- 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 November 8, 2009 - November 14, 2009
Total this week: 222
Asian Pacific Countries Backslide On Emissions Cuts Pledge
by Daniel Kessler, San Francisco, California on 11.14.09
Photo via Reuters
With about month left until the international climate negotiations in Copenhagen, Asian Pacific countries gathering in Singapore this weekend are backing off their pledge to cut emissions by 50 percent by 2050. Their new language reads: "We believe that global emissions will need to peak over the next few years, and be substantially reduced by 2050, recognizing that the timeframe for peaking will be longer in developing economies."
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Coral Attacks! Caught Eating Jellyfish for 1st Time (PHOTOS)
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 11.14.09
Photo via the BBC
Just for a moment, let's forget about the raging climate policy debates, unfortunate deforestation news, and other world woes--and turn to something everyone can appreciate. And that, of course, is weird nature stuff. Above, observe--for the first time in recorded history--coral chowing down on a jellyfish. ...
Nightlife Made Sustainable: Street Lights That Match Evening Sensitivities Save Considerable Energy
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 11.14.09
Before - Typical HPS street lighting, not optimized for ocular sensitivity and energy savings. Image credit: Mesopic Street Lighting Demonstration and Evaluation Final Report, for Groton Utilities, Groton, Connecticut. (pdf)
I'm not really sure this is going to work out. Aesthetic sensibilities of the suburban class you know. Regardless it's a very clever and praiseworthy effort to make the city nightlife more sustainable. Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), realizing that the human eye is most sensitive at night to the right end of the ROYGBIV spectral band, have figured out that street light bulbs, redesigned to match that highest of nighttime sensitivities, will save considerable energy: enough to prevent the emission equivalent of over a half-million tons of C02 per year in the USA. If implemented, it will make greener the Goth subculture...
Fair Trade Gift Guide Offers More Than Chocolate
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 11.14.09
There's more to fair trade gifts than tote bags re-constructed from rice bags (as cute as they may be) or coffee, tea and chocolate (as delicious as they are). True, they're more difficult to find, but once you do, you'll discover clothing that doesn't look or feel like a burlap sack, toys that are actually appealing to play with and perfect-presents-for-foodies that extend beyond the typical and tired choco-treats. Not convinced? ...
From the Forums: Will We Have Enough Food in 2050?
by Alex Davies, New York City on 11.14.09
Image Credit: Kevin Lallier via Flickr
hillsidedigger writes:
FAO says "global food output will have to increase by 70 percent to feed a projected population of 9.1 billion in 2050. To achieve that, poor countries will need $44 billion in annual agricultural aid, compared with the current $7.9 billion, to increase access to irrigation systems, modern machinery, seeds and fertilizer as well as build roads and train farmers." It's seems quite clear to me that far less food will be grown in 2050 than now. Machinery, fertilizers, foreign seeds and irrigation systems defeat the purpose of learning to farm the most productive way, that is, with time tested methods and seeds appropriate for individual localities.So is future food production in major trouble? Join the conversation....
Green Babies Flagship Store Opens Today in Nyack, NY - SALE 25% Off
by Emma Grady, New York, NY on 11.14.09
Credit: Green Babies
Green Babies, an online retailer of organic cotton baby clothes, has officially opened their flagship store in Nyack, New York (10 Piermont Avenue). Lynda Fassa, a former Ford model, Author, and Planet Green's family and baby expert--read the interview, here--grew the business venture out of her New York City apartment in 1994, after recognizing a need for safe toys, clothes, and body care items. Click through to find out what's in store for Green Babies.
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Homemade Bone Meal: A Partial Solution to Peak Phosphate?
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 11.14.09
Image credit: Asymmetric
A looming peak oil crisis isn't the only thing we have to worry about. Jeremy has already noted that the world could be facing a severe phosphorus shortage over the coming century, a shortage that would seriously curtail our ability to grow food. (Phosphorus is a vital plant nutrient used as fertilizer.) Warren has already pointed out that recycling human urine could help preserve this precious resource, a task that's easy enough for the home gardener. But what other measures can we take at home to keep the phosphrous in our gardens? It turns out that part of the answer may lay in the bones. (The other part may lie in leaving the bones well alone.)...
Awesome Recumbent Folding Trike Video
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 11.14.09
Image credit: Greenspeed
As the former owner of a Brompton folding bike, I know how convenient a human-powered vehicle that packs up small can be. But while the Brompton was great for commutes, it wasn't the finest touring bike in the world. So imagine my intrigue when I came across a folding recumbent trike. And then I saw a video of this thing doing some serious downhill action, and I fell in love....
Meet the Five Almost-Endangered Species of 2009
by Jeff Kart, Bay City, MIchigan on 11.14.09
This is a list you don't want to be on. Unless, maybe, you're hoping for some government help.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is out with its annual list of proposed candidate species, or "candidate notice of review." That is, plants and animals that the agency says may be designated as endangered unless conservation measures are taken to protect them....
Fresh Photos of Fresh Kills: A Landfill Transformed
by Jennifer Hattam, Istanbul, Turkey on 11.14.09
The Fresh Kills mound. Photo by Nathan Kensinger.
When New York City decided to turn its 4.6-square-mile Fresh Kills landfill into a recreational nature area three times the size of Central Park, city officials touted it as "the park project of our time." That's a lot of hype to live up to, but eight years after the landfill closed, some new images by a local photographer indeed show a radically transformed landscape....
FDA Backs Off On Plan to Ban Some Gulf Oysters
by Daniel Kessler, San Francisco, California on 11.14.09
photo: The Nature Conservancy
The Food and Drug Administration announced today that it will back off on its plan to ban as of 2011 the sale of raw oysters from the Gulf Coast during part of the year because they have been linked with about a dozen annual deaths from poisoning. The move met stiff resistance from oysterman and foodies who say that frozen oysters are no substitute and that the ban will ruin a cultural tradition. ...
A Conversation with 7 Planning Directors: Theft is a Good Thing!
by Bonnie Hulkower, New York, New York on 11.13.09
(from left to right) Gabriel Metcalf, John Rahaim, Diane Sugimura, Amanda Burden, Brent Toderian, Bill Anderson, Barbara Sporlein & Susan Anderson.
photo via Street'sblog San Francisco's Michael Rhodes
Planning Directors from 7 forward thinking cities got together in San Francisco last week to share ideas and answer questions from an eager audience. The room was packed with 200 attendees, double the amount expected, with standing room only for many. SPUR and the San Francisco Planning Department co-hosted the panel of planning directors in town for the Urban Land Institute Expo. The directors hailed from San Francisco, New York, Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, Minneapolis, and San Diego. Planning directors oversee diverse arenas from public health to transportation, but most of the directors specifically highlighted environmental goals in their remarks. ...
Study Shows Investing in Nature More Valuable than Gold (Literally)
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 11.13.09
Photo via Corbis
If 'moral prerogative' isn't reason enough to invest in protecting nature, here's another one: it's just been found to bring up to hundredfold return on capital. Yes, that's a potential 10000% gain--better than an investment in gold. According to a new study called The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB), putting money into protecting wetlands, coral reefs, and forests could be the best financial move one could ever make.
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World's Deepest Living Fish Caught On Camera
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 11.13.09
Close up of a dead snail fish--its deeper-living relatives were caught on camera
A species of snail fish--the deepest living fish in the world--have been captured on camera in the southern hemisphere for the first time. These strange, pink-bodied fish were photographed at a stunning depth of 24,800 feet in the Kermadec Trench off the coast of New Zealand. See photos and video of the bizarre deep sea fish in action after the jump.
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Enter the Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge Today
by David DeFranza on 11.13.09
Image credit: The Sierra Club/Flickr
Right now, students from kindergarten to eighth grade can enter the Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge.
The challenge encourages young students to confront the problems in their lives and neighborhoods and to share the solutions they discover with other participants around the country. There's the opportunity to learn. There's the opportunity to take action. In the end, students might even change the world....
Join Erin Brockovich and the Million Baby Crawl
by David DeFranza on 11.13.09
America Recycles Day: The Value Of Proper E-Waste Recycling
by Wes Muir, Waste Management, Inc. on 11.13.09
Curbside TV trash. Image credit:PhillyNewsBlog, Scene On The Road, T. Gralish.
This Sunday, November 15th, marks the 12th annual America Recycles Day, a nationally recognized day for Americans to recycle and purchase recycled products. While the global waste stream continues to grow, current trends indicate that electronic waste (e-waste) is the fastest growing commodity within the waste stream. In fact, volumes are growing at more than three times the rate of other wastes and have doubled in the last decade....
Attitudes Toward Genetically Modified Foods are Changing, According to World's Largest Purveyor of GMOs
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 11.13.09
Soybeans are one of the world's most genetically modified crops. Photo credit: Clearly Ambiguous via Flickr
Food security is becoming a bigger and bigger part of the global food discussion, and for good reason -- it's a big challenge that's only going to continue to grow, and there's even a dedicated conference for it next week.
As the understanding of the problem grows, attitudes toward genetically modified crops -- perceived to be part of the solution to some -- are changing, and changing for the better, according to Dr. Harvey Glick. He's the director of research for Monsanto, the world's largest purveyor of genetically modified foods. Curious....
Streetlights of the Future to be Powered by Trash
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 11.13.09
It's an idea that just seems to make a certain amount of sense: cities need streetlights, and cities need places for people to throw away their trash. Streetlights, which must stay on all night (unless they're these nifty sensor controlled ones), are a pretty sizable energy drain. But what would happen if all those people could toss their garbage into bins attached to a new kind of streetlight that could use it as fuel? And that's what we have here today. Introducing: the trash-powered street lamp....
From the Forums: How to Bring Light to Rural India?
by Alex Davies, New York City on 11.13.09
Image Credit: DrBacchus via Flickr
parkashone writes:
According to Indyalive's managing director, only 19 percent of rural areas in India have electricity. The rest use foul-smelling kerosene lamps to light their huts, which pollute, provide little light and are major fire hazards...As in any non-electrified society, life is defined by the sun; little is accomplished once it sets. With children helping out with chores during daytime, it leaves little chance for them to study from reading lamps.What are your thoughts? Have any ideas to bring better lamps to rural India? Join the conversation....
US Considers Scaled-Back Climate Deal - Congressional Inaction Holds Up Global Commitment
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 11.13.09
photo: blakeimeson via flickr.
I have to admit there are some days when I have trouble holding back my frustration following the painful progress of the climate change negotiations, and this is one of those times. The Washington Post reports that the Obama administration is looking at endorsing a short-term climate pact and pushing off stronger action until next year. Essentially because Congress can't get off its delaying, half-measured haunches, pull its head out of the the political sand, and do what science says is required to, well, not destroy the climate for us and future generations:...
Scientists Develop Rot-Proof Apple that Stays Fresh for 4 Months
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 11.13.09
Photo credit: Abhijit Tembhekar via Flickr
Scientists in Australia have developed an apple that won't rot. Or, won't rot for a long, long time. The delicious-sounding RS103-130 apple is a rare cross-breed 20 years in the making, cooked up by researchers at Australia's Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries. They claim the shiny red apples will stay fresh, delicious, and crispy for four months. But, wait; aren't things like apples supposed to rot?...
Malin Ackerman Volunteers for the NRDC, Kate Walsh Swims with Sea Turtles, and More (Video)
by Emma Grady, New York, NY on 11.13.09
Malin Ackerman's--most recognizable for her roles in The Heartbreak Kid, Watchmen, and Couples Retreat--expanding green conscience to Kate Walsh's swim with sea turtles in support of Oceana--click through for the video--and Emily Deschanel, who brought factory farming footage to Fox, a lot happened this week in green celebrity news. ...
Getting The Awful, Yet Practically Essential Lead Out of Gadgets
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 11.13.09
Lead ingots via Wikipedia
Lead is unfortunately an important component in electronics, especially when it comes to piezoelectronics. We're mostly familiar with piezoelectricity when it comes to concept devices - things that can generate a charge based on pressure being applied to them. But it is used in a lot of common gadgets, such as phones with touch screens. But the best compounds for piezoelectricity are lead-based, and lead is something we all want to see phased out of electronics. Researchers are now working on how to get lead out of gadgets, and have found one promising replacement for the dangerous metal. ...
Recycling is Bullsh*t Redux: Let's Declare Nov. 15 Buy Nothing Disposable Day.
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11.13.09
We said it last year: Lets call recycling what it is- a fraud, a sham, a scam perpetrated by big business on the citizens and municipalities of America. A method of getting citizens to pick up corporate waste and for our towns and cities to get stuck with trying to sell the stuff. And lets call America Recycles Day what it is- a marketing ploy by the biggest producers of garbage to make us pick up their crap.
And what a change in a year. The National Recycling Coalition is virtually bankrupt and recyclables are piling up in warehouses around the country because nobody wants them, or they are being sold for far less than the cost to taxpayers to pick it all up. All so the main sponsors of America Recycles day, Nestle waters and the American Chemistry Council, (which never saw a toxic disposable chemical it didn't love) can keep making us feel good about picking up their garbage and storing it for them.
Enough. It is time to celebrate Buy Nothing Disposable Day....
10 Points to Remember for a Successful COP15 Agreement
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 11.13.09
photo: Aidan Jones via flickr.
With all the conflicting and changing national pledges on the table for COP15, it's very easy for someone not closely following this to lose sight of what really needs to happen. In case you one of those people that can't rattle off the components of a WWF has a quick ten-point overview that's worthwhile checking out: ...
Dump Fossil Fuels, Get a Girlfriend, With Facebook App
by Jeff Kart, Bay City, MIchigan on 11.13.09
Credit: Screenshot from www.acespace.org.
If you know how to type your name, and think we need to break our addiction to fossil fuels, you can get a girlfriend and help the environment.
The girlfriend is virtual, but the environment part is real.
There's a Facebook app out that takes your name and sprinkles it throughout a hip hop video on Crush Global Warming.
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Cap and Trade Works: Europe to Hit Kyoto Targets with Ease
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 11.13.09
Photo via Greenpacks
Well, so much for the truckloads of naysayers that have lambasted the EU's carbon trading system over the years--Europe is set to easily meet the emissions reduction goals set by the Kyoto Protocol. You know, that treaty the US helped draft and then never signed, saying it would leave our economy in shambles and that it gave China unfair advantages? Yeah, that one. Europe has successfully cut emissions, grown its economy, and seen a huge surge in renewable energy development. Thanks in part to none other than a cap and trade system....
Saudi 'Solution' to Traffic Jams: No Foreign Drivers
by Jennifer Hattam, Istanbul, Turkey on 11.13.09
Some 86 percent of Saudis have cars. Photo of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, via Ar-Riyadh Development Authority.
From instituting traffic calming measures to building metrobus systems, there are plenty of ways to ease congestion on the roads. But radio listeners in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, think they have a better idea: Keep foreigners and the elderly from driving....
Grass-Covered Computer Mouse (...and Cell Phone, and Car, and...)
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 11.13.09
Image via Hanaoka
Is this the new wave of accessories to go along with all the bamboo-covered computer devices on the market? Japanese artist Hanaoka likes to cover stuff in grass, including this interesting-looking computer mouse. But it's not the only thing Hanaoka likes to cover in grass (-imitating substances). ...
US Record High Temperatures Double Record Lows Over Past Decade
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 11.13.09
photo: Mr. T in DC via flickr.
Striking one against the 'it's so cold outside that global warming must be a myth' crowd comes this next piece, via Science Codex. Research to be published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters shows that over the past decade the number of record hot days has been double the number of record cold days:...
Awesome Art for Green Geeks - Mona Lisa Made of Motherboards
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 11.13.09
Photo via Sebr
Give it up for recycled art. This Mona Lisa is in the lobby of the headquarters of ASUS in Peitou, Taiwan. It looks like a photomosaic, but the pixilated Mona Lisa is a bit more geeky than that. Check out more photos after the jump....
Eating Animals, Or What Not to Eat on Thanksgiving
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 11.13.09
Eating Animals, the new book by Jonathan Safran Foer (of Everything is Illuminated and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close fame) takes a look at what it actually means to give up meat, take it out of our vocab and eliminate it from our most Nigel Barker on Saving the Seals, Haiti's Hunger Crisis, and Green Fashion (Video)
by Emma Grady, New York, NY on 11.13.09
Voices from Hopenhagen: Paul Shapiro
by Guest on 11.13.09
Editor's note: This guest post was written by Paul Shapiro, senior director of the Humane Society of the United States' factory farming campaign.
Reducing our Global Food-Print
When we think about minimizing our contributions to climate change, we may consider switching our light bulbs, driving less, buying local, and more. These are all important and laudable ways to reduce our carbon footprint, but, as Washington Post columnist Ezra Klein notes, "there's no reason to ignore the impact of what we put on our plates." In other words, changing these habits is no excuse for ignoring what's arguably the most important lifestyle choice we can make: reducing our food-print simply by eating lower on the food chain....
"Unplug" Painting Gives Us a Much Needed Reminder
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 11.13.09
It's Friday and it's time to do two things. First, look at pretty art work. And second, follow the message in the artwork. And we have a perfect item that helps you accomplish both things. The image of the whole poster is too tall to fit here, so you'll have to click through to see the whole thing. But it's definitely worth it. Something about it is entirely calming, and the message is important.
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From the Forums: Beekeeping: From Hobby to Cash Cow
by Alex Davies, New York City on 11.13.09
Image Credit: wohack via Flickr
SgtMajor has a dilemma:
It's time for a career change for me, and after much consideration we decided to take my beekeeping to a commercial level and start a commercial, migratory pollination beekeeping business. Yeah, I know, I said I'd never use bees to make money, and now I'm going back on that word, but let me explain a bit of my reasoning. Yes I know that hauling bees for hundreds of miles to pollinate various crops is not the greenest thing in the world, but neither is what I do now (work for a large private defense contractor)...I also have both the know-how and desire to do this in a more natural and eco-friendly manner than is currently the norm.What do you think? Is SgtMajor going back on his word, or is the new career the better move? Join the conversation. Interested in beekeeping? Click here to learn more....
Un-TreeHugger: Automatic Soap Dispenser for Homes
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 11.13.09
Photo via Unplggd
Sure, sure, there are concerns about swine flu and all sorts of illnesses being spread around right now. And when it comes to public bathrooms, automatic soap dispensers make sense to keep germ-y hands from touching anything before being washed. However, in homes? Simplehuman sensor soap pump is anything but a practical solution for your bathroom....
Bluefin Tuna: On the Verge of Collapse...Or Not?
by Naturally Savvy on 11.13.09
Scientists don't quite agree on whether bluefin tuna, pictured above, is on the verge of collapse. Photo by Jose Cort courtesy of the NOAA.
Bluefin tuna is on the verge of total collapse. Maybe. It depends on who you ask. We may have been talking about bluefin tuna shortages for years, but many scientists and conservation bodies are now sounding panicked.
This week, the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) is meeting in Brazil to review population and fishing data, and set quota recommendations for the coming year. ...
Crop Mob One Year On: NC Land 'Raids' Continue
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 11.13.09
Image credit: Crop Mob
News of a large group of landless young people invading a farm tends to bring images of revolution. And NC-based Crop Mob does indeed have revolution in mind, but the group's methods are more about giving than taking. As I noted in my original post on Crop Mob, the organization is part of a wider resurgence of young people taking up farming. It was borne out of a discussion group on the problems facing young farmers, but rather than sit around talking about challenges, the group decided it was better off getting things done. So, armed with hoes, shovels, wheelbarrows, and bucket-loads of good will, the Mob has been descending on local farms to offer a helping hand. And after a full year of Mobbing, the idea is spreading.
(Usual Disclaimer/Declaration of Bias: As always, when I write about my community, I know some of the people involved and am honored to call them my friends. I try not to let that cloud my judgment, but nobody is perfect.)...
Good News/Bad News - Amazon Deforestation Reaches Record Low, But Greenland Ice Melt Accelerating
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 11.13.09
photo: kaet44 via flickr.
A mixed bag in climate change news this morning: Satellite imagery reveals that Amazon deforestation has dropped to the lowest rate since Brazil began monitoring efforts, President Inácio Lula da Silva announced yesterday afternoon. Woo hoo! But a new article in the journal Science shows that the Greenland Ice Sheet is losing mass an accelerating rate. D'oh! ...
Greenward Ridge Vent Turns Your Entire Roof Into a Solar Collector
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11.13.09
Sometimes the most impressive products at Greenbuild are the most innocuous and boring looking things; last year I thought the best of show was Agriboard, a SIP made from straw. This year I spent some time trying to figure out this ridge vent for a standard shingled roof with tubes running through it, thinking that there wasn't much surface area on it and it isn't going to do much. Then I realized that all of the heat in an attic runs through the ridge vent and this thing turns your entire roof into a solar collector.
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Green Holiday Gift Guide: The Philanthropist (Slideshow)
by Blythe Copeland, Great Neck, New York on 11.13.09
What do you give the person who has everything? You give nothing--and give to someone you've never met instead. The opportunities for charitable donations are limitless, so it's easy to find a cause that matches your philanthropist's interests; use your holiday shopping budget to support organizations working to green the music industry, promote sustainable building, protect the oceans from boating pollution, or provide education and business loans to adolescent girls in poverty-stricken countries--all in your "I don't need anything, really" recipient's name, of course. You can skip the stores and the wrapping while your money goes farther than you ever expected--and the person who has everything gets one less knick-knack to dust.
Green Gift Guide: The Philanthropist Slideshow
After getting your philanthropy fill, click on for 10 more gift-packed categories in our:
Green Holiday Gift Guide
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Smokey Robinson is Green Entrepreneur, Promoting GPS Guided Skylights
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11.13.09
Green Holiday Gift Guide: The Outdoors Enthusiast (Slideshow)
by Blythe Copeland, Great Neck, New York on 11.13.09
We can all appreciate the importance of choosing sustainable items to keep the environment pristine--but that thought will count double when you're wrapping up gifts for the outdoor weekend warrior on your list. Shoes made with minimal waste, breathable athletic gear, recycled fiber hats, and all-weather flashlights will keep their trail, sea, and surf adventures eco-friendly--and their favorite spots clean and safe.
Green Gift Guide: The Outdoors Enthusiast Slideshow
After getting your outdoors fill, click on for 10 more gift-packed categories in our:
Green Holiday Gift Guide
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Amazing Jewelry Inspired By Natural Systems (Slideshow)
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 11.13.09
Photo via Mitchell Whitelaw
Last week when we saw this amazing bracelet modeled after weather patterns in the designer's hometown, we were inspired. Created by Mitchell Whitelaw, the bracelet uses a natural system as the source for the shape, pattern and structure. What other pieces of jewelry have been created using earthly patterns and inspiration? Without having to search long, we found some incredible items!
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Can India Achieve Food Security?
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 11.13.09
Photo credit: antkriz via Flickr
The World Summit on Food Security convenes next week in Rome, and the buzz leading up to it has focused on what it will take to produce enough food to feed the world. It's an issue that sounds simple enough on the surface -- humans have been growing food and feeding themselves for millenia -- but each locale around the globe presents a unique challenge.
Factors like the climate, government, economy, culture, and food traditions all play a role, in differing levels, in each foodshed around the globe. When it comes to food security, though, a real hotspot in the 21st century is India, where Reuters continues it's extended special report. Can it achieve food security?...
How to Revive an Extinct Butterfly
by Bonnie Alter, London on 11.13.09
Image from bbc
TreeHugger was invited to a press conference by Holland & Barrett to celebrate 25 years of conservation. The UK's largest health food store chain announced that the stores will be giving up plastic bags as of the new year and customers will be sold jute and cotton carrier bags instead. Kudos to Holland & Barrett; the more stores that give up the bag the fewer bags out there to pollute the world.
Also speaking at the event was a professor who told a fascinating story about how the Large Blue Butterfly has been saved from extinction. It's like a detective story--only with botanists instead of CSI. ...
Garmin Eco-Route Add-on Turns Your GPS Into a Green-Driving Teacher
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 11.12.09
Image: Garmin
Knowledge is Power
Most of us probably don't realize that over the past few years our cars have turned into computers on wheels. There are tons of sensors everywhere, but most of that information isn't available to the driver. That's a shame, because if it was parsed through a user-intuitive interface, it could provide very useful feedback that could help people drive more efficiently (the Prius LCD effect). Well, this is exactly what Garmin is trying to do with a new add-on cable that can plug into your car's diagnostics communication port and feed that real-time data to your GPS device....
Whale Penis Leather Option Dumped by Russian Luxury Armored Car Company
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 11.12.09
Photo: Dartz
A New Kind of Penis Car For Billionaire Oligarchs with No Taste
Some companies specialize in excess. Nobody really needs a Rolls Royce, but some people feel a need for exclusivity. Other companies go ever further and attempt excessive excess, like Dartz with its Prombron Monaco Red Diamond Edition armoured car (price tag: £1 million, or $1.65 million). It comes with tons of bling, such as ridiculously hyper-expensive vodka in a flask made out of pure gold, gold-plated windows, pure tungsten exhausts, and diamond-encrusted white gold speed gauges. Totally ridiculous, but I guess if you're some billionaire oligarch with no taste, it can work. Dartz seems to have gone a bit too far with the seats, though: They wanted to make them from whale penis leather (apparently it's very soft), and this drew protest from many environmental groups....
Sesame Street's Top 10 Environmental Videos (Slideshow)
by David DeFranza on 11.12.09
Image credit: charmcitygavin/Flickr
Sesame Street, Jim Henson's educational masterpiece, has been teaching curious learners for 40 years. Among the well known songs about the alphabet and numbers were segments with strong environmental messages.
Here are ten of the best.
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Did Rock Music Peak Right Before Oil Did?
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 11.12.09
Photo via Rolling Stones Lyrics
What's the correlation between good, quality rock music and worldwide oil supplies? They both peaked around the same time, according to Overthinking It, and they both illustrate what occurs when you're using something up from a limited pool--crude oil stores in one case, and musical ideas in the other. Have we run out of both?
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Closing the Waste Management Loop: Creating Fuel From Landfill Gas
by Wes Muir, Waste Management, Inc. on 11.12.09
Obama's Trip to China: What's on the Green Agenda?
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 11.12.09
Photo via China Dialogue
Next week, Obama is taking off on his high-profile first trip to China. The meeting of the two biggest economies in the world on Chinese soil is fraught with symbolism and brimming with potential. The notoriously fickle and fragile relationship between the two nations will be under the microscope more than ever--this Washington Post piece dedicates itself to scrutinizing the very words used to describe the relationship. But of course, here at TreeHugger, we'll be watching to see what unfolds in terms of climate and energy policy--so what's on the US-China green agenda? ...
Grain Trader Calls Food Self Sufficiency Efforts "Nonsense"
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 11.12.09
The Wheeler-Evans Grain Elevator in Groom, Texas. Image credit:TexasScapes., Noel Kerns
No way a transnational company like Cargill feels its markets are threatened by the US locavore movement. How, though, do we explain a top executive at the Maryland-based grain trader stating that the notion that countries "can be self-sufficient in every single food is a nonsense". (so quoted in Financial Times) That's more of a food hyperbole than a logical argument against self sufficiency efforts. Self sufficiency politics represent a push-back against government incentives for bio-fuel production, which trade fuel-insecurity for food-insecurity.
Efforts by Asian business and government to buy and control overseas farm land and water resources are different: it is the end game choice after overpopulation, water pollution, and soil erosion from poor land management have taken their toll....
Is San Francisco Dangerous for Pedestrians?
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 11.12.09
Source: Dangerous By Design
It's the Jungle Out There!
San Francisco is definitely pedestrian-friendly in many ways compared to many cities, but being walkable doesn't always mean that it is safe. A new report by Transportation for America ranks the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont area 13th safest for walkers, based on an index that takes into account annual pedestrian deaths and the percentage of workers who commute by foot. Our friends at Streetsblog SF dug deeper and found that things are worse than they first seem: "47.7 percent of all traffic fatalities in San Francisco are pedestrians, more than four times the national average of 11.8 percent. The rate of pedestrian fatalities per 100,000 residents is 2.60 in San Francisco, 70 percent higher than the national average of 1.53."...
This is Big: U.S. Could Double Hydropower Capacity With Minimal Impact, Says Steven Chu
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 11.12.09
Photo: Wikipedia, CC
Probably a Good Place to Start
U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu said that hydropower capacity in the United States could "double with minimal impact to the environment", mostly just by installing more efficient turbines at existing hydroelectric projects or at dams without power components, increasing the use of pumped-storage projects, and encouraging the use of run-of-the-river turbines. These kind of improvements to the existing infrastructure could apparently add 70,000 MW of capacity. "We will be pushing this," Chu said at a White House forum. "We're not talking about a lot of large, new reservoirs. Just work with what we have and it's a massive amount of power."...
Eat Meat, Ditch Factory Farming, Save the Planet, says Friends of the Earth Report
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 11.12.09
Photo credit: FotoosVanRobin via Flickr
You don't have to be a vegetarian to eat green. Not only that, we can feed the fast-growing population of the planet, and slow down (and eventually stop) climate change, and stop destruction of the world's forests, all without the deleterious effects of factory farming.
So says a new report from Friends of the Earth, which lays out a model for food production and consumption that includes fair, healthy diets for the entire planet's population, and sustainable management of the planet's resources, too.
Sounds pretty good. But is it too good to be true?...
Words We Can Believe In: The Hope-ful Power of "Loft"
by Guest on 11.12.09
Image credit: The U.S. Army/Flickr
Richard Greene is a political communication strategist and host of Hollywood CLOUT! on Air America Radio. Tune in nightly for "The Air America/Treehugger Report" on Hollywood CLOUT! at 10:06 p.m. EST/7:06 p.m. PST, Monday - Thursday.
Just over one year after we worked our butts off for "Change We Can Believe In" and "Hope" we have found ourselves drowning in "Public Option," "Single Payer," and "Cap and Trade."
And Barack Obama's approval ratings plummet.
Feels like politics as usual.
More importantly, Barack Obama's "Magic" seems to be disappearing. ...
From the Forums: "Clean Coal" Is at It Again!
by Alex Davies, New York City on 11.12.09
Image Credit: j3net via Flickr
Hyrdotopia writes:
Clean Coal has realized their "Clean Coal" campaign wasn't fooling anyone so now they are going for the same self-promoted PR by presenting Bush voter-types speaking about a new coal power plant in Arkansas. They are using subtle psychological warfare tactics and trying to show themselves as the realistic ordinary middle...The subtle psychological message here, without saying it directly, is that normal people see realistic solutions and others are unrealistic environmentalists...These corporations just seem to have an inherent ethics and honesty problem. They are inherently evil. Business to them is planned corruption...Others eating the outcome and casually expected to pay for it.So is Hydrotopia right in saying that these corporations are purely evil? Or does clean coal have a place in the green movement? Join the conversation. ...
Cash for Clunkers is Ruining the Demolition Derby Industry (VIDEO)
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 11.12.09
Dhaka, Manila & Jakarta Worst Climate-Affected Asian Mega-Cities - Hits Closer to Home Than You Might Think
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 11.12.09
Jakarta, Indonesia photo: flydime via flickr.
Want to know which cities in Asia are going to get really whacked by climate change, and which ones have the greatest ability to adapt to it? Well, WWF has just released a new report that ranks 11 of them in terms of their climate vulnerability. Let's just say being a resident on Dhaka, Manila or Jakarta isn't going to be much fun towards the middle of this century and beyond:...
Green Mood Lighting for Starbucks! Switching 8,000 Stores to LEDs
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 11.12.09
Photo via PhotopediaPhotos
It's good news when a corporation like Starbucks that has outlets on every city street corner and inside the most unexpected of businesses (why is there a Starbucks in my bank lobby?) says that it is switching to LEDs. The coffee chain says that it's swapping out conventional bulbs for LEDs in 8,000 of its stores. The swap will save each store nearly 10% in electricity consumption. ...
Stunning Reclaimed Furniture with Deep Southern Roots
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 11.12.09
Furniture made from reclaimed wood, whether it be from the wild or from a collapsing warehouse, expresses the human and natural history of the region it was plucked from. Last week I wrote about Urban Woods, an LA-based furniture shop whose materials reflect the unique environs of California. This week, Garden & Gun (one of my favorite southern magazines) turned me on to Turning House Furniture, a Virginia-based company building impeccable pieces with wood reclaimed from such quintessentially southern structures as an R.J Reynolds tobacco warehouse in North Carolina and the Rip Van Winkle bourbon factory in Kentucky....
GE Ships US's First Smart Appliance, But Is It Pointless?
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 11.12.09
Image via GE
GE is shipping the first smart appliance to hit the US market. It's a water heater that can reduce energy consumption up to 62%, providing a savings of about 3,025 kWh per year. And the "smart" part comes with the fact that it can hook up to smart meters and a smart grid. But here's the downer - what meters, and what grid? ...
US Temperatures: Yup, Still Rising
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 11.12.09
Image via Climate Central
Even though many Americans don't think it's a critical problem, and that a few fact-denying loudmouths keep trying their damnedest to dominate climate news, temperatures are still indeed continuing their alarming warming trend. Climate change is still happening, and it's happening right here in the US. That's the problem with facts--no matter how loud you yell, data is still data. And the most recent data from a brand new study reveals that we're now seeing more record high temperatures and fewer lows in the US than ever before....
Sen. Graham Censured for Climate Stance
by Daniel Kessler, San Francisco, California on 11.12.09
Boreal Forests Store Twice as Much Carbon as Tropical - So Why Aren't We Doing More to Protect Them?
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 11.12.09
photo: Gabriel Legaré via flickr.
With all the focus on tropical forest conservation and the amount of carbon emissions resulting from its deforestation, are we overlooking protecting the massive amount of carbon stored in the world's boreal forests? That's the question asked in a new report, The Carbon the World Forgot [PDF] -- and consider it shows that boreal forests store on average twice as much carbon per area as do tropical forests, it's a question certainly worth asking:...
Does Our Water Really Come From Outer Space?
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 11.12.09
Photo via Maryanne Ventrice
The theory generally goes that our water is the result of chemical reactions created when our planet was in its formation stage. However, a new theory poses that our water was actually a chemical hitchhiker, finding a home on Earth after being brought here as ice on incoming meteors. And it could have been receiving just the right amount from space that sets Earth apart from our dry sister planets....
Illegal Ivory Trade on the Rise as Organized Crime Syndicates in Africa, Asia Grow in Strength
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 11.12.09
photo: Matt Rudge via flickr.
A couple weeks ago we learned that at present poaching rates Africa's elephants will all be extinct in just fifteen years. Well, here's so more on that: The wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC brings word that the illegal ivory trade has increased markedly in the latest analysis, and that organized crime networks linking Africa to Asia are behind it:...
Top Stories from Tonic: Y2K, Citta Chic, Penis Regeneration ... 'Nuff Said?
by Tonic, the "good news" site on 11.12.09
See what "good news" caught Tonic's eye this week. You won't wanna miss these hot headlines.
The Maldives aren't just for heavenly beach getaways -- they're now host to a climate change forum to kick global warming to the shore.
Art, star power and a helping hand in Nepal. Get the scoop women who are weaving their way out of poverty
Oh, goodie! An excuse to indulge. In "Chalk Another One Up for Chocolate: UV Protection," David Bois will convince you that the dark stuff is the fountain of youth.
Plan your recovery from pumpkin pie overdoses with Chaniga Vorasarun's "Black Friday Comes Early." And if mega-sales still aren't in your budget, the "Start Your Holiday Jerome Ringo, President of the Apollo Alliance
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 11.12.09
A healthy and high-tech green collar economy has been a great promise of the Obama administration. On the front lines of the fight to create green jobs and spur the economy is the Apollo Alliance, an amalgam of labor, business, and environmental groups. Jerome Ringo, President of Apollo, speaks with TreeHugger Radio about his group's "moonshot mission," the vitriol of Glenn Beck and Fox News, the resignation of Van Jones, and the role of African Americans in the climate fight. Ringo was a keynote speaker at this year's Bioneers conference, and we thank the conference organizers for helping arrange this interview. Listen to the podcast of this interview via iTunes, or just click here to listen, right-click to download. Full text is available after the jump....
Al Gore Rocks Greenbuild
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11.12.09
Al Gore was in fighting trim at Greenbuild, speaking to 28,000 people who flew in from all over the country to learn about and celebrate green design. While his presentation was a bit wooden, the content was golden:
"We still have a climate crisis, an economic crisis and a national security crisis ... they are united by the thread of dependence on carbon-based fuel, you pull that thread and the crises unravel."
...
Green Holiday Gift Guide: The Health and Wellness Guru (Slideshow)
by Blythe Copeland, Great Neck, New York on 11.12.09
We'd all like to be a little healthier--especially around the holidays, when food, drink, and merriment leave us a little less svelte. Help the health nut on your list get out of the fitness rut with natural rubber exercise gear; stay hydrated with on-the-go water filters; and ward off illness with essential oil diffusers. More of an aspiring health nut? We have soy candles, cookbooks, and purifying plants too.
Green Gift Guide: The Health and Wellness Guru Slideshow
After getting your health fill, click on for 10 more gift-packed categories in our:
Green Holiday Gift Guide
...
After (Literally) Pushing and Shoving, California Panel Votes for Major Curbs on Fishing
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 11.12.09
Photo via *clarity*
Landmark restrictions on fishing in Southern California could mean increased protection for and replenishing of marine life. A 5-member state blue-ribbon panel voted unanimously to recommend a compromise to the Fish and Game Commission that would protect 250 miles of coastline. While the vote came much to the chagrin of those supporting fishing - with pushing and shoving actually part of the debate scene - even elected officials worked to encourage the panel to vote in favor of restrictions, showing that there could be an increasing move among lawmakers towards marine conservation that would, in the long run, benefit the fishing industry.
...
Green Holiday Gift Guide: The DIY'er (Slideshow)
by Blythe Copeland, Great Neck, New York on 11.12.09
Handmade gifts come with a meaning all their own, whether you're packaging up a tin of your grandmother's famous holiday cookies or making a collage of photos from your parents' wedding day. And if you're giving to someone who has a knack for hands-on projects, from canning and sewing to woodworking and building, then choose one of the gifts in our guide for the DIY'er: They're aimed especially at those hard-to-buy for people who would rather give than get.
Green Gift Guide: The DIY'er Slideshow
After getting your do-it-yourself fill, click on for 10 more gift-packed categories in our:
Green Holiday Gift Guide
...
From the Forums: What About the SIGG Bottle Exchange?
by Alex Davies, New York City on 11.12.09
Image Credit: ensign_at_e233net via Flickr
Porter's wondering:
Has anyone received a replacement bottle through SIGG's bottle replacement program? I sent my old bottle in weeks ago and have received nothing from SIGG by email.Any know what's going on? Post here....
Green Holiday Gift Guide: The Design Junkie (Slideshow)
by Blythe Copeland, Great Neck, New York on 11.12.09
We all know at least one person who's more inclined to exclaim over how great a gift looks than how durable, usable, or sturdy it is. But sometimes you can get beauty that is more than skin-deep. The gifts in our design guide--graphic benches, custom textiles, bright pottery, and limited-edition artwork--our easy on the eye, last forever, and contain recycled or sustainable materials. So your design-lover will thank you for the look now (and for the sustainability later).
Green Gift Guide: The Design Junkie Slideshow
After getting your design fill, click on for 10 more gift-packed categories in our:
Green Holiday Gift Guide
...
Vinyl and Asphalt are Green at Greenbuild
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11.12.09
Or so they are trying to tell us. The Vinyl Institute claims that vinyl is sustainable, versatile, energy efficient and durable. They even built a website, Vinyl in design, to "familiarize architects and designers with the range of solutions vinyl provides for today's and tomorrow's design challenges."
No mention of its manufacture from chlorine and fossil fuels, Phthalate plasticizers, dioxins, recyclability, or any of the other reasons that so many green designers are trying to build without the stuff....
Friendly Aquaponics: Commercial and Home-Scale Fish and Vegetable Production
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 11.12.09
Image credit: Friendly Aquaponics
It always appeals to me when I see a business that lists, as one of its goals, to "put ourselves out of business as soon as we can" by spreading its knowledge as freely as generously as possible—especially when Leonard Nimoy is quoted as inspiration. But I suspect Friendly Aquaponics in Hawaii will be in business for some time to come. And that's no bad thing. If their website is anything to go by, their aquaponics system is one of the most impressive I've seen. ...
Charlotte Ronson, Nigel Barker, Elizabeth Olsen, and Victoria Bartlett Celebrate Humane Society's Cool vs Cruel Campaign Awards
by Emma Grady, New York, NY on 11.12.09
Humane Society President Wayne Parcelle, Designer Charlotte Ronson, Cool vs. Cruel competition winner Ingrid Bergstrom-Kendrick at the Bowery Hotel, NYC. Credit: Emma Grady
Designers Charlotte Ronson, Victoria Bartlett, Elizabeth Olsen, fashion photographer Nigel Barker, and Papermag's Mickey Boardman came out to support the Humane Society of the United States' (HSUS) 5th Annual Cool vs. Cruel awards ceremony in New York City last night. The Bowery Hotel was packed with animal lovers and celebrities alike to view the fur-free fashion designs by student finalists from the Art Institutes. Click through for photos of DJ Sam Ronson, Nigel Barker, and the finalists' fashion designs.
...
Toronto's Pearson Airport Display of Great Green Design
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11.12.09
Bonnie previously showed Toronto's Pearson Airport's Eco-Design Show in the international section of Pearson Airport. Over in the US terminal, there was an entire display that could have been ripped out of the pages of TreeHugger. Start with the model of the Canuhome, then a display of IDS09: CISTA Green Rainwater Harvesting">Moss Sund's interior vertical garden, a couple of cans of Boomerang paint, a gorgeous table from Urban Harvest and finish off with a couple of Ovopur water filters. So much good green design in one place, put there for the edification of a few travellers waiting for a plane to the States....
Best of Inhabitat: The World's Tallest Green Buildings
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 11.12.09
Photo via Inhabitat
Can you figure out which former world's tallest building lost its title to the Burj Dubai, but has now found a way to stay afloat in the battle of the superlatives by revamping itself as the world's tallest green building?
The world's tallest treehouse is 10 floors and has spiral staircases, a sanctuary, a choir loft, a basketball court and a garden with wildflowers that spell out J-E-S-U-S all commissioned (according to its builder) by the man upstairs. Can you guess what it's named?
Which city has the honor of being home to the tallest LEED certified building in the U.S.? Here's a hint - there was a very popular Tom Hanks movie in the 90s by the same name.
You may think that building with wood is archaic, but the world's tallest wooden building is currently underway today in this nordic country known for their Viking ancestors.
When completed, this dizzying vertical city near the Han River will be the tallest building in Asia and fall just short of being the tallest building in the world. Bummer.
—Written by Yuka Yoneda
Inhabitat is a weblog devoted to the future of design, tracking the innovations in technology, practices and materials that are pushing architecture and home design towards a smarter and more sustainable future. Follow us on Twitter @inhabitat or join us on Facebook....
Best of BlogHer: Green Thanksgiving, Baby Albatrosses, Energy Vampires
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 11.12.09
Photo credit: st0rmz
Frugal holidays are green holidays: 5 easy ways to keep Thanksgiving frugal
Baby albatrosses are dying as their parents unknowingly feed them our trash, and photographer Chris Jordan is documenting it in disturbing pictures.
Cheap, easy, green: Keeping your electronics efficient cuts energy-suck and energy bills.
It's time to get serious about turkey. This year, make your Thanksgiving bird local and sustainable.
Got a do-good project? 10 tips for success online and offline.
Walk, snap, win: Take great pics for a great cause in the People Powered Movement photo contest.
BlogHer is the leading participatory news, entertainment and information
network for women online. Follow us on Twitter (@Blogher), on Facebook, and at BlogHer.com....
Harvesting Fog Provides Drinking Water, Food to Peruvian Slums
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 11.12.09
Photo via Green Diary
In Lima, Peru, more than 1.3 million people have no access to drinking water. The citizens without it are in the poorest areas, where water trucked in can cost nine times as much as it does in richer areas. So, citizens have had to either make do without running water, or, with the help of a German NGO, make dew into drinking water. ...
Spring/Summer 2010: I Love Ryann
by Emma Grady, New York, NY on 11.12.09
Ryann spring/summer 2010. Image courtesy of Origin 23
Ryann, a sustainable and fair trade fashion brand based in New York, has modernized Revolutionary antebellum southern style for spring/summer 2010. Designer Raina Blyer doesn't believe in fashion trends; they lead to cheap, throw away clothing--a point we couldn't agree more on. She creates garments made with organic cotton bamboo, hemp, recycled fibers, ahimsa silk, linen, organic wool, soy fiber, and belts made with fish skin from Canadian canneries. Click through for our spring/summer 2010 preview.
...
News from Mother Jones: Health Care's Carbon Footprint
by Mother Jones on 11.12.09
Happy Thursday, TreeHuggers. Everyone knows that America spends a ton of money on health care. But it turns out we spend a lot of fossil fuels on it, too. In fact, a recent study found that a full 8 percent of our carbon emissions come from health-care-related sources. Hospitals are the biggest culprits, followed by the pharmaceutical industry.
Also on our radar this week: California's water woes. Roll over, John Steinbeck. Drought and climate change are drying up California's once fertile Central Valley. For years, Californians have fought over the state's most vital (and exploited) natural resource. Could a new package of bills end the state's epic water wars for good?
Good news for kids: Sesame Street's going green. Watch Michelle Obama help Elmo plant a vegetable garden here. Bad news for kids: Big Coal is pushing yet another creepy coloring book. Oof. Disillusioning news for kids: What's in Loch Ness? Not a giant, friendly monster, but thousands of toxic golf balls.
Plus: Are you being bamboozled by fake bamboo fabrics?
More at Motherjones.com. ...
Want Greener Clothes? Try Our 8 Tips for Less Laundry
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 11.12.09
Photos: Otto International
The German mail order company Otto Group, who quietly rival Amazon.com for their international coverage, found that simple white long-sleeved cotton shirt was responsible for 10.75 kilograms of CO2 and other greenhouses gases during its production lifecycle.
Ecotextile News has reported that the largest proportions of CO2 emissions were linked to the consumer use phase, i.e.: washing, drying and ironing. For example, using a tumble drier each time you launder add 7 kilograms to the shirt's carbon footprint. But that's not the half of it....
Patagonia's Yvon Chouinard: One of America's Best Leaders
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 11.12.09
Five Greatest US Green Scams Of All Time
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 11.12.09
Abandoned,open drums. Image credit:State of Massachusetts
The original green scam, prominent in the US during the late 1970's and early 80's, was called 'short hauling.' Being a simple scam, mafia involvement was optional (though that changed once the potential for serious profits became clear). Basic mode of operation is to charge for hauling garbage or hazardous waste to a licensed management site, but stop short, dumping it along side the road, in a park, or in someone's front yard, saving on both fuel and disposal cost. Ending the short haul problem was one of the reasons Congress passed the Resource Conservation & Recovery Act (RCRA). ...
Window Farms: Vertical Gardens Behind Urban Glass
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 11.12.09
Photos: Window Farms
With city space at a premium and urban sprawl devouring previously prime agriculture land, vertical farming has been touted as one possible solution to the metropolitan masses. We've covered many of the grand schemes, most of which are likely to remain no more than stylish computer renderings of an architect's skyscrapery wet dreams.
Window Farms take the vertical farming notion and make it both real, and more human scale. Whether they are more functional art than a real direction forward for urban agriculture is a matter for conjecture. But at least the prototypes are out there growing stuff, which is way more than can be said for a CAD rendering....
Outdoor Industry Looks to Improve Sustainability Standards
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 11.12.09
"There is no business to be done on a dead planet." This was the view of renowned mountaineer turned environmentalist David Brower (Executive Director of the Sierra Club and founder of both Friends of the Earth and the Earth Island Institute.) It is also the view of outdoor clothing and equipment industry. You need seasons of consistent rain, snow and ice, if you want to make a living selling rain jackets, hire skis, or make crampons.
So key mover-and-shakers in outdoor adventure industry, on both side of the Atlantic, are pulling up their merino wool socks to ensure sustainability becomes as much a part of doing business as sales, service and salaries....
Cameron Sinclair Awarded in London and More Architecture Stories of The Week
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 11.12.09
This week was a big one for TreeHugger friend Cameron Sinclair as he travelled to London to receive the Royal Society of Arts' Bicentenary Medal. Cameron flew into his home town to pick up the honour, jointly awarded to him and his partner Kate Stohr, as co-founders of Architecture For Humanity. The Medal is usually awarded to 'a person who, in a manner other than as an industrial designer, has applied art and design in great effect as instruments of civic innovation'. This year Cameron and Kate were honoured for "increasing people's resourcefulness". So three cheers for AFH from the TreeHugger team and here are five more architectural stories of the week to celebrate!...
Estethica Previews New Green Fashion
by Bonnie Alter, London on 11.12.09
Image from goodone
This small version of Estethica was an opportunity for designers to show their stuff in an intimate setting after the hype of London Fashion Week. Given the current economic climate there weren't many new labels, but rather this was a celebration of our favourite eco designers who keep on working.
Goodone is a fashion label working in hand-picked recycled jersey. They get their colourful stretchy jersey fabrics from ends of rolls and factory ends. The whole product is made within a 4 mile radius of London so their carbon footprint is lower than low. The designer is committed to green fashion and showing that it can exceed expectations. ...
Desert Soils Losing Nitrogen & Fertility Thanks to Global Warming
by Kimberley D. Mok, Montreal, Canada on 11.11.09
Photo: Device measuring outgassing of nitrogen from desert soil (Cornell University)
You may have heard of nitrogen being lost through processes such as soil erosion, but according to a new study from Cornell University, warming climates are also causing soils to lose nitrogen as a gas. Arid soils are particularly affected - and with nitrogen being one of the key nutrients for plant growth, the study predicts that deserts could support even less plant life in the future.
"This is a way that nitrogen is lost from an ecosystem that people have never accounted for before," says Jed Sparks, co-author of the study and associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology. ...
The Fight Over the Future of Food: Monsanto, GMOs, and How to Feed the World
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 11.11.09
Photo credit: KevinLallier via Flickr
On the eve of the World Summit on Food Security, Reuters has an excellent two-part special report about the future of food. Specifically, it covers the intersection of two notions that are being linked with increasing frequency: Feeding the skyrocketing world population, expected to hit 9.4 billion people by 2050; and the perceived benefits (things like increased yields and drought resistance) by some of genetically modified seeds and foods.
So, will (or should) genetically modified foods be a big part of the future of food? ...
John Kerry Skewers Climate Change Denying 'Scholar' (VIDEO)
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 11.11.09
Photo via Telegraph
I've posted a lot of videos of satirists taking on climate issues, people saying ridiculous things about the environment, and controversial clips--but I realize that I don't often enough put up videos of the important folks who get it right on global warming issues. Well here's looking to change that: watch John Kerry completely rebuke this climate change denying 'scholar' from the notorious American Enterprise Institute, after the jump. ...
From the Forums: NYT Reports on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
by Alex Davies, New York City on 11.11.09
Image Credit: Joe Schlabotnik via Flickr
Greenvert writes:
This week's New York Times Science section included an article on the great Pacific garbage patch. I can't decide what I think about the article just being published now- most people aware of the state of our environment know all about the garbage patch, right? Or am I wrong? Is the NYT making a great contribution to general knowledge by bringing this issue to light? Or is it too far behind the movement to really help?What do you think? Join the discussion. Click here to learn more about the great Pacific garbage patch....
Shiver Me Timbers! Scientists Discover Deep Sea Crab Feeding on Wooden Shipwrecks
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 11.11.09
A new article in the journal Marine Biology brings to light the interesting feeding habits of the deep sea crab Munidopsis andamanica, better known to the world (somewhat perplexingly) as the squat lobster. It seems that the this particular animal eats exclusively discarded wood that sinks to the seafloor -- trees, leaves, old wooden shipwrecks are all fair game:...
Marriott to Expand 'Green' Hotels by 1000%
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 11.11.09
It looks like Marriott's green hotel trial program has been a resounding success--so much so, that over the next five years, the company plans on expanding its green hotel initiative by 1,000 percent. A new green design will now be embraced on over 450 upcoming hotels--and the plan will save the company $100,000 dollars on each hotel, cut water and energy consumption by 25%, and shave 6 months off the required design time.
...
The Copenhagen Conference on Food Security
by Lester Brown, Washington, D.C on 11.11.09
Old Mother Hubbard's Cupboard Was Bare. Image credit:StoryBookLane
For the 193 national delegations gathering in Copenhagen for the U.N. Climate Change Conference in December, the reasons for concern about climate change vary widely. For delegations from low-lying island countries, the principal concern is rising sea level. For countries in southern Europe, climate change means less rainfall and more drought. For countries of East Asia and the Caribbean, more powerful storms and storm surges are a growing worry.
This climate change conference is about all these things, and many more, but in a very fundamental sense, it is a conference about food security.
At Earth Policy Institute, we note that we need not go beyond ice melting to see that the world is in trouble on the food front. The melting of the Greenland and West Antarctic ice sheets is raising sea level. If the Greenland ice sheet were to melt entirely, sea level would rise by 23 feet. Recent projections show that it could rise by up to 6 feet during this century....
The Truth Behind the Study Finding Hybrids More Likely to Hit Pedestrians and Bicycles
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 11.11.09
Image: Center for Neighborhood Technology, I-GO
Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics
Do you want the good news or the bad news first? The good news: Hybrid registrations were up 38% in 2007, over 350,000 hybrids replacing internal combustion motors on the US roadways. The bad news: Headlines are touting a new study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) finding that hybrids are hitting pedestrians and bicyclists more than traditional cars, especially when operating at low speeds, presumably with the engine in electric-only mode. Are hybrids a hazard? Or should we consider the opinion of Mark Twain, that statistics cannot be trusted?
For example, if hybrids spend more of their kilometers driving in metro areas, does that change the conclusion? What if hybrid drivers are more likely to report minor accidents than ICE drivers, being naturally more civic-minded? Conversely, what if hybrid owners are so smug about driving their eco-car that they feel entitled to ram the occasional walker or sever a bicyclist's leg? ...
New Recycling Plant to be Powered 100% by Dirty Diapers
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 11.11.09
Photo via Life
Finding sources for renewable energy isn't always pretty--we've seen Swedes turn to dead bunnies and dairy farms use manure. Now, it seems there's another option on the table: dirty diapers. Yes, a new diaper recycling plant, the first of its kind in the UK, is going to get 100 percent of its power from the organic materials in disposable diapers....
Ford Adds Wheat Straw to the 2010 Flex
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 11.11.09
Even in the early heydays, Henry Ford was fond of using plants like hemp and straw to reinforce plastic components for his cars. Now bioplastics are back and turning up in cell phones, forks, and more. Ford Motors started trying out soy-based seat foam a few years back, and is now expanding its palette of plant plastics. It's a small step, but the 2010 Ford Flex will be the first car to feature a plastic part that contains wheat straw....
Shark Bites Pregnant Shark in Stomach, Saves Eight Shark Pups
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 11.11.09
Photo via A.M. Kuchling
In weird animal news, two sharks in an aquarium tank had a less than friendly encounter that had a happy ending. After being bitten in the abdomen by another shark, a pregnant school shark gives birth - in a rather involuntary way and in front of an audience of human aquarium visitors - to four pups who likely wouldn't have survived had the mother given birth naturally. Another four pups were found inside her when medical staff moved her for treatment. The odd thing is the bite essentially saved the pups' lives....
5 Ways the US Military is Greening Up Its Act - From Solar-Powered Bases to Barnacle-Clearing Robots
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 11.11.09
photo: Army.mil via flickr.
Let's leave aside for the moment the fact that military vehicles are some of the most fuel-inefficient out there, and issues with wars and environmental degradation. In light of Veteran's Day, let's take a look at just some of the great ways the US Military is embracing greener technologies:...
7 Highlights (and a Few Lowlights) in Food Since President Obama Was Elected
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 11.11.09
Photo credit: foxypar4 via Flickr
Just about one year ago, Barack Obama was elected to be the 44th President of the United States. Proclaiming change across the board, Obama swept in to office on a wave of hope and optimism for millions of people, and his mandate for change created some pretty high expectations for fast, meaningful change. Those passionate about food, food safety, and the politics of safe and sustainable food production were certainly among those counting on the President to put his presidency where his promise had been. A year later, these are the highlights (plus a few lowlights) of his time when it comes to food....
Solar Birdhouse: Giving Birds the Edge Over Mother Nature
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 11.11.09
Image via: Ooms
Sooo, birdhouses these days are made from a variety of materials: plastic, recycled plastic, composite, wood, reclaimed wood, recycled milk jugs, you get the picture. And, oftentimes birdhouses today come with upgrades and new gadgets, like lids and mesh to keep squirrels out or special compartments for different food types, etc etc. But, to be honest, birds have gotten along for years without manmade birdhouses and mother nature has gotten along just fine for all of these years without the need for electricity and it seems she was better off without it. Thank you, climate change. So why would birds need solar power on their homes? Is it to power the saunas in their birdbaths? Are we going to have to start monitoring the carbon footprint of our winged friends as they too enter the modern, digital, electrified age? ...
Too Much Space Junk Makes Astronauts Sleep in Escape Pods
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 11.11.09
Photo credit: NASA
Creating trash seems to be a top skill among humans, even in space. The massive amounts of space debris has become increasingly a cause for concern, even prompting DARPA to ask everyone for their ideas on how to decrease what's out there orbiting around Earth. But now it's also an increasing concern for the astronauts on the International Space Station, who recently had to sleep in escape pods while a piece of potentially dangerous debris floated past. And it won't be the last time they have to do that. ...
Spanish Wind Power Supplies 50% of Demand Last Sunday Morning - #1 Electricity Source in November
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 11.11.09
photo: Antonia Zugaldia via flickr.
I have to admit I sometimes get fed up with stats parsing like this, but this new Spanish wind power record is pretty impressive. The Spanish Wind Power Association (abbreviated AEE from the Spanish...) has announced that this past Sunday morning, November 8th, wind power supplied 50% of demand for the entire time period, and up to 53% at times:...
Swarms of Tiny Robotic Ocean Explorers to Help With Marine Preservation...Or Become Fish Food (Video)
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 11.11.09
Nope, it's not a robotic fish. At least, not like what we've covered before. Scientists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego have been awarded nearly $1 million from the National Science Foundation to create a whole new kind of robot, or rather robots. Lots of little robots that will collect lots of location-specific data that will help scientists learn more about marine ecosystems. But do we want lots of little floating robots in the oceans? Check out the video explaining why the scientists feel this will do far more good for marine ecosystems than harm. ...
Wretched Excess Dept: World's Largest Bathtub Needs 6,340 Gallons of Water
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 11.11.09
Photo Via Luxury Launches
Baths aren't the greenest use of water, and that's with standard sized bath tubs. So what about a 4-foot deep, 72-foot long tub that snags the Guinness World Record (UK) as the biggest bathtub? Yeah... it's definitely not the greenest use of water. ...
From the Forums: Green Business Owners Unite!
by Alex Davies, New York City on 11.11.09
Image Credit: sun dazed via Flickr
aj wants to know:
Just looking to see how others are doing and if there are resources out there that I haven't found yet. Sometimes being a small business owner gets a little lonely and lately I'm feeling like it would be nice to communicate with others about their own experiences, but all the communities I've found are just for profit and trying to get small biz people to buy ads. I'm more interested in real people connecting in a real way, not just networking type stuff...Anyone have this type of resource (on or offline)?Have ideas for aj? Looking for the same kind of help? Join the conversation....
Create Your Own Custom Solar Car and Win $1,000 USD from Kia
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 11.11.09
Image via: Antenna Magazine
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Don't we wish it were that easy: Just go online, pick all the green attributes you want, and then pick up you own custom solar car the next week or month at a dealership. You could add solar panels, make it a plug-in, add a charging port for your iPod and make the dimensions just roomy enough for your family without requiring a special permit to park it in a normal parking space. Oh well, we can always dream. Now Kia wants you to dream big on their website by designing your own custom (solar) car for a chance to win $1,000USD....
Utah's Largest Wind Farm Completed - 203 MW Milford Wind Corridor to Supply 45,000 Homes' Power
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 11.11.09
Good to see some bigger wind power projects being completed... First Wind has announced that the first 203 MW phase of the Milford Wind Corridor in Utah has been completed. Located on land in Millard and Beaver County, the 97 wind turbine project will supply enough power for 45,000 homes:
All of the power produced by the project is being purchased by the Southern California Public Power Authority under a 20-year power purchase agreement. SCPPA made the agreement on behalf of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, and the cities of Burbank and Pasadena.
At the ribbon cutting ceremony, Utah Lieutenant Governor Greg Bell touted the project:...
Book Review: The New Economics - A Bigger Picture
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 11.11.09
The publication of 'The New Economics - A Bigger Picture' by David Boyle and Andrew Simms of The New Economics Foundation is well timed. Over a year after the collapse of Lehman Brothers many are beginning to feel optimistic about coming out of the recession. However there are a few, those who were gleeful during the darkest days of the credit crunch, who are now glum. People who had hoped that the collapse of the economy would produce a more sustainable system, are now concerned that in fact we're back to business as usual. Where are the new economics we were hoping for? ...
Gorbachev's Green Joke: "Bad Case of the Humans"
by Alex Pasternack, New York, NY on 11.11.09
Stop me if you've heard this one: during his opening remarks at the 10th Annual Sustainable Design Awards last night, Global Green's president Matt Peterson shared a joke that his boss and Global Green's founder, former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, had once told him, possibly over a glass of whiskey......
Climate Campaign Turns Down Airport: "Eco-Snobbery" or Drawing the Line?
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 11.11.09
Image credit: 10:10 Campaign
The 10:10 Campaign has been receiving massive attention in the UK, signing up everyone from government ministers to major corporations with pledges to cut their own CO2 emissions 10% by 2010. It almost won a vote in parliament to reduce the entire country's emissions by 10% too. So you'd think think they'd be pleased when they receive an application from the country's third largest airport, an institution that is creating power with biomass grown and burned on site; running an experimental electric car; installing energy efficient lighting, and buying all of its electricity from renewable sources by 2015. Don't count on it. In a move that's brought accusations of eco-snobbery, 10:10 turned the Manchester Airport Group down. Here's why. ...
Florida: Fairly Fatal for Peds and Cyclists
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 11.11.09
Evel Knievel (here in the 1970s in Fort Lauderdale) wore a special suit and helmet for his Florida biking. According to Transportation for America's (ToA's) new report Dangerous by Design, 43,000 pedestrians have been killed this decade (3,906 children under 16) due in part to roads and streets that are poorly designed, that is, mainly with cars instead of pedestrians in mind. And the deadliest of all metro areas is none other than Orlando, Florida, known as "O Town" and home to that mecca for kids known as DisneyWorld. But Florida's other main towns and metro areas don't fare much better in ToA's report....
Readers' Fall Garden Photos (Slideshow)
by Emma Grady, New York, NY on 11.11.09
Fall garden filled with black seed simpson. Credit: Tim Bruni
From organic gardening with composted horse manure to raised bed gardens--filled with Swiss chard, spinach, romaine lettuce, radicchio, arugula, black seeded simpson and broccolini--readers send in their fall garden photos. Click through for beautiful fall woodland gardens, glowing golden Birch trees, and gardens prepared for winter. And if you missed last week's Readers' Photos it's not to late to get spooked by our Readers' Green Halloween slideshow.
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The Environmental Consequences of War
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11.11.09
Vimy Ridge
On this Veterans Day in the States and Remembrance Day in Canada and Australia, it is worth reading a Sierra Club of Canada document about the Environmental Costs of War.
It starts with a quote from Clauswitz from 1831: "War is never an isolated act."...
Green Holiday Gift Guide: The Green Geek (Slideshow)
by Blythe Copeland, Great Neck, New York on 11.11.09
The right gadgets can save your techie money, time, and energy. The wrong gadgets, on the other hand, slowly decay into a tangled mess of wires, plastic, and electronic materials in the junk drawer. Trust us: These items curated for the green geek--from a build-your-own computer kit, a solar-powered iPhone skin, a Twittering power monitor, a set of sustainable iPod speakers--are the right ones. And did we mention they balance eco-friendly design and materials with practical, energy-saving technologies?
Green Gift Guide: The Green Geek (Slideshow)
After getting your technology fill, click on for 10 more gift-packed categories in our:
Green Holiday Gift Guide
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Green Holiday Gift Guide: The WeeHugger (Slideshow)
by Blythe Copeland, Great Neck, New York on 11.11.09
Give your kids that same awestruck wonder you remember as a tot--without investing in plastic toys that break within days, leaving behind a pile of landfill-ready junk and the feeling you would have been better off just giving the wrapping paper. From sustainable-geared doll houses to non-toxic art supplies to imagination-building toys and green-based science experiments, we've piled up toys, games, treats, and gadgets for the younger set.
Green Gift Guide: The WeeHugger (Slideshow)
After getting gifts for all the kiddies on your list, click on for 10 more gift-packed categories in our:
Green Holiday Gift Guide
...
Nau Shop Pops Up in NYC
by Emma Grady, New York, NY on 11.11.09
Nau pop up shop in SoHo, NYC. Credit: Emma Grady
Activewear clothing company Nau opened their pop up shop in New York City last night with the help of musical guests Zee Avi and Will Dailey. The fete featured Nau's spring 2010 collection along with styles from Horny Toad, Freitag, Toms Shoes, Timberland, and Stewart+Brown. We've declared The Time as Nau before, this time Nau is a New York City minute. Click through for photos.
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More than £12 Billion in Food Waste Goes in the Garbage Every Year in U.K.
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 11.11.09
Photo credit: sporkist via Flickr
5.3 million tonnes of food and drink that could have been consumed goes in the trash every year in the U.K., according to a new report. Household Food ad Waste in the UK [pdf] details the "food waste mountain" effectively growing in landfills from the wasted food and drink.
That's an awfully big number. To scale it back to something a little easier to put into context, that waste adds up to a cool £480 per household per year, bumping up to £680 per year for families. But wait, there's more: Think about all the greenhouse gas emissions numbers associated with this....
The Price of a Pipeline: Rena Effendi's Powerful Photos of Lives Destroyed By the Oil Industry
by Jennifer Hattam, Istanbul, Turkey on 11.11.09
An abandoned oil well (left) and a fisherman in an oil village, both in Baku, Azerbaijan. Photos by Rena Effendi via Getty Images.
Boosters of the Nabucco pipeline project tout the economic and political clout it will bring to Turkey. But where there are winners, there are also often losers -- as Rena Effendi's powerful photojournalism makes poignantly clear....
Medicos Find Bike Injuries Are Increasing in Severity
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 11.11.09
Photo: DeltaMike on Flickr
The other day Lloyd highlighted the ways in which cyclists are most often killed in altercations with motor vehicles. But not everyone shakes off this mortal coil after a bike accident. Many folk are injured. Now it seems that he severity of injuries and time spent in hospitalized for bicycle injuries has significantly increased At least that is the findings of the Rocky Mountain Regional Trauma Center....
Common Soles Sells Thongs To Buy School Books
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 11.11.09
Photos: Common Soles
Thongs, Flip Flops, Jandals, or whatever they are called on your beach, are the sort of casual footwear that most people don't pay much attention to. After-all they are rather ubiquitous in any sultry clime. But Common Soles have taken it upon themselves to see flip-flops as a vehicle for good works.
They use 4% from the sale of each pair to buy school books for the children of the women who make their thongs in India. And soon they also hope to release a line of footwear that also include eco-benign materials, like the prototype seen above....
Peepoo Bags Promise to Clean Up a Lot of Global Crap
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 11.11.09
Sometimes we get so concentrated on the small (yet important) details of green we forget about the big picture. Or the news seems like nothing but bad. But there's good news, too. To combat the problem of lack of sanitation and clean water -- 2.6 billion people don't have access to toilet facilities -- the smart folks at Pee Poople will soon start distributing in Kenya and Bangladesh a "biodegradable" bag called Peepoo that has an inner lining that disinfects the poo so that bag can be help fertilize soil instead of polluting precious water supplies....
7 Ways Brad Pitt Proves Green is Sexy
by Emma Grady, New York, NY on 11.11.09
Credit: Photo left via fortheladies.com; photo right via The New York Post
Brad Pitt's smashing good looks had us at hello back in the days of Legends of the Fall, but it's his environmental and charitable work that has us head over our vegan heels in love -- from the Make It Right foundation and his green building passion to his charitable donations in the millions (with partner Angelina Jolie), to humanitarian causes around the world through the Jolie-Pitt Foundation, there are more ways than one Brad Pitt proves green is sexy, joining the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio and showing up the rest of Hollywood....
1,200 Acres of Arable Land Found in Oakland; What Does that Mean for Local Food?
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 11.11.09
Photo credit: davidsilver via Flickr
One common lament about local food is that there simply isn't enough of it. The best part about it -- that it's different in every foodshed, location to location -- also means that the supply can have a hard time keeping up with demand. That's especially true when it comes to larger, more dense urban centers, where locavores greatly outnumber farms and farmers.
Oakland, California is no exception. Almost one-third of the population is food insecure, meaning they aren't always sure where the next meal will come from; even more have limited access to nutritious, affordable food. A new report may help provide a solution, and an answer to the question, "How can urban food production be increased?"...
Too Much Drink is Going Down the Drain
by Bonnie Alter, London on 11.11.09
Waste not, want not, that's what our grandmothers said... didn't they? Anyhow, we are all pouring too much wine and other drinks down the drain. According to a new study by Wrap, a government agency, the British are throwing out £470M ($752M ) worth of wine every year. That's a lot of wine!
It seems that most people can't be bothered to finish off the bottles or cartons of drinks and they don't store them in the fridge either. The most wasted drink is milk, then fizzy soft drinks, fruit juices and smoothies. Even making a pot of tea when you aren't planning to drink the whole thing results in wasted food. All together the drinks account for almost half of all the waste that could be avoided through better planning or better storage. What to do? Hints for saving wine after the fold....
Carbon Nanotube Sponge Can Absorb Toxic Oils and Solvents up to 180x Its Weight!
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 11.10.09
Photo: Peking University and Tsinghua University
Is There Anything We CAN'T Do With Carbon Nanotubes?
Cleaning up toxic spills has always been a problem. It's hard, and it's expensive, and you have to be thorough. But things might have just got easier: Scientists from the Peking University and Tsinghua University have created a sponge like no other. It is made of carbon nanotubes - regular carbon atoms arranged in a specific cylindrical shape - and can absorb organic pollutants from the surface of water (such as oil and solvents) up to 180x its weight (!) without absorbing water (see video below to see how light it is). And once its full of toxic liquids, the best part is that you can just wring it and start again....
Will the Climate Bill Grant Obama the Powers of a Dictator?
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 11.10.09
Photo via CDN
No, no, it won't. I wish this could be a one-word post, but unfortunately, I think I'll have to do some explaining. You see, in one of the odder charges against the now-bipartisan climate bill, Senator David Vitter (R-LA) has taken to saying that it will arm Obama with the powers of a dictator. This, of course, is not the case--but that never stopped these bizarre mutterings from developing into full-fledged talking points. So, with a little help from a conservative blogger, let's just nip this one in the bud....
'Road Train' Autopilot Driving System Cuts Fuel Consumption, Travel Time
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 11.10.09
Image via Earth2Tech
It's one of those ideas that crosses your mind while you're stuck in never-ending stop and go traffic on some ugly stretch of the highway: what if there were some sort of a sensor that could put all of those cars into lockstep? Some sort of automated driving system that would keep that SOB from cutting you off and wedging himself into your lane--something that would make the whole process more efficient, help control the traffic flow, and even let you take your hands off the wheel for long stretches of road.
Well, a test version of exactly that is underway in Europe--it's called the 'road train', and it could revolutionize highway driving....
Global Green, Celebrities, Toast Cooper Union, PG&E, Sebastian Copeland and Others at Design Awards
by Alex Pasternack, New York, NY on 11.10.09
Global Green Award Winners: Dr. George Campbell Jr., Mindy Lubber, Peter Darbee, Matt Petersen, Bonnie Reiss, and Sebastian Copeland
"Mr. Obama -- Tear down this carbon!" news presenter Miles O'Brien demanded in his speech at the Global Green Sustainable Design Awards last night in New York City, before an audience of benefactors and green luminaries. His reference to Reagan's famous call to Gorbachev, a few years before the latter would help usher the collapse of the Berlin Wall wasn't just timely, but poignant too. Gorbachev would go on to found Green Cross and Global Green USA, a celebrity-heavy organization that has most recently led green reconstruction efforts in New Orleans.
See photos of the winners and attendees below, including designer Nicole Miller, actor Brian Cox and architect Thom Mayne....
Woo! Bicycling in New York City is UP 26% in 2009!
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 11.10.09
Image: NYC DOT (pdf)
"Everybody get out there and ride!"
The stats are out and according to the NYC DOT, bicycling in New York has shot up by 26% in 2009, which is a lot by any measure, though it is lower than the 35% increase in 2008. As you can see from the chart above, these increases are unprecedented. For more on these feel good news, make sure to check out the great video below....
Discovery News Launches as a Dedicated Destination for the Latest in Science and Technology
by David DeFranza on 11.10.09
Image credit: Discovery News/DCI
At a time when many newspapers and other news organizations are cutting back, Discovery Communications has decided to step out and fill an increasingly empty niche. The launch of Discovery News signals a new commitment to covering the latest science and technology news with original reporting and features....
Crazy Cool Cuckoo Clocks Aid Forest Preservation Awareness
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 11.10.09
Images via Designboom
Designer Naoto Fukawasa created a beautiful cuckoo clock using timber removed
from over-planted forests. The project was done in conjunction with Isetan, a Japanese department store, and More Trees, an organization that works with forest conservation in Japan and overseas. But the fun didn't stop with just one cuckoo clock. The display consisted of 50 customized interpretations of the clock by 50 different artists and designers from all over Japan. The whimsical and amazing clocks are enough to stop anyone in their tracks.
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From the Forums: Is the 100 Mile Challenge Doable?
by Alex Davies, New York City on 11.10.09
Image Credit: ilvana*.* via Flickr
greenbrad has a problem:
I've been trying to ease my way into a 100 mile challenge. As I live in Orange County CA I am discovering how dependent we are on trucked in food. I have been searching high and low for locally raised beef or chicken and guess what - it doesn't exist...Virtually the only thing we have are local organic produce and even that is scarce...I'm almost frustrated to the point where I am despising the county due to how environmentally-challenged it is.Have suggestions? Need to vent some frustrations? Join the conversation. Don't know about the 100 mile challenge? Check it out....
Pay-Per-Mile Car Insurance Moves Forward in California
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 11.10.09
Photo: Flickr, CC
The Greener Kind of Car Insurance
Incentives are a great tool to nudge people in the right direction. It will always be harder to clean up the environment when people's personal interests are opposed to the environment, but when both are aligned, the path of least resistance leads to a better world. Pay-per-mile car insurance is a good example of such an incentive. It's not world-changing by itself, but if applied to enough motorists, it can no doubt have a significant impact. The principle is simple: The less you drive, the less car insurance you have to pay for (since on average, people who drive less are less likely to make insurance claims)....
Tech Chest Turns Luggage Into Hide-Away Computer Case
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 11.10.09
Photos via The Pixel Junkie
We love finding computers in unique spaces that make them more of an heirloom item than a disposable tool. And here is one where you'll have no idea a computer is inside until you pop it open. One part neat upcycling, and one part late-1800s James Bond, this PC case is fantastic.
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$500 Billion Per Year More = How Much It'll Cost Us to Keep Delaying Climate Change Action Beyond 2010
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 11.10.09
photo: Chelsea Oakes via flickr.
Here's a quick one on how much more it's going to cost us all financially to keep putting off taking definitive action on climate change. Reuters reports that the IEA estimates that for each year of delay past 2010 it adds $500 billion to the global warming bill:...
LG's TV Recycling Program: Hip or Hype?
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 11.10.09
A whole lot of these, getting recycled. Photo via freakapotimus
Switching over to digital TVs has caused a lot of e-waste. Last week we pointed out how it has been responsible for a 70% rise in tossed televisions in the UK, and similar concerns abound here in the US as we switched to digital. But it's not just homes that we need to think about, but also hotels. LG is helping hotels upgrade old TVs to energy efficient flat panel TVs, and has instituted the first TV recycling program for hotels. But is it cheer-worthy, or should it get filed away as a "duh" move any manufacturer should be making? ...
Bowled Over By LEED Lanes in Brooklyn
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11.10.09
Images via Brooklyn Bowl
LEED buildings are getting pretty thick on the ground these days, and don't often make it into TreeHugger unless they are pushing platinum or or doing something really special; Brooklyn Bowl falls into that latter category- a century-old iron foundry where Peter Shapiro and Charley Ryan have built a hipster bowling alley and music venue and gone to the considerable trouble of getting it LEED Certified.
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Rebuilding a Green New Orleans: An Interview with Matt Petersen, President of Global Green USA (Part 1)
by Alex Pasternack, New York, NY on 11.10.09
"This wasn't just folks with a bunch of good ideas and a Hollywood star"
Global Green USA, a charity founded in 1993 by Mikhail Gorbachev, may be best known for its initiatives with celebrities like Leonardo di Caprio. But far from the glare of Hollywood, the group has done some of its most important work in New Orleans. Shortly after Hurricane Katrina, Global Green began rebuilding a community meant not only to improve the lives of residents but to inspire other green construction around the country.
The group's sustainable Holy Cross Project, the product of a design competition with a jury chaired by Brad Pitt, consists of five single-family homes and an 18-unit apartment building; three homes have been finished so far, including one that is serving as a de facto visitors center. In the first installment of our interview with Matt Petersen, president of Global Green, we hear about the group's impact in New Orleans, and New Orleans' impact on Global Green's sustainable community work elsewhere....
Front-Line Climate Change Nations Stake Out Positions: 1.5°C Temp Rise, 350ppm, Request 1.5% GDP Aid
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 11.10.09
Those nations which have had the least contribution to climate change, will bear the brunt of it... Years'-long drought in Kenya is but on example. This is river is both a water source for animals and people, photo: mattman23 via flickr.
At a meeting of nations to be particularly badly hit by climate change held in the Maldives, those nations (scroll to bottom for list) issued a statement which really lays out the philosophical divide that continues to split pre-COP15 negotiations. They are the same issues which have been debated for the past year: The amount of emission reductions in rich nations, the amount of financial assistance to help poor nations adapt, and an acknowledgement of the ethical responsibility to help those in need.
Here's the full text, sans-blockquote (plus some subheads) as it's pretty lengthy:...
1,000,000 Energy Star Home Owners Can't Be Wrong
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 11.10.09
Image via Norcal Blogs
The Energy Star program hit a milestone today--the one millionth efficient home that earned the blue label wrapped building. That's right--the number of pointedly energy efficient homes in the US has hit the seven digit range. And though this comes on the heels of some unfortunate news about the validity of Energy Star ratings, it's nonetheless a hallmark worth noting in the slow but steady ascent to greener policies and consumer choices in the US....
Oh Tannenboing! Something to Spring for This Holiday
by David DeFranza on 11.10.09
Image credit: Tannenboing
The Christmas tree is not the only thing that mars the holiday's environmental record, but it is certainly a major player. While farmed-raised trees are inherently "green," farmers' proclivity for pesticides and shipping to big-box parking lots means that shopping for a true evergreen can be a challenge. The artificial alternatives to real trees are, more often than not, toxin-laced PVC monstrosities.
At least, this is how it used to be. Now, there is a new artificial alternative to the traditional tree; one that will add a touch of modern flash to your holiday decorations....
Coal Country: Enter to Win the Book, Sign Up to See a Sneak Preview
by Greg Haegele of Sierra Club on 11.10.09
My hope is this superb documentary will shock Americans and create a surge of
urgency that stops the atrocity of mountain top removal coal mining immediately.
-- Ashley Judd
I know it doesn't work as literally as this, but what would you do if you knew that ancient mountains were being destroyed and communities torn apart every time you turned on a light in your home, or flipped the switch on your sound system, or heated up water for tea?
There are a few more steps in the mining-to-lightswitch process, of course, but this is basically the story of mountaintop-removal mining. I want to invite you to attend a sneak-peek screening of a stunning new film on the subject, called Coal Country , and also to sign up to win one of ten free copies of the film's companion book, Coal Country: Rising Up Against Mountaintop Removal , published by Sierra Club Books. Keep reading......
I know it doesn't work as literally as this, but what would you do if you knew that ancient mountains were being destroyed and communities torn apart every time you turned on a light in your home, or flipped the switch on your sound system, or heated up water for tea?
There are a few more steps in the mining-to-lightswitch process, of course, but this is basically the story of mountaintop-removal mining. I want to invite you to attend a sneak-peek screening of a stunning new film on the subject, called Coal Country , and also to sign up to win one of ten free copies of the film's companion book, Coal Country: Rising Up Against Mountaintop Removal , published by Sierra Club Books. Keep reading......
Lav & Kush Offers 25% Off Sustainable Fashion
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 11.10.09
Image via Lav & Kush.
Meet Lav & Kush: the flirt of sustainable fashion. The company believes in having it all: not compromising style while being aware of their environmental footprint. With every item in the collection embracing pretty, feminine details such as gathers, ruffles, and pleats while using eco-friendly fabrics, they are designed with the urban woman in mind.
It fulfills founder Angela Saxena's childhood dream: to design luxurious and practical clothing for women and to make a positive difference in the world. In other words, not only does Lav & embrace the eco-fashionista, but it also utilizes both classic and modern influences designed for the contemporary woman, fusing beauty and comfort for everyday-wear....
Sunlight-Propelled Spacecraft to Launch in 2010
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 11.10.09
Image via Planetary Society
The first Solar Sail spacecraft met an untimely end, crashing into the ocean instead of making it into orbit. But now, in 2010, a new, improved version of that craft--an entire spaceship that's propelled only by the sun's rays--is set to launch. And scientists will be see if this unique spaceship will become the prototype for long term interstellar travel....
Artists and Gadgets Help Slow Down Fast Food
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 11.10.09
Photos via Pop Up Lunch
So the slow food movement isn't necessarily about literally slowing down...but in a way, it is. When we slow down, actually stopping to eat, we spend more time considering what it is we're putting in our bodies and might make better food choices. Not that it's the motive behind the Pop Up Lunch project, but it's certainly a potential green side effect. The art project props up street food eaters, so those grabbing a quick meal have a place to enjoy what they're eating. That, combined with another cool gadget could help fast food slow down and green up. ...
Voices from Hopenhagen: Jeunesse Park
by Guest on 11.10.09
Image credit: Hopenhagen
Editor's note: This guest post is written by Jeunesse Park, founder and CEO of Food and Trees for Africa.
Climate change is still such an abstract concept to so many people, although we all talk about the weather daily. It is often the first topic of conversation. Is this a vestige of memory from a time when we were intimately connected to the earth and her elements?...
Koalas Extinct in 30 Years as Climate Change, Habitat Loss, Sexually Transmitted Disease Take Their Toll
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 11.10.09
photo: Drewe Zanki via flickr.
New figures from the Australian Koala Foundation paint a dark picture for the future of the iconic marsupial. Just completed research shows that the current koala population is somewhere between 43,000-80,000 individuals, a decline from an estimated 100,000 in 2003, and without better conservation efforts they could all be extinct within 30 years:...
The Best of Fast Company: BP's Bid to Move Beyond Petroleum, Growing Algae in Abandoned Mines, and a Green Makeover for the Humvee
by Ariel Schwartz of Fast Company on 11.10.09
This week at Fast Company, we looked at BP's move into next-generation biofuels, a plan to grow algae quickly and efficiently in abandoned mines, EnerDel's hybrid makeover of the Humvee, and the world's tallest green building.
BP has long used the tagline "Beyond Petroleum." Now that the oil company is betting big on cellulosic ethanol, could it finally be moving past the slick stuff?
Traditionally, algae for biofuels is grown in sunlight. But a group of researchers from the Missouri University of Science and Technology think that the most efficient way to grow algae might be in the dark, cold depths of abandoned mines.
The Army's Humvee vehicle is clunky and energy-intensive, but that hasn't stopped lithium-ion maker EnerDel from giving the vehicle a $1.29 million makeover.
Want to take a trip to the world's tallest green building? Look no further than Taipei 101, a 101-story skyscraper in Taiwan that is gunning for a LEED Gold rating.
Fast Company sets the agenda, charting the evolution of business through a unique focus on the most creative individuals sparking change in the marketplace...
IEA Whistleblowers Say World Oil Stats Deliberately Inflated to Avoid Financial Panic, Appease the US
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 11.10.09
photo: jack_spellingbacon via flickr.
World oil reserves are far lower than officially reported, the situation far more serious than publicly admitted, and we're already past peak oil. That's the word from two anonymous IEA whistleblowers, The Guardian reports. To add insult to industry, the figures were deliberately massaged, at least in part, to appease the United States:...
The 5 Best High Flying Wind Power Projects
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 11.10.09
Image via IO9
The Kites, Blimps, and Copters that Could Power the World
Tapping into the jet stream--the fast-flowing air currents in the atmosphere--to harness high speed wind power is one of the most compelling ideas in the renewable energy world. How compelling, you ask? Some researchers figure that by successfully tapping into just 1% of the jet stream, we could power all of civilization. At about 6 miles up, the jet stream creates some 200 trillion watts--world energy demand is estimated to be between 2 and 2.5 trillion--the problem, of course, is bringing that stuff down to earth.
Here are the 5 most promising high altitude wind power projects designed to do exactly that. ...
The Newest, Shiniest Metros in the World (A Slideshow)
by Alex Pasternack, New York, NY on 11.10.09
While subways in the world's developed countries are starting to look like the dinosaurs of urban infrastructure (with expansion delays and budget crises to boot), new metro systems continue to spread across the world. As emerging cities seek to answer the needs of booming populations -- or ease the traffic and environmental strains of private cars -- 11 municipalities have opened new underground and light-rail lines in the past two years. And instead of putting the damper on expansion projects, the global economic crisis has actually promised to spur further investment in public transit by governments eager to stimulate their economies. Over the next decade, some of these groundbreaking lines will become part of large metro networks that promise to make the world's reigning metro champions look downright ancient.
...
Bisphenol A Law Suit Puts Science & Good Government On Trial
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 11.10.09
Paracelsus, "father of toxicology," by Quentin Massys. Image credit:Wikipedia
Business Insurance has published an article explaining the consolidation, under jurisdiction of a single US court, of 25 lawsuits alleging 'consumer fraud' on the part of companies selling products made of Bisphenol A-based plastics (polycarbonate) and/or incorporating BPA-based coatings.
By the look of the Business Insurance story, should the defendants lose, their costs may be excluded from coverage by insurance. So, losses would go right to the corporate bottom line.
Note: the law suits are not about personal injury; they are about alleged 'consumer fraud'.
My first reaction on reading the story was to want to "un-publish" everything I've ever posted about BPA, so it won't make the suing lawyers job easier. I didn't; and decided, instead, to look at the issue from a very different perspective. ...
Will "Green Religion" Save Us or Sink Us?
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 11.10.09
Image credit: Saint Julia of Corsica, found on DeaconLaz.org (artist unknown)
When I posed the question of whether leading by green example can be passive aggressive preaching, I was surprised when commenter Joey claimed that I had eluded that I was a "member of a religion." To me environmentalism is anything but a matter of faith, but rather a question of sound scientific understanding that material resources, and the Earth's ability to support life, are both limited. And that it's in our own self interest to live within our planetary means. But it proves how much attention I've been paying to headlines—as Kristin already reported, a UK court has determined that belief in global warming is indeed akin to a religious or philosophical conviction. Depending on who you talk to, this could either be good for environmentalism, or very, very bad indeed. ...
From the Forums: Help a School Newspaper Go Green
by Alex Davies, New York City on 11.10.09
Image Credit: Alex Barth via Flickr
xoxo_unibrow needs some help:
I'm the editor in chief of our high school newspaper, and I feel like an absolute hypocrite whenever we try to sell the 500 copies of newspaper that we print each month...I know the most environmentally friendly idea is to go online, but that's a hard transition in such a short time...Are there any ideas? Every printing company I search online does not do newspapers, only newsletters. What are my options to make the newspaper more eco-friendly?Have suggestions? Post here....
Pratt Presents 'Ethics + Aesthetics = Sustainable Fashion'
by Emma Grady, New York, NY on 11.10.09
SANS spring/summer 2010 collection. Credit: SANS
Pratt Manhattan Gallery is presenting "Ethics + Aesthetics = Sustainable Fashion," an exploration of sustainable practices by American fashion designers, beginning November 20, 2009. The collection centers on three themes, "Reduce, Revalue, and Rethink" and looks to eco-fashion visionaries--Alabama Chanin, Bodkin, Loomstate, SUNO, SANS, and more--as the leaders of the pack in pushing green fashion to the forefront. Click through for photos.
...
Toronto Gets Its Own Cycle Chic
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11.10.09
Mikael Colville-Andersen started the original Copenhagen Cycle Chic to "take back the bike culture by showing how the bicycle once again can be an integral, respectable and feasible transport form, free of sports clothes and gear, and how it can play a vital role in increasing the life quality in cities." He has been very effective and influential; If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery than he must be feeling good these days, as yet another city gets a cycle chic site.
As Spacing describes it, Toronto's new 416cyclestyle showcases "images by velotographers Xander N' Dante of trendy, hipsters as they peddle around the city." And nary a helmet to be seen. ...
Green Holiday Gift Guide: The Animal Lover (Slideshow)
by Blythe Copeland, Great Neck, New York on 11.10.09
Whether the animal lover in your life is completely committed to her own dog, spends weekends volunteering at the local shelter, or takes a global view by raising awareness of endangered species or factory farming, you can support her passion for four-legged friends without filling your shopping cart with unnecessary accessories. Organic toys, sturdy leashes, homemade collars, and cat-friendly furniture will keep people and pets purring, while charitable donations to animal rescue organizations all over the country lend aid to her favorite causes. And as for the animals? One look, lick, or snuggle will remind you just how far your money can go.
Green Gift Guide: The Animal Lover (Slideshow)
After getting gifts for all the four-legged friends (and their owners) on your list, click on for 10 more gift-packed categories in our:
Green Holiday Gift Guide
...
Off To GreenBuild To Hear Al Gore, Find Green Gizmos and Goodies
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11.10.09
TreeHugger will be at Greenbuild in Phoenix, Arizona tomorrow to hear Al Gore give the keynote address. He will have a tough act to follow after last year's Van Jones' barnburner. The expo is also pretty spectacular, with a lot of green gizmos and gadgets, but also some simple, effective green building products. Some of the highlights of last year's Greenbuild:...
Hal Prince and Amber Valletta Strike A Pose For IFAW
by Emma Grady, New York, NY on 11.10.09
Amber Valletta named honorary board member for IFAW. Credit: IFAW
Actress Amber Valletta and legendary Broadway director Hal Prince join the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) as honorary board members--along with Leonardo DiCaprio, Pierce Brosnan, and Ben Stein. They both posed for IFAW's latest campaign: Tails for Whales, a visual petition for the protection of whales threatened by commercial whaling, ship strikes, fishing gear, and climate change. Click through to hear from Hal and Amber, and view more Tails for Whales photos--including one from yours truly. ...
Green Holiday Gift Guide: The Pop Culture Fan (Slideshow)
by Blythe Copeland, Great Neck, New York on 11.10.09
You may not be keeping up with the pop culture phenomenons of blood-sucking vampires, high school glee clubs, and Dan Brown novels, but chances are good that someone on your list is. Stuck on what to buy? Satisfy that craving for all things cultural with personalized movie posters, one-of-a-kind jewelry, King of Pop cross-stitches, and books and DVDs that combine green issues with pop icons. You may never understand the appeal of the teenage undead, but at least the music-lovers, movie buffs, television fans on your list will appreciate your green gifts.
Green Gift Guide: The Pop Culture Fan (Slideshow)
After getting gifts for all the pop culture fanatics on your list, click on for 10 more gift-packed categories in our:
Green Holiday Gift Guide
...
Robot Bricklayer Comes To New York
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11.10.09
Archpaper via Ponoko
Gramazio & Kohler of Zurich's ETH Faculty of Architecture have been in TreeHugger before with their bricklaying robot. Now they have come to America for the first time, and have digitally fabricated a wall on Pike Street in downtown Manhattan, with an exhibition running at the Storefront for Art and Architecture until November 14....
Five Fabric Skins Help Buildings Beautifully Harvest the Weather
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 11.10.09
1. Harvesting water. Part of the prototype cloth is designed like a lotus leaf with microscopic spikes and depressions to make water bead, though letters absorb water so they appear. Photo via Filiz Klassen.
Architecture, says designer Filiz Klassen, is infatuated with "super materials" and gimmicks. Instead of building for the gee-whiz factor, however, Klassen wants to build with new incarnations of existing materials that, as she says, "make visible the effects of the weather," and in addition also use the weather's energy for practical, but also beautiful, effects.
"I was fascinated with all the material innovation taking place, but what made sense to me is that that's a tool to show the effects of the environment on a building...I was looking into materials that can harvest, transfer and release energy...that would change our perception of the buildings."...
Need a Nap? Rent a Sleepbox
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11.10.09
images by arch group via Dezeen
Ever have a couple of hours to kill between flights or trains? Rose at Dezeen shows us the Sleepbox, from Russian architects Arch Group. They envisage this tiny booth being installed in airports, train stations and shopping centers.They squeeze a lot into what looks like a four foot wide space- a two foot wide bed and a drop-down desk with storage under the bed. It is an interesting exercise in seeing how small a space one can comfortably live in, but one suspects that the opportunity for, um, misuse might keep this idea of the 15 minute hotel room from going mainstream....
New Report Puts Supermarkets On Notice to Get Greener: See How They Rated
by Bonnie Alter, London on 11.10.09
Image from Guardian
A report card by a government agency has rated 9 of Britain's supermarkets on their environmental standards and slammed some of them for their "dismal" performance. At the top of the "A" list was Marks & Spencer and Sainsbury's, Waitrose got a B, Tesco a C and Asda a D.
The stores with top grades had fresh fruits, good recycling and sustainable fish. The failing stores had too much non-British, out-of-season fruits and vegetables, didn't inform shoppers whether the fish were from sustainable sources or not and had open freezers, wasting energy. ...
Congo Plan Is A Dirty Cocktail of Climate Destruction Projects
by Daniel Kessler, San Francisco, California on 11.10.09
Photo via Flickr
Riddle me this. What do you get when you combine rainforest destruction, tar sands, and palm oil plantations in one project? You guessed it, an environmental nightmare. This perfect storm of climate disruption badness can all be found in oil company Eni's plans to develop tar sands and oil palm in the Congo Basin, one of the most biodiverse places on earth. This would be the first tar sands exploration in Africa and one of the largest palm oil plantations, which produce the oil used in thousands of household products from detergents to Pringles. ...
UK Supermarkets Told to 'Green Up Their Act'
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 11. 9.09
Photo credit: yisris via Flickr
Organic food and the Slow Food Movement are big parts of the green food experience in the United Kingdom. Unfortunately, the supermarkets that help supply the movement are lagging behind, according to the government. The Herald Scotland reports that the government, academics, and regional NGOs are ratcheting up the pressure on supermarkets to do a better job providing green food options for their shoppers.
Despite increasing awareness and demand from consumers for environmentally friendly, low-carbon food options, three of the U.K.'s largest supermarkets are turning in failing grades when it comes to putting green food on their shelves. What's the deal?...
PETA President Defends Her Gore-Bashing Glenn Beck Appearance
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 11. 9.09
Pure Natural Diva Hosts Carnival of the Green
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 11. 9.09
This week is Carnival of the Green #202 and it's being hosted by Pure Natural Diva, a blog that encourages us to make a commitment to greener living, without giving up the high heels. In otherwords, we can make small changes on an ongoing basis so that we're transitioning to whole living.
So head on over to this weeks 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. From eco-friendly home makeovers to picking out a commuter bike - enjoy!
We are now accepting host requests for 2010! Read on to find out how to host....
New Ocean Carbon Sink Blooms as Antarctic Ice Retreats Rapidly
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 11. 9.09
photo: Wikipedia.
There aren't too many good un-anticipated consequences when it comes to climate change, but here's one: Scientists from the British Antarctic Survey have discovered that in areas of open water left exposed by rapid ice melting around the Antarctic Peninsula, large new blooms of phytoplankton are occurring. As the blooms die off they sink to the bottom, storing away carbon they've absorbed from the atmosphere:...
SuperFreakonomics is 'Horseshit': Elizabeth Kolbert
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 11. 9.09
Photo via Flickr
The New Yorker's Elizabeth Kolbert is one of the best green writers out there--and in her recent joint book review of the controversy-ridden SuperFreakonomics and the maligned-by-default-by-Gore-haters Our Choice, she proves why. One book scoffs at our fears of climate change, and suggests that a miraculous silver bullet will be delivered unto us via geoengineering. The other meticulously outlines the challenges we face in fighting climate change, and the difficult choice we must collectively make to improve our behavior as a species. One of these books is horseshit. ...
Awesome Bike Parking at W Hotel in San Francisco
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 11. 9.09
Photo: Mikael from Copenhagenize
Not Sure How Well that Would Scale, Though
Mikeal from Copenhagenize has taken these pictures of a very cool bike parking at the W Hotel in San Francisco. Included in the price of a room is access to one of three Biomega bikes (I think the one on the pics is the "Copenhagen" model), and to get it you have to get it down from its unusual parking place....
Britain to Build More Nuclear Power Plants - And Despoil the Namibian Desert in the Process
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 11. 9.09
photo: Geof Wilson via flickr.
As part of new proposed low-carbon energy proposals, UK energy secretary Ed Miliband has outlined plans to build a fleet of new nuclear power plants. But as outlined in The Observer, the hidden costs of fueling those power plants include despoiling the Namibian desert, not to mention a gigantic coal plant to power uranium extraction:...
Five Hundred Oil-Industry Geologists Vote on Peak Oil
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 11. 9.09
Photo: Zazzle
Guess What the Results Were
The theory of peak oil itself is fairly non-controversial. But saying that we're close to this absolutely peak in oil and gas production is still debated by very knowledgeable people on both sides. A few years ago, it seemed like the balance was tipped in the direction of the "peak oil is not a problem for the near future" side, but lately, it seems like things might be going the other way. At the Petroleum Geology Conference in London, 500 geologists took a vote on wether "Peak oil is no longer a concern" (something that was argued by some of the speakers). The results were interesting....
From the Forums: Costs of Spray Foam Insulation?
by Alex Davies, New York City on 11. 9.09
Image Credit: Velo Steve via Flickr
Bratley75 needs some help:
Would anyone be willing to share their cost for spray foam insulation or any estimates they have gotten. Cost per square foot. I have looked high and low and have had little luck. All the contractors I have contacted won't give an estimate over the phone without a visit. We are planning on building a home, there is nothing to see. We are currently in a 40's traditional that is a nightmare to heat/cool. Can't do much without spending more than I will gain in equity. The housing market is junk down here. The price you pay when you live in a small town of 800 convenient to nothing.Have some helpful info? Looking for some yourself? Join the conversation....
Smog Could Cause 2.5°C+ Warming, Even With Strong Global Climate Deal
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 11. 9.09
Smog in Los Angeles, photo: Al Pavangkanan via flickr.
We've written about the increasingly acknowledged impact of black carbon, soot and smog in global warming, but here's a sobering thought on all that: Dr Veerabhadra Ramanathan of the Scripps Institute of Oceanography says that even with a strong climate change agreement next month at COP15 we still could see global temperatures rise above 2°C -- all because of smog:...
Pesticide-Soaked 'Wallpaper' Cuts Malaria Exposure, Safer Than Spraying
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 11. 9.09
Mosquito on the wall. Image credit:DesertUSA.
To lower mosquito exposure in malaria-prone places there are two basic pesticide use strategies. The half-century old approach - a remnant of 1950's era thinking - is to spray entire towns, as well as the surrounding countryside, with a pesticide such as DDT or pyrethrin.
Washingon DC-area Think tanks seem enamored of those spray-glory days, in spite of the fact that it would be a logistical impossibility and far too costly to repeat the Bald Eagle extirpating performance for the many thousands of poor communities in developing nations where malaria is a serious threat.
Targeted application
The contemporary strategy is targeted pesticide application, interrupting the exposure where it counts most - at home - and leaving the wildlife and farm animals alone. Pyrethrin-soaked bed nets have long been used to protect sleeping children; but, not everyone has a "bed" and the nets are too expensive for people on a subsistence income. Plus, just as happened with DDT, widespread spraying with pyrethrin has selected for resistant mosquitos.
Now, via SciDev.net comes news of promising results from field trials of carbamate-impregnated polypropylene, non-woven fabric or "sheeting" as it is being called....
Rüegg Brings the Wood Stove Back Into the Kitchen
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11. 9.09
Wood fired stoves were very common houses a hundred years ago; the (Canadian) thanksgiving dinner I had a few weeks ago was cooked on one, in a house in the country where it heated both the room and the food.
Now Rüegg has brought the wood stove back into the kitchen, with a design that can work for cooking like a stove top, or open for barbecuing or just looking like a fireplace. Mocoloco calls it a an oven, a grill, and a heating system all-in-one.
...
Harnessing Bacteria to Grow Custom Packaging
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 11. 9.09
Some things have no business being packed up and shipped at all, like software serial numbers. But until we learn to teleport fragile objects, we're going to have to protect them for the journey. This ambitious concept called Bacs harnesses the bacterium acetobacter xylinum to self-assemble around an object, encasing it in a biodegradable paper-like shell. For this innovative notion, designer Mareike Frensemeier took third place in Cargo Packs 2020, a design challenge staged by Bayer MaterialScience. By slathering an object with the special culture and then offering it a sugary meal, the bacteria metabolize the glucose into a "fibrous nano-scaled cellulose network."...
Another Benefit of Smart Grids: Fewer Utility Trucks Spewing CO2
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 11. 9.09
Photo: Flickr, CC
The Difference Between Snail Mail and Email
One of the benefits of smart grids that we too often overlook is the fact that they'll greatly reduce the need for power utilities to send trucks (and often big ones) out in the field to gather data and fix problems. The most obvious example of this is the remote reading of meters instead of having to send people to read meters, but it will also help with maintenance and repairs since the grid will tell trucks exactly where to go to solve problems, reducing the number of miles driven. ...
Massive Refrigerated Trains: Is Railex the Future of Produce Freight? (Video)
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 11. 9.09
Image credit: Railex
Last week I wrote about the Stobart Refrigerated Train shipping produce from Spain to the UK via the Channel Tunnel, providing an alternative to hybrid trucks or slowing down freight as a means to saving gas. But while it was impressive, commenter Andrew pointed out that the "first-of-its-kind" headline may have been misleading. In fact, four 55 car state-of-the-art refrigerated train have been shipping refrigerated produce from Washington State and California to Albany, NY. The entire operation is incredible. ...
Beautiful Wood iPhone Skin Helps with Reforestation
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 11. 9.09
Image via Vers
It's no secret we like gadgets covered in wood - something about the feeling of permanence. Plus, wood makes for a solid protective cover for something like an iPhone. While not all wood cases are sustainable - like the un-TreeHugger zebra wood case we saw awhile back - Vers is a company that is working to make this wood iPhone case one of the most sustainable on the market. They've joined up with The Arbor Day Foundation to create an offer tough for any iPhone-toting greenie to refuse. ...
China Wants to Take "a Leadership Role" On Climate: An Interview with WWF's Yang Fuqiang, Part 2
by Alex Pasternack, New York, NY on 11. 9.09
When it comes to China's efforts to curtail greenhouse gases, Dr. Yang Fuqiang, director of global climate solutions at the World Wildlife Fund, has an optimal vantage point. He began his career as a researcher at the National Development and Reform Commission, the Chinese government's main economic planner, before continuing in the realm of energy and the environment. We spoke with him recently in Beijing, a few weeks before President Obama's upcoming visit.
This is the second part of our interview; also see the first part of our interview, about US-China collaboration.
TreeHugger: What's the best way China can address its carbon emissions in the short term?
Yang Fuqiang: They have two chances. One is Obama. Maybe China will give him some gift. The second chance is Copenhagen. China might say we have our binding targets for our emissions domestically, but not internationally. ...
Bio-Plastics Could Replace Up to 90% of Plastics, But Not in Short Term
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 11. 9.09
270 Million Tons of Plastics in 2007
Bioplastics are certainly not a panacea - they have their problems - but if we are to someday move to a world free of fossil fuels (by choice or by necessity), we'll need something to make plastics. Researchers from Utrecht University conducted a study that was commissioned by the associations European Bioplastics and the European Polysaccharide Network of Excellence (EPNOE), and their findings were pretty interesting....
Like Arriving at an Earthquake with a Dustpan & Brush - Climate Financing Utterly Lacking Says Maldives Pres.
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 11. 9.09
The highest point in the Maldives is about 2 meters above sea level. Photo: Wikipedia.
Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed is becoming one of the most vocal national critics of climate change inaction -- with good reason, his nation is going to be underwater in less than one hundred years because of it. At a two-day meeting in the Maldives of leaders from Kiribati, Bangladesh, Nepal, Vietnam, Barbados, Bhutan, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, and Tanzania, to form a common position ahead of the COP15 talks, President Nasheed was again particularly critical of the intransigence of the world's rich nations:...
Zebra Mussels (and Lots of Other Species) Invading Great Lakes and No One Can Decide What to Do About It
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 11. 9.09
Photo via benimoto
Out of the 185 invasive species in and around the Great Lakes, zebra mussels are posing a painful problem. The mussels have sharp shells and a tendency to slice up the feet of beach-goers. The mussels have hitched rides in the ballasts of ships coming into port, and while politicians have tried to get the shipping industry to help curb the problem through regulations, there haven't been any successes. Well, unless you're looking at it from the perspective of zebra mussels. But with 15,000 lakes to worry about, standing around bickering about what to do isn't helping the situation. ...
Inkjet Printer + Paper + Science = Cheap & Easy Pesticide Detection
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11. 9.09
Wabash River PH Test
Back in the chemistry class days, we had pH strips that changed colour according to whether a liquid was an acid or base. Now scientists at Hamilton, Ontario's McMaster University have come up with a cheap and fast way of finding out if there are pesticides in your food and drinks, by using an inkjet printer to build up layers of "bio-ink". You just dip the strip and in minutes, the paper changes colour according to which pesticide is causing the contamination.
Most technologies for testing food require several hours and electrically powered equipment, so this would be very useful in the field, areas without power and in the developing world.
...
How the Bushmen of Africa Can Save Us from the Global Water Crisis (Video)
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 11. 9.09
Images via YouTube and Amazon
I started in on a book about a month ago titled Heart of Dryness, which discusses how the bushmen of the Kalahari can teach us what we need to know about how to live in dry climates, something we're all increasingly finding ourselves in as we drill ourselves further into a global water crisis. However, due to political turmoil, the bushmen - the very people with all the knowledge and tools that can help billions of people cope with a growing lack of water - are a culture of people vanishing from the face of the planet. While frightening, it's a fascinating read, so I was excited to see a video interview with the book's author, James G. Workman, who discusses more about the book, the water crisis, and the quiet knowledge of the bushmen. Check out the short interview after the jump...
Climate Justice Fast Begins - Hunger Strike Continues Through End of COP15 Conference
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 11. 9.09
Green Eyes On: Stone Soup - Making Something Out of Nothing
by Sara Snow on 11. 9.09
Image via Sara Snow.
It's happened to me a thousand times or more so I'm sure it's happened to you as well. Dinnertime is looming, you look in the refrigerator, the pantry, the cupboards...and nothing. Not a can of beans or bundle of beets jumps out and says, "Look at me, I can be a tasty meal for dinner."
So now what?
...
Take Up Less Space With A Vertical Bed
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11. 9.09
image from Office for the Development of Substitute Materials
TreeHugger always promotes ideas that let you live in less space, as well as transformer furniture that goes away when you don't need it. Jamie O'Shea of the Office for the Development of Substitute Materials has developed a vertical bed that lets you sleep almost anywhere in a lot less space.
...
Green Holiday Gift Guide: The Foodie (Slideshow)
by Blythe Copeland, Great Neck, New York on 11. 9.09
You don't have to be a die-hard chef to appreciate the aroma of a simmering pot of stew, a perfectly-crusted pie, or a flawless tomato fresh from the garden--so whether you're shopping for your just-married cousin or your brother with the finely-honed palate, our foodie guide has the kitchen gadgets, cookbooks, recipes, and pots and pans you need to help them rediscover (or just discover) a love of cooking. (And if the closest person to a foodie on your list still burns toast, then we have one last suggestion: just give wine.)
Green Gift Guide: The Foodie (Slideshow)
After getting gifts for all the epicureans on your list, click on for 10 more gift-packed categories in our:
Green Holiday Gift Guide
...
Green Holiday Gift Guide: The Fashion Buff (Slideshow)
by Blythe Copeland, Great Neck, New York on 11. 9.09
As any teenager who's ever feigned excitement over a pom-pom reindeer sweater on Christmas morning can tell you, buying clothes for other people can be--well, let's just say, a little hit or miss. Don't want to give a closet full of duds that go unworn? We're with you--that's a waste of money, resources, and time. Instead, pull your ideas from our collection of fashionable, durable wardrobe must-haves--jeans that your guy will end up wearing 24/7, bracelets that will make your niece the envy of her high school, and maybe a few splurges for yourself--and fold up those reindeer sweaters for good.
Green Gift Guide: The Fashion Buff (Slideshow)
After getting gifts for all the fashionistas on your list, click on for 10 more gift-packed categories in our:
Green Holiday Gift Guide
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Sneakers for Geeks and Hackers Are Made form Recycled Computer Chips
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 11. 9.09
Images via Gabriel Dishaw
Are these the dream sneaks for green geeks? Maybe. They're at the very least a cool creation by Gabriel Dishaw, junk-metal artist extraordinaire, who fashioned these shoes out of pieces of computers and typewriters, with only glue and metal bending techniques to keep the pieces held together. ...
Seriously Cool and Inspirational Visual Bike-Art [Slideshow]
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires on 11. 9.09
Image: I Love Dust.
Biking is beautiful, and bikes are incredibly beautiful objects too. Those of us who love to ride know this, but many are able to translate that feeling into images and art that remind us how amazing this vehicle is.
In this gallery we compile poetic, funky, funny, and interesting pieces of visual art made by bike-loving artists all around the world. Autumn in the north hemisphere, Spring in the south, it's a great time to ride: so take a look and get inspired.
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From the Forums: What's Your Energy Usage?
by Alex Davies, New York City on 11. 9.09
Image Credit: pittaya via Flickr
stevejust writes:
I just looked at my bill from the last two months (los angles dept. of water power does a two month billing cycle) and I was floored to see that my average usage was 7 kwH per day...This has me interested in getting a power meter like never before. This is way more than I would have predicted. (Think about 7 150 watt solar panels). I'm just curious to see what other treehuggers' average kwH per day electric usage rates like... and if anyone has a particular wattage meter they would recommend or not recommend.So what's your energy usage like? Interested in a power meter as well? Join the conversation....
A 10-Ton Japanese Fishing Trawler Sunk By Giant Jellyfish
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 11. 9.09
Photo via nurpax
You could say it was the jellyfish, or you could say it was the overzealous fishermen on board. While trying to haul in a catch of several dozen giant Nomura's jellyfish - one of the largest in the world - a Japanese fishing trawler tipped right over. ...
The Politics of Plastics: Food Fights Over Bisphenol A
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11. 9.09
La Tomatina Food Fight
We noted earlier that Consumers Reports Confirms Bisphenol A Leaches From Tin Cans. This didn't sit well with our friends at Stats.org, who responded with Consumer Reports BPA study filled with factual errors. Consumers Reports shot back with Industry reacts to Consumer Reports' BPA report, noting:
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Sheena Goes Lady Gaga in Raffaele Ascione at Uniform Project Fete
by Emma Grady, New York, NY on 11. 9.09
Raffaele Ascione cape worn by Lady Gaga. Credit: The Uniform Project
Raffaele Ascione's cape--worn by pop star Lady Gaga--certainly affirms that shoulder pads are in. Sheena Matheiken--the face/body of The Uniform Project--wore the cape, and an entire design by the up and coming fashion designer at Saturday night's AccesSoireé, a six month anniversary party celebrating 191 ways to wear one dress. Thanks to The Uniform Project, we have the sentimental story behind Ascione's handcrafted design--click through for photos. ...
Toronto Event: R4 Fashion Featuring Sustainable Design
by Emma Grady, New York, NY on 11. 9.09
R4 Fashion event in Toronto, featuring Thieves. Image courtesy of R4 Fashion
R4 Fashion and Sustainable Technology Education Project (STEP) at the University of Waterloo, are bringing top Canadian designers together for a runway show and competition to showcase sustainable design and raise environmental awareness. Canadian designers Aime by Monica Mei, CARRIE by Carrie Hayes, Cherry Blossom, Thieves by Sonja den Elzen, Heidi Ackerman, and Rachel Jasmine Chan, will show pieces from their collections and create a garment from an unexpected material--waste, paper, and whatnot--click through for details and a fashion preview, in photos. ...
Do You Approve of Space Tourism?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11. 9.09
Jessica writes about a space hotel where a three night stay costs $4.4 million, and wonders, at what cost to the environment? This comes on top of Richard Branson's spaceship that burns rubber and nitrous oxide to fire people into space for seven minutes at $200,000 a pop. Is this a sensible use of resources?
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Climate Change Denial: Where It Counts, It's Not Going Up
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11. 9.09
George Monbiot is beside himself. He writes in his post Death Denial: "There is no point in denying it: we're losing. Climate change denial is spreading like a contagious disease. It exists in a sphere which cannot be reached by evidence or reasoned argument; any attempt to draw attention to scientific findings is greeted with furious invective. This sphere is expanding with astonishing speed."
The editor of a reputable Architect's website asks "As global temperatures fail to warm, is the heat going out of climate change?" and twitters ""Basically believing in man made climate change is a bit like hoping that fairies live at the bottom of the garden."
Fortunately, among the people who pay the architects, opinions are going the other way. Siemens Building Technology commissioned a study by McGraw Hill and found that there is a growing concern among the senior executives of big corporations about about energy, waste and generally going green.
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Ask Pablo: Refrigerator Water Dispenser or Refrigerated Bottles?
by Pablo Paster, San Francisco on 11. 9.09
Image Source: Alex Muse
Dear Pablo: We drink a great deal of water all day long and wondered which uses more energy: opening the refrigerator door to get a bottle of cold water or using the water dispenser on the exterior of the unit. Also, does it take more energy to get ice from the mechanical dispenser (which also uses energy to make ice) or more by opening and closing the freezer door to get some cubes?
The big picture answer is that it probably doesn't matter. Simply the fact that you are filling your own water bottles rather than buying bottled water is a much more important environmentally-friendly act. Both your refillable bottle and water that is dispensed by your refrigerator are taken from the same starting temperature to the same final temperature, so there is no difference there. Where there is a difference, however, is in the act of opening the refrigerator door and allowing all of that cold air to spill out (hot air rises, cold air falls). By using the door-mounted dispenser this loss of cold air is avoided....
Choose a Name for Vancouver's Baby Beluga Whale, Quickly
by Bonnie Alter, London on 11. 9.09
Image from Vancouver Aquarium
Veteran (as in since 2007) readers of TreeHugger may remember the earth-shattering and controversial competition to name Greenpeace's humpback whale. Mr. Splashy Pants was voted the most popular choice. The suggestion that this was a dubious moniker prompted 206 irate comments from readers who disagreed.
Now whale watchers have another chance. This adorable little baby beluga was born at the Vancouver Aquarium in British Columbia on June 7th. The aquarium is looking for a name that "reflects the Arctic origin of belugas and Inuit culture." Since the aquarium is so politically correct, Mr. Splashy Pants probably won't win too many votes this time round....
Readers, Send Us Your Fall Garden Photos!
by Emma Grady, New York, NY on 11. 9.09
Fall and winter gardening. Credit: sbocaj, CC 2.0
Is the soil in your garden still supporting summer vegetables like zucchinis and tomatoes? Have you prepared for fall frost and winter weather with help from your composted vegetables and other soil amendments? Is your fall harvest providing crisp cabbage, broccoli, or cauliflower? Have you begun to sow carrots and turnips? Prove it! We want to see photos of your winter garden preparation and planted gardens--indoors or out--for our next readers slideshow. Click through for details and if you missed it, view fall favorite Readers' Green Halloween Photos. ...
The Week in Pictures: Oil Rigs on Fire, Paris Hilton's Doghouse, Mount Kilimanjaro, and More (Slideshow)
by Emma Grady, New York, NY on 11. 8.09
From the 35-mile long volcanic rift in the Ethiopian desert that has been confirmed as the beginning of a new sea to the news that oil continues to gush into the Timor Sea--at an estimated rate of somewhere between 400 and 2,000 barrels per day--from an oil rig off the NW coast of Australia, a lot happened this week in green. We took a tour of Paris Hilton's $325,000 dog mansion--complete with air-conditioning and designer furniture--and saw spooky photos of Readers' Green Halloweens. Find out what else happened in the world of green this week in our photo roundup of most popular, most important, and most oddball stories.
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From the Forums: Green Christmas Cards
by Alex Davies, New York City on 11. 8.09
Image Credit: St0rmz via Flickr
TreeHuggerForever wants to know:
Does anybody know where I can find recycled Christmas cards? I don't want to order online, I would like to get them local. Any big retailer will do. Target had a few but they were kind of old fashioned. Any other stores? I don't really have time to make my own...Have suggestions? Post here....
From the Forums: How About a Pellet Stove?
by Alex Davies, New York City on 11. 8.09
Image Credit: °Florian via Flickr
environmental wakko writes:
Considering getting one of these but I have a few questions: 1) Would they cause less pollution to heat a room compared to heating with electricity (coal fired power plant). 2) I heard these require electricity to work. About how many Watts, or kWh per hour? 3) Is pellet supply really a big concern? I'm in Florida, if that makes a difference. 4) Can the exhaust go right up an existing chimney? Any other things I should know or keep in mind?Have suggestions? Want to see what others think? Join the discussion....
Americans Against Food Taxes?: Who's Really Fighting Preventative Medicine?
by Sara Novak, Columbia, SC on 11. 8.09
'Build Paris on Paris' & Other Good Ideas for Growth
by Jennifer Hattam, Istanbul, Turkey on 11. 8.09
The site of the London Olympics is just one example of a plan to improve a city through retrofitting and connecting. Artist's impression via London 2012.
Dense urban centers are good; sprawling suburbs are bad. Put in the simplest terms, that's what the conventional environmental wisdom tells us. But sometimes spreading out a little is just what a big city needs....
Manure Sculpture "Nick Smith in the Shit" Sold at Auction
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 11. 8.09
Image: TradeMe
Bullshit Bust Pokes Kiwi Minister
A manure sculpture of New Zealand agricultural minister Nick Smith has sold on the Kiwi auction site TradeMe. The sculpture by artist Sam Mahon, who traditionally works in bronze, immortalizes Mahon's opinion that Nick Smith has not taken sufficient action to protect New Zealand waters from pollution by agricultural run-off. How much would you pay for such a masterpiece?...
Factory Farms, Deforestation, Subsidies and Soy: UK Campaign Connects the Dots (Video)
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 11. 8.09
Image credit: FOE
From Meatless Mondays to Weekday Vegetarianism to going raw food vegan to adopting the 100-Mile Diet, there are plenty of individual actions we can take to reduce the impact of our meals. But personal action is not enough, and with the complex, interrelated clusterf**k that our food system has become, individuals can feel powerless to make positive change on a systemic level. Luckily, a new campaign from Friends of the Earth UK is connecting the dots for you. ...
Japan Space Solar Plans: Of Laser Beams and Solar Streams
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 11. 8.09
Image: Japan USEF, SSPS project
Space Solar Power System Closer to Reality
Japan's space agency, USEF, is in the news again with their plans to build a space solar power station, equivalent to a medium sized nuclear plant, by 2030. Inspired by hope that such a sci-fi vision becomes reality, we have some advice for the Japanese space agency, some wisdom learned in the trenches of the fight against global warming. The nugget of knowledge that could make the difference between success and failure for the ambitious space-based solar station is this: ...
NY Event: Clean Out Your Closet and Score!
by Emma Grady, New York, NY on 11. 8.09
Score at Score! Credit: Score
Flavorpill and Bust Magazine are hosting Score! a pop-up swap and fundraiser to benefit City Harvest. Attendees are invited to bring clothes, accessories, books, DVDs, and more. Everything is free--or as Kanye West would say '"free.99"--and Nylon Magazine's Senior Editor will be on hand to curate the clothing section. Click through for details.
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Airwalk Shoes Is Awarding Environmental Charities $10K
by Emma Grady, New York, NY on 11. 8.09
Credit: Airwalk
Airwalk recently launched Doing Your Part, an online fundraiser for Surfrider Foundation and Music for Relief. They are donating a dollar for every visitor to their site--until they reach $10,000--to the California-based environmental non-profits. Choose your favorite charity, after the fold....
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