique focus on the most creative individuals sparking change in the marketplace....
Do You Pay Attention To Labels?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.29.09
John wonders if 400 Green Labels Do Anything But Confuse The World's Consumers? "Four hundred competing labels is a near-perfect way to devalue the whole idea. Green Globes and Green Leaves: every body's got 'em. Makes me wonder if industries in opposition are donating money to label originators."
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Greensburg Eco-Home Competition: Two Days Left To Look At Gorgeous Drawings
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.29.09
Icon House
When looking at the submissions for the Chain of Eco-homes competition, I sometimes wondered if Greensburg shouldn't be renamed Sketchup City, after the rendering software that Google gives away. But whether it is Sketchup or other tools, the quality of some of the presentations is breathtaking, so far beyond what might have been submitted just a few years ago.
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Be Careful When You Shop For Compact Fluorescents
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.29.09
Brian recently wrote that CFL Sales are Plummeting in the US--Right When they Could Help Most, and in the comments to his post there were many complaints about how fast they burned out, how awful they looked, and how long they took to warm up. Recently at IIDEX, a big trade show, I talked to a representative of Standard Lighting about why my expensive PAR spotlight style CFLs took so long to warm up.
He told me that all of the cheap spiral style bulbs were designed to be pointing up in lamps as incandescent replacements, and the heat rises away from the bulb. Put it upside down in a potlight and they overheat the electronics in the base and burn out early. In the design of the spotlight style bulbs, they have to control the heat, which they do with a different amalgam of mercury that takes a lot longer to vaporize but runs a lot cooler. He said that the big mistake everyone makes is thinking that one bulb fits all, whereas just like with incandescents before them, there are dozens, even hundreds, of colours, sizes and permutations.
Important things to look for:...
London Fashion Week: Bird Textiles' Eye Catching Prints at Estethica
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 09.29.09
Alongside many of our Estethica favourites this season including People Tree, From Somewhere, and Makepiece, we were delighted to see some fresh fashion talent on these UK shores in the form of Bird Textiles from Australia. Their eye catching prints and popping colours certainly brought some southern hemisphere sunshine to the show. After Warren's post on Bird back in 2006 it is great to see the brand going from strength to strength, not only on the fashion front, but also feathering our nests with their homeware collection....
7 Hot Green Male Models Who Are Also Environmentalists
by Emma Grady, New York, NY on 09.29.09
Red hot model and carpenter Carter Oosterhouse. Credit Carter Oosterhouse
Are they hotter because they are bent on an eco mission? From green living enthusiast of Trading Spaces fame Carter Oosterhouse to chick-magnet Corey Wills, who recently posed shirtless for Peta with a sign that reads "Chicks love a Vegetarian," these seven hot green male models are staying lean by eating green and lending their famous faces -- and washboard abs -- to the green movement. Find out which green male models "would rather go naked [and did] than wear fur" and which is otherwise known as Darth Vada in 7 Hot Green Male Models Who Are Also Environmentalists. And don't miss our sexy list of 7 Hot Green Female Models Who are Also Environmentalists....
Ceramics at the London Design Festival
by Bonnie Alter, London on 09.29.09
There weren't a lot of exciting ceramics at the Festival, but these recycled dishes and jugs were eye-catching and eco. Esther Coombs collects discarded pieces of ceramics from all over the place and draws directly onto them.
Her designs are modern, stylish and very English. Her packaging is all recyclable or compostable too. These garden markers are made out of pieces of old plates, with the names painted over. A lovely addition to the back garden....
Food for Thought: Do The Health Care Views of Whole Food's CEO Keep You Away?
by Daniel Kessler, San Francisco, California on 09.28.09
Can 400 Green Labels Do Anything But Confuse The World's Consumers?
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 09.28.09
Certification seals, consumer familiarity or "recognition". Image credit:BBMG
The marketing and branding services group BBMG just reported on his year's annual survey of green consumer attitudes. Questions were asked to determine recognition of 13 of the estimated 400+ green labels already out there. Two thousand adult consumers were polled. Recognition was strongest for government sponsored, single attribute labels and weaker for non-government marks, as pictured. BBMG conclude that too-numerous labels might confuse consumers. Ya think? Four hundred competing labels is a near-perfect way to devalue the whole idea. Green Globes and Green Leaves: every body's got 'em. Makes me wonder if industries in opposition are donating money to label originators....
Compared to China & Brazil, the US is Climate Illiterate, Scientist Says
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09.28.09
Graphic from the Washington Post on how different nations ranked the importance government should place on climate change. Note the US on the left...
The following frankness doesn't happen often enough in the international climate change debate: Reuters reports that the head of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Hans Shellnhuber, told reporters that a large part of the United States is "climate illiterate" and that inaction in Congress threatens to undermine the COP15 talks in December:...
Futuristic Tractor Designed to Make Farming Sexy
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 09.28.09
Images via Tuvie
What do you think of when you picture a farm? Rows of corn stalks, an old wooden barn, a dusty chicken coop, men in dirty overalls, and a rusty green tractor come to mind? Come on, admit it--that's how we picture the farm, even in the 21st century. And maybe everyone thinking of farming as some old-fashioned practice isn't good for the industry, or good for any of us, for that matter. Which is why Vipin George designed this stylish, futuristic tractor--to turn the perception of modern farming on its head....
Physically Separated Center-Median Bi-Directional Bike Paths Rules!
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 09.28.09
Win a Trip to Yosemite for National Parks Week
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 09.28.09
Image via: smif on Flickr.com
Last week was National Parks Week, and with the launch Ken Burn's new series "The National Parks: America's Best Idea," on PBS, celebrating the great outdoors, it's time to keep the party going. The Sierra Club wants to give you a chance to experience some of the best our national parks system has to offer by giving one lucky contestant a trip to Yosemite (and San Francisco). Here's how:...
Toyota Kills Most Inexpensive Prius Model, Raises Price $400 on Others
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 09.28.09
Image: Toyota
Supply & Demand
A few months ago, Toyota was quite afraid of the new low-cost Honda Insight hybrid. It even went as far as to make a $21,000 version of the 2010 Prius (aka Prius I) to try to compete with Honda on price. Well, seems like Toyota isn't too scared anymore, because it has announced that the Prius I will only be available in a limited way to some fleet buyers (in practice, this means you can't get one anymore). It is also making changes to the base price of the other Prius 3rd generation models (Prius II, III, IV, and V)....
MoveOn's "Will Work for Clean Energy" Events Scheduled for Friday
by Daniel Kessler, San Francisco, California on 09.28.09
Photo via Flickr
The U.S. unemployment rate hit 9.7% in July, the highest rate since 1983. Information about the August unemployment rate will come out at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time on October 2, so MoveOn is helping to organize "Will Work for Clean Energy" events across the country to bring attention to the potential job creation of investment in renewable energy. The group is encouraging people to dress up in their best "depression-era" clothing and organize in groups of 5 to 25 to form symbolic unemployment lines....
Creepy Crawlies Everywhere! A Whopping 850 New Species Discovered Underground in Australia
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 09.28.09
This new species is Phreatomerus latipes, from Coward Springs, South Australia. Photo credit: University of Adelaide via Eurekalert
Scientists have discovered 850 new species of invertebrates living in underground water, caves and micro-caverns across arid and semi-arid Australia. Over the course of a four-year study, the team found whole communities of previously undiscovered insects, small crustaceans, spiders, worms and many other creatures...and they say it is all evidence of past climate change. ...
CFL Sales Plummeting in the US--Right When they Could Help Most
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 09.28.09
Image via Cleaner Greentechnica
It's literally one of the cheapest, easiest things you can do to save energy and reduce your carbon footprint. Your lightbulb burns out, you go to the store, and you buy a Compact Fluorescent Light bulb to replace it. These can cost as low as $2 now, they last some 7 times longer than normal bulbs, and they use less energy--saving you money on your electric bills. But we know all that. So why aren't we buying them? Sales for CFLs are plummeting--in some states, they're down as much as 50%. What's going on?...
Bottled Water Giant Nestle Coming to Most Threatened River Delta in America?
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 09.28.09
Image via: CanonFire09 on Flickr.com
That's right, reports the Sacramento News & Review, - Nestle Waters North America has pulled out of its bid to get water from McCloud, near Mt. Shasta and instead is setting up shop in Sacramento. We reported just this year that this area is the #1 most threatened river basin, so why would a water bottling company come here of all places? Is there anything you can do? Click through the jump to find out more....
Readers, Send Us Photos of Your Indoor Composting Bin or System!
by Emma Grady, New York, NY on 09.28.09
Indoor compost system in a New York City apartment. Credit canarsiebk / CC
Is the throne of your home a composting toilet? Did you invest in NatureMill's hot composter and divert pounds of meat, dairy, and fish from the landfill? Do you name the worms in your vermicomposting system as your only pets? Do you freeze your food scraps and compost them at your local farmers market? Prove it! We want to see photos of your indoor composting system -- whether it's a can-o-worms or bin -- and if it's still on your to-do list check out Collin's post Compost: How to Make It, Bins, Piles and More. Click through for details and see the potential for your photo in past Readers' Slideshows. ...
NASA Uses Lotus Leaf As Inspiration for Space Gear Dust-Repellent
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 09.28.09
Photo via tanakawho
NASA is taking a hint from biomimicry and looking at lotus leaves for inspiration for a special coating that will prevent particles from sticking to surfaces of spaceflight equipment. The many tiny spikes covering the surface of the leaf are idea for minimizing the amount of surface area where dust and other matter can accumulate. It's this same idea that NASA is hoping to recreate in transparent form, so it can cover everything from space suits to robotic vehicles in a dust repellent coating....
The Green Future of Mercedes-Benz
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 09.28.09
(Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of Daimler AG. And yes, there are people in those bubbles. Image: Jacob Gordon)Here in the US, Daimer AG (umbrella company to Mercedes-Benz and Smart) hasn't done much to sell itself as a green brand. But after spending the better part of a week in Germany, talking with some of Daimler's top brass and taking in the Frankfurt auto show, it's clear to me there's a lot to discuss. The Mercedes-Benz brand is being steered towards a vision of zero emissions by way of an array of next-generation technologies. Hydrogen fuel cells, hybrids, plug-ins, battery electrics, and clean diesel engines are all getting heavy investment from the luxury car maker. The next few years will see some dramatic products offerings from the Mercedes-Benz and Smart lines. Here's a quick overview of the green car goings on over at Daimler....
Resource Overconsumption Not Population Growth the Real Environmental Problem: Fred Pearce
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09.28.09
photo: Gamerscoreblog.com via flickr.
Every time I write about overpopulation it's like poking the proverbial hornet's nest: Nothing, and I mean nothing, evokes as visceral responses as suggesting people have fewer children. Well, in a new piece for New Scientist, Fred Pearce asserts that population growth is taking care of itself -- the real problem is overconsumption of natural resources:...
Pininfarina-Bolloré Bluecar EV Confirmed for June 2010
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 09.28.09
Photo: Photo: Pininfarina/Bolloré
Some News on the European Electric Car
The Bluecar electric vehicle by Pininfarina and Bolloré (which used to be called the B0) has proved fairly popular for a car that can't be bought yet. Back in April, Pininfarina claimed that it had received 3,300 reservations, and that number now stands at 6,400. ...
Superior Islands: Ontario's Largest Conservation Project Will Protect 4,700 acres
by Jeff Kart, Bay City, MIchigan on 09.28.09
Credit: TNC/John Andersen
The Wilson Island group spans 4,700 acres in Lake Superior. It's a place where peregrine falcons and bald eagles nest in high cliffs, and rare plants like Mountain Fir-moss and Northern Woodsia fern are supported by rare coastal wetlands and forests.
Wouldn't at least some of the eight islands make a great place for summer homes for big city folks? Don't worry, the islands have just been protected by The Nature Conservancy in the United States and its counterpart in Canada, in the largest conservation project (dollar-wise) that's ever been completed in Ontario....
Half of All Animal Species Will Be Extinct in Your Lifetime, Unless Emissions Peak by 2020
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 09.28.09
photo: Lisamarie Babik via flickr.
And just when you thought things couldn't get worse... The UK's Met Office has just released a new assessment of how much temperatures will rise by 2100 if greenhouse gas emissions go unchecked and it's really not pretty. Without strong curbs on emissions global average temperature rise could exceed 4°C by the end of the century, with some areas seeing much, much higher increases:...
Nasty Fanged Frog Eats Birds, Brawls With Other Frogs
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 09.28.09
Photo via the WWF
When 163 new species were recently discovered in areas surrounding the Mekong in Southeast Asia, one particular animal caught scientists' eye. It's called the Khorat big-mouthed frog--and boasting a set of fangs, a taste for birds, and a bad habit of brawling with other frogs (sometimes even severing each others' arms and legs), this is one feisty amphibian. ...
New Biomimicry in Digital Security - Ants Swarm to Protect Computers
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 09.28.09
Photo via Axel Rouvin
We have viruses and worms that infect our computers, reflections of nature in our digital world that are anything but pleasant. Now we might get another dash of nature in our computers, this time coming to the rescue. Computer security experts are devising ways to protect our computers by mimicking ants and how they swarm when defending their turf. ...
Jamie Oliver Goes Carbon Neutral: Is This Still News?
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 09.28.09
Image credit: Jamie Oliver
I just received a press release telling me that Jamie Oliver's latest series is carbon neutral. It made me feel nostalgic. There was a time when TreeHugger was full of posts about this company or that celebrity going 'carbon neutral' through offsets. From 'carbon free' light bulbs to carbon offset beer, atoning for your green sins was once as easy as signing a check. But things have died down somewhat. Sure, computers offsetting their own emissions is still news, as are in-airport offset kiosks, but gone are the days when a company could get tonnes of press just for offsetting their CO2. So what's happened? ...
Margaret Atwood's Year of the Flood Tour: This Ain't Your Usual Book Launch
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.28.09
Lloyd Alter
Waaay up there on the podium of Saint James Cathedral in Toronto, pretty in pink, is Margaret Atwood, who filled the house for what is called a book launch, but is really a performance piece. The book is turned into drama, with Atwood as the narrator; a choir sings. The place is packed with acolytes.
At every stop of the Year of the Flood tour, admission and fundraising goes to local green charities; tonight is to Nature Canada. In the States, it will go to Farm Forward, the American Bird Conservancy, Oceana and WildEarth Guardians....
Just What We Needed Dept: WowBacon
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.28.09
Mark Bittman, Food columnist for the New York Times, describes what he needs in a kitchen: "A stove, a sink, a refrigerator, some pots and pans, a knife and some serving spoons,All else is optional." Yet people keep producing single-function thingies that are rarely used and take up so much space that kitchens have ballooned in size to accommodate them all. (the Unclutterer calls them Unitaskers and just got around to covering our favorite Butter Cutter)
In honor of Yom Kippur, a day where one doesn't eat anything, let alone bacon, I present the WowBacon, a device that does nothing but drape bacon over a vertical divider so that you can nuke it into crispy submission.
But wait, there's more!...
Eco-Luxe Expo: FEED Project's Lauren Bush, Pink Vespas, Electric Bikes, Beauty Products, and More (Slideshow)
by Emma Grady, New York, NY on 09.28.09
Lauren Bush with a FEED bag at Eco-Luxe media event. Credit: Emma Grady
Go Green Expo premiered Eco-Luxe --an all media event showcasing upscale products and services -- this past week at Rouge Tomate in New York City. Eco-celebs Lauren Bush, model and CEO FEED Projects --which benefits the United Nations World Food Program's (WFP) -- Mariel Hemingway, actress and activist, and Real Housewives of New York's Jill Zarin were on hand to kick off the night. Click through for a pink vespa, green fashion, upscale beauty products -- TATCHme, Duchess Marden, Tracie Martyn -- and other event highlights.
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The Power Monitor: Top Tools for Watching Your Home Energy Use
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 09.28.09
Photo via unimatrixZxero
You can reduce electricity use by 15 percent without trying. Sound too good to be true? It isn't. For those consumers using power monitors, this these are typical reductions. Just by being aware of where and when electricity is used, you're far more likely to off a few devices or flipping a few light switches that might have been left on before, and can make a big dent in their energy consumption. IBM just solidified this statistic with their recent smart meter pilot program, and those households who really put in the effort showed as much as a 40% reduction on energy use. When looking at ways to monitor the energy consumption in a home, power monitors fit in three big buckets: checking the consumption of single devices or appliances, monitoring the energy use of a whole house, and online dashboards that link up with utility companies as part of a smart grid. The steady advance of smart grid technologies will bring more and more user-friendly options to the table. But for now, here are the three umbrella categories, and a few of the top tools under each that are helping people shrink the amount of electricity they use.
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Only Three More Days To Vote in the Chain of Eco-Homes Competition
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.28.09
Root/Breathe/Endure
I have been spending some time admiring the work submitted for the Greensburg Eco-Home competition; there is some lovely stuff. But there are also some seriously good ideas for green design that are worth looking at; many competitors have worked hard at resolving issues of natural ventilation and passive solar design. Public voting is open until the 30th, so get in and vote. The jurors are going to have a very tough time.
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Transformations Seating: Designed for Deconstruction and Repair
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.28.09
If you really want to talk sustainability, you have to look at not only how something is made and what it is made of, but is it easily repairable? Will it last? Transformations builds furniture for the hospitality and education fields that is built solidly (that frame is guaranteed for thirty-five years) but what is more important, the whole chair is designed to pull apart easily so that fabric or foam can be replaced on site. In minutes. It gives new meaning to the word "Renewable."...
Grow Your Own Meat in Electrolux Design Lab Winner
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.28.09
The Electrolux Design Lab competition always yields interesting results; this year competing industrial design students were asked to look way into the future, creating "Designs for the next 90 years." Swedish design student Rickard Hederstierna took the top prize (€ 5000 and a six month paid internship) for Cocoon. He envisions a future where we grow our meat much like we make popcorn in a microwave....
Do You Buy Green or Cheap?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.28.09
Sami rants that Green Doesn't (Always) Come Cheap and notes that we get a lot of complaints whenever we show the green, organic handmade baby and kids stuff that costs five times as much as the offshored Wal-Mart equivalent. He asks "isn't cheap and ubiquitous what got us into this mess?"
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"Passive" Heating and Cooling Is a Misnomer. It's Active.
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.28.09
Old buildings and communities are so important to us because we have to relearn how to design cities like they were before cars, and buildings like they were before there was air conditioning and cheap fuel. Carl Elefante is Director of Sustainable Design at Quinn Evans Architects; He spoke at the Heritage Canada Conference about Old Buildings in an Age of Environmental Crisis. Elefante noted traditional systems of natural ventilation were anything but "passive"- they required the active involvement of the occupants, in opening and closing windows, shades, cranking out awnings and using other simple technologies....
Ask Pablo: Is Nuclear Power Really "Carbon Neutral?"
by Pablo Paster, San Francisco on 09.28.09
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
Dear Pablo: Too often I hear politicians, lobbyists, and others advocating for nuclear power, but doesn't the processing of the fuel take a huge amount of energy? So how can they call it carbon neutral? The short answer is that nuclear energy is not "carbon neutral." Wind and solar can also not be said to be entirely without greenhouse gas emissions. But with truly renewable energy sources such as solar and wind we are talking about a one-time "investment" of greenhouse gas emissions when the solar panels or windmills are built. The energy payback period for solar panels is less than two years according to some sources, and even less for wind....London Design Festival Features Far-Out Furniture
by Bonnie Alter, London on 09.28.09
The London Design Festival always has an exciting show of furniture. Over in London's edgy east end, Tent London is a huge venue covering 2 floors of a former brewery. It specialises in forward-thinking and often more innovative design.
A collaborative enterprise, New British Design, was having its debut there. It will be promoting new furniture design and products. They will be choosing designers and working with them to develop their work. This gives young and up and coming designers an entry into the field.
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Mario Van Peebles Turns His Home "Baadasssss" Green
by Roberta Cruger, Los Angeles on 09.27.09
Video: Bad News and Trash Prevade Pacific Gyre
by David Friedlander, New York City on 09.27.09
Happy New Fiscal Year: U.S. EPA Wins Big, with 33 Percent Funding Increase from Senate
by Jeff Kart, Bay City, MIchigan on 09.27.09
Credit: foxypar4 via Flickr.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is thumping its chest after receiving a 33 percent funding increase from the Senate. Cities and counties would benefit from grants to improve aging water and sewer systems.
The Senate approved the extra money as part of a $32 billion appropriations bill. The new fiscal year begins Oct. 1....
Chasing Orchids and Fireflies in Central Colorado
by Jennifer Hattam, Istanbul, Turkey on 09.27.09
After decades of use, Filoha Meadows in central Colorado is being allowed to return to its natural state. Photo by Jennifer Hattam.
A refuge for the Ute Indians and a transit corridor for the marble quarried for the Washington Monument, Filoha Meadows in central Colorado has been used as farmland, an arthritic retreat center, and a movie set. Developers eyed it to build 15,000 square-foot homes, while others envisioned the entire area under the waters of a dam. But people seeking to preserve the meadow as open space were the ones who succeeded--even though they didn't even really know what they had there....
James Hansen, In His Own Words
by Daniel Kessler, San Francisco, California on 09.27.09
Photo via Flickr
Dr. James Hansen--scientist, father, grandfather, and activist--is often called the "grandfather of climate change science," although he eschews the moniker. In the 1970s and 80s, his advanced climate modeling and impassioned pleas for action brought the issue of global warming to the forefront, but since then too little has been done to slow our emissions. Hansen recently sat down with the Earth Island Institute for a taped interview to discuss his legacy and the prospects for a climate bill this year....
eco Bella Bello's Kids Graphic Tees: Visit Hamsterdam and Los Antelope in Spring 2010 Preview
by Emma Grady, New York, NY on 09.27.09
eco Bella Bello's organic cotton 'Los Antelope, California' tee. Credit: eco Bella Bello
The designers behind Everlasting Hope are outfitting youngsters in certified organic fabrics come Spring/Summer 2010 with eco Bella Bello -- a collection of kid-sized graphic tees. View a preview of the cute and catchy organic-cotton tees, after the jump. ...
Gorillas in the Streets of London
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 09.27.09
Sad gorillas, mad gorillas, crazy pirate gorillas, all running through the streets of London. What is going on? It is the annual Great Gorilla Run, sponsored by The Gorilla Organization. Here is the sad thing though: there were almost as many runners costumed as gorillas in London this weekend as there are mountain gorillas left in the wild.
Click the extended to see the best photos and learn seven ways The Gorilla Organization is working to help gorillas survive in the wild.
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Terra Plana's Most Sustainable Shoes to Date: Barack and Biden
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 09.27.09
Image credit: Terra Plana
Since the very beginnings of TreeHugger, we've been crazy about Terra Plana's sustainable shoes. From reusing shoe lasts to creating 99% recycled Worn Again sneakers and bags from reclaimed materials, Terra Plana are known for going a step beyond your usual green footwear company. They're latest effort is, they say, their greenest to date - and they seem to be wearing their political hearts on their,errm, feet with their choice of name....
Elegant Roots: Green Doesn't (Always) Come Cheap
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 09.27.09
Image credit: Elegant Roots
Whenever we post on the more luxury end of green items - whether it's Arms & Barnes reclaimed furniture or expensive electric cars - we always get hit with comments complaining that most folks can't afford to live like that. So I must admit that posting on Elegant Roots' sustainably made kids clothing and toys has me a little worried - $59 for an 'organic' penguin is likely to get some folks' backs up. But isn't cheap and ubiquitous what got us into this mess? ...
Spring 2010 Fashion Preview: Everlasting Hope's Jumpsuit Shorts, T-Shirt Dresses, and More
by Emma Grady, New York, NY on 09.27.09
Everlasting Hope Spring 2010 - Organic Cotton t-shirt dress. Credit Everlasting Hope
Having just warmed up to my Autumn staple -- the blazer -- I'm wishing I could spring ahead to Spring/Summer 2010 fashion for Everlasting Hope's collection of casual and comfortable t-shirt dresses, pleated shorts, jumpsuit shorts, cropped skinny jeans, and more. The ethical Brooklyn-based clothing brand works with sustainable and certified organic fabrics to create garments made in fair-trade factories without compromising their trendy-modern aesthetic. ...
