People's Design Award Bestowed on the Trek Lime

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:03:41 GMT

When Trek unveiled the Lime back in 2007, the mission was to bring delightful, non-threatening biking to grown-ups. Some nice validation came last week when the Lime won the 2009 People's Design Award, a subcategory of the prominent National Design Awards. A simple city bike with an upright riding posture, the Lime uses Shimano's Coasting automatic three-speed transmission (a pretty complex system with a very simple user interface) and a back-pedal brake rather than hand levers. The mid-priced bike also packs a clever storage compartment into the bike's seat with enough room for keys, cell, and grocery money.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Artful Reclaimed Furnishings from Urban Woods

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:31:46 GMT

Since the leveling of forests is linked to everything from sneakers to burgers to biofuels, it's refreshing to find a furniture shop souring all of its timber from reclaimed sources. Urban Woods hand makes all its pieces in Los Angeles from wood that was milled between 50 and 100 years ago. Aesthetically, these are down-to-earth collections, more refined and tame than Hugo Franca's gnarly masterpieces, or even Carlos Motta's rustic reclaimed recliners.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Flapping Wind Turbine Inspired by Bumble Bee Wings

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:29:31 GMT

Images: Jetson Green
Biomimicry is everywhere these days. It seems increasingly clear that design inspired by nature will play a great big role in our energy future. Case in point: Green Wavelength, an up-and-coming California engineering biz, has prototyped a small wind turbine, the xBEE, the elegant flapping motion of which is inspired by the buzz of insect wings (see the video below). Borrowing design cues from nature is already changing the face of technology, especially in the swirly realm of fluid dynamics. We've seen fan blades inspired by the bumpy fins of whales, solar cells made more efficient by the texture of butterfly wings, turbine blades that mimic the hydrophobic surface of leaves, and maybe even high-MPG car coatings that are rough like shark skin.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Chicago's Bloomingdale Rail Could Become Giant, Hydrogen-Producing Greenhouse

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:23:50 GMT

Image: Bustler
When I was in college, a graffiti-writing friend took me to one of his favorite secret spots, a neglected section of elevated train track in Manhattan's meat packing district. We had to politely interrupt some transvestite prostitutes in an alley to climb the one scalable wall up to this derelict wonderland. Last month I found myself in that same spot, but it's now the High Line, an elevated New York City park, a mile-and-a-half long, that winds through Chelsea and Hell's Kitchen. Chicago is now looking at a similar project, but one more ambitious by several degrees of magnitude.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Power Tripping Across America with Environmental Journalist Amanda Little

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:48:00 GMT

Amanda Little built a journalistic career decrying the pains and convulsions of our petrol-obsessed society, but it wasn't until she embarked on a very personal quest did the story of oil become illuminated in human terms. Amanda tells TreeHugger Radio how, to write her first book, Power Trip: From Oil Wells to Solar Cells--Our Ride to the Renewable Future, she went inside the Pentagon and the Talladega Superspeedway, visited corn farmers and rode along with T. Boone Pickens, witnessed a boob job and landed on a Gulf Coast oil rig. Through it all, she learned a new-found respect for the hydrocarbon, and a renewed vision for a green future. Listen to the podcast of this interview via iTunes, or just click here to listen, right-click to download. Also check out our text interview in which Amanda talks about her recent move to Nashville.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Supermodels Get Nearly Naked for Climate Change (Video)

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 07:46:00 GMT

October 4th marked a day of action that spanned 181 countries and 5,200 separate events, all for the sake of one number: 350. Inspired by this colossal (and exceedingly creative) global display, a small cadre of New York models put their beautiful bodies behind the message of atmospheric salvation. In this video for 350.org, they count backward from 390 parts per million-our current carbon dioxide levels-shedding layers as they go. But they stop at 352, just shy of the mark, leaving the final glory to our imaginations. (Video after the jump) ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Helix-Shaped Wind Turbines Could Power Nigerian Cell Towers

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:08:43 GMT

Vertical axis wind turbines are an intriguing technology that most people still know little about. The turbines we are accustomed to use blades to turn a horizontal axis (which is often housed in the little cupola on the top of the turbine's tall stem). Vertical axis turbines turn a vertical shaft (picture a barber's pole) to generate power. Helix Wind, a US maker of some very slick looking vertical axis wind turbines, has struck a deal with a West African telecom company to power cell phone towers with wind. This allows the towers to operate autonomously without transmission lines or diesel generators.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Stencils and Mud Make for Artful Eco Graffiti

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 09:32:49 GMT

Images: Mud Stencils
Youngster Jesse Graves has been running around Milwaukee stenciling his artistic messages of eco-sanity on sidewalks, walls, and concrete pylons. But lucky for his lungs and his criminal record, he's doing it with mud instead of paint. Graves, who signs his work MSR (mud stencils rule), writes: "I use mud or earth because it is a fundamental life-giving substance, logical for my messages. Mud stencils are an evolving medium, intended for art and social justice, not corporate advertisement."... Read the full story on TreeHugger

New NatureMill XE Series of Automatic Composters

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:07:06 GMT

Image: NatureMill
Mounding kitchen scraps in the backyard is all well and good, but we've got nothing against letting technology speed up nature's progress. NatureMill first blipped on our radar back in 2005, and has been steadily improving its automated composting machines ever since. The San Francisco company just came out with the newest version of its home composting system, the XE series.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Author Margaret Atwood on The Year of the Flood

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:04:30 GMT

Photo: George Whiteside
Margaret Atwood is one of the most respected authors of our time, with dozens of books of poetry and fiction to her name, among them Cat's Eye, The Handmaid's Tale, and Oryx and Crake. Her latest book, The Year of the Flood, is set in a fallen future: society has crumbled, climate change and pandemics ravage the planet, and people are forced to rediscover their relationship with the land. Miss Atwood chats with TreeHugger about the God's Gardeners (the book's rooftop-gardening eco cult), her pantheon of ecological saints, and the greening of her book tour and her own life. (Our apologies for the sound quality--we did our best.) Listen to the podcast of this interview via iTunes, or just click here to listen, right-click to download. Music from Piers Faccini. Full text after the jump.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

The Dyson Air Multiplier: A $300 Bladeless Cooling Machine

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:25:12 GMT

Image: Dyson The Air Multiplier fan from Dyson has no visible blades--just a ring, one-foot across, mounted on a circular base--but out of it flows a strong, turbulence-free cylinder of cooling air. Vacuum magnate Sir James Dyson has done it again, or so it seems. The Air Multiplier fan is a piece of home cooling technology with a potent wow factor and, quite likely, the potential to save quite a lot of energy. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Coat Hangers and Bike Parts Make Elegant Hanging Light Fixtures

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:36:29 GMT

Images: Organelle Design
They call them Hangeliers. In East Vancouver, designers Alex Witko and Courtney Hunt spend their days between the hardware store, the studio, and the city's alleys and dumpsters. Their little firm, Organelle Design, has generated everything from furniture to a customizably insulated window prototype, but their most eye-catching creations are hanging lamps made from coat hangers-. Don't worry, they've got both kinds: wooden and plastic. Built around the rims of bicycle wheels and cast-off chainrings, their lighting designs are held together mostly with zipties, some with chicken wire. "Our work starts with a simple premise," the young Canadians write," waste is the most abundant local resource our cities have to offer."... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Elizabeth Grossman Chases Toxic Molecules Through Our Bodies and Around the Globe

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 10:44:07 GMT

If, in the United States, you happen to decided you'd like to earn your PhD in chemistry, you may notice that at no point are you required to take a course in toxicology. This is partly the reason we're now being assaulted by a growing mob of dangerous substances as they float through our oceans and bloodstreams. So says science journalist Elizabeth Grossman whose new book, Chasing Molecules: Poisonous Products, Human Health, and the Promise of Green Chemistry, is a sleuth job into the world of synthetic estrogens, carcinogens, nanoparticles, and other man-made poisons that may be making us fat, angry, stupid, and dead. Listen to the podcast of our interview with Elizabeth Grossman via iTunes, or just click here to listen, right-click to download. Music credit: Stereolab... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Recycled Freitag Bags Become Compost Art During Vienna Design Week

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:54:31 GMT

Image: Walking Chair Gallery Freitag bags are a modern eco classic. Swiss brothers Markus and Daniel Freitag make their slick bags, wallets, iPhone cases, and other accessories from discarded tarps, the type used by long-distance freight trucks in Europe. Even their Zurich store is made from shipping containers. Recently, the two suave gents were recruited by a Vienna art gallery as part of Vienna Design Week to partake in "Urban Gardening," an art installation involving an active compost pile. Freitag supplied 100 limited edition compost bags to patrons on opening night on the promise that, for three months, they bring their food scraps back to the gallery to become part of the arty compost heap. The Freitag brothers kicked things off by making a big soup, feeding gallery-goers while inaugurating the pile with their peelings.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Video: Battery Technology for the Nissan LEAF Electric Car

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:58:30 GMT

Video: Nissan
Nissan just sent us the first in a series of videos meant to "tell Nissan's Zero emissions story." This one-minute spot focuses on the Leaf, Nissan's forthcoming fully-electric hatchback. We were there in Yokohama when the car was first unveiled to the world. Since then Nissan has announced that the Leaf will emit an extra-terrestrial sound at low speeds, and that reservations will start being taken in spring 2010.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Meet Your New E-Waste Recycling Symbol: "4th Bin" Winners Announced

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:30:33 GMT

The iconic "mobius strip" recycling symbol that we know so well was designed by a 23-year-old in 1970; it was his submission into a design competition sponsored by the Container Corporation of America. Symbolic history may have just been made once more with the winners of the 4th Bin design contest. Valiant Technology sponsored the competition to design a logo for e-waste, as well as a container specially engineered to receive it, initially for New York City, then for the world. E-waste, or electronic waste, is an ever faster-growing category of trash consisting of computers, cell phones, game consoles, printers, etc. We've seen how e-waste creates toxic nightmares overseas, and how better recycling could recover a lot of cash. But many e-waste recycling programs are still disjointed or ad-hoc, and the 4th Bin contest is trying to make it a more recognizable part of our daily habits.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

The Green Future of Mercedes-Benz: The New Electric Smart Fortwo

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:25:20 GMT

(Image: Jacob Gordon)
Fully-electric Smart cars have been zipping around roads in various forms for some time. But now, Daimler AG, Smart's German daddy company, is ramping up to roll out the second-generation of its battery-powered Smart fortwo--this time taking advantage of its ace in the hole: a 10% ownership stake in Tesla Motors. The upshot will be a more powerful, longer-range EV that will be widely available by 2012. As you know, I've been writing about Daimler AG (owner of Mercedes-Benz and Smart) quite a bit lately (see my overview and S-Class hybrid test drive). My impression is that the company's green-technology ambitions are not well known in the US and that a closer inspection is worth while. Since it's debut, electric conversion enthusiast have loved getting their mits on the tiny Smart, which lends itself well to battery power. In fact, Smart claims the fortwo was designed with electric-drive components in mind from the very start, even when it was available only in gasoline and diesel models. Now, as the second-generation of the Smart EV gets ready to hit the assembly line next month, the Smart fortwo may be one a step closer to its true calling.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

The Green Future of Mercedes-Benz: Driving the S 400 Hybrid

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:09:38 GMT

(Image: Daimler AG)
I'm still buzzing from the Frankfurt auto show. With its many visual delights, the IAA is arguably the most important gathering of automakers in the world. Much of my focus centered around Mercedes-Benz (after all, Daimler AG was my host), and I'm still sorting through all there is to say about this company as it becomes a more and more important contender in the green car battle. Mercedes is now moving into the luxury hybrid market, a space that has been decidedly Lexus' up till now. While the S 400 hybrid has been a fast seller in Europe (accounting for almost 20% of S-Class orders since June), it has only just rolled into US dealerships. I test drove the S 400 on roads winding through cabbage and pumpkin farms outside Mercedes' home of Stuttgart, getting a good feel for this new luxury hybrid offering.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

The Green Future of Mercedes-Benz

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 12:48:57 GMT

(Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of Daimler AG. And yes, there are people in those bubbles. Image: Jacob Gordon)
Here in the US, Daimer AG (umbrella company to Mercedes-Benz and Smart) hasn't done much to sell itself as a green brand. But after spending the better part of a week in Germany, talking with some of Daimler's top brass and taking in the Frankfurt auto show, it's clear to me there's a lot to discuss. The Mercedes-Benz brand is being steered towards a vision of zero emissions by way of an array of next-generation technologies. Hydrogen fuel cells, hybrids, plug-ins, battery electrics, and clean diesel engines are all getting heavy investment from the luxury car maker. The next few years will see some dramatic products offerings from the Mercedes-Benz and Smart lines. Here's a quick overview of the green car goings on over at Daimler.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

A Modern Fixed Gear with 80s BMX Style

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:58:10 GMT

As a scrappy kid you couldn't keep your mind off your BMX--today, as a well-rounded hipster, you salivate over single speeds. If this is you, then your ship has come in. Bike-maker SE Racing and DC Shoes have melded their nostalgic brain matter to create a fixed gear bicycle that embodies the unmistakable 1980s glow a classic BMX, the PK Ripper. This aluminum-framed ride has a flip-flop hub (can alternate between single speed and fixed gear), a classic looptail rear end, "floval tubing," and--if I'm reading this right--a bottle opener built into its saddle. The Standard Hotel in New York caught wind of this retro sensation and picked up 20 of these PK Ripper fixies for its own. After being customized to its own liking (Standardized, if you will), 15 will be made available to patrons of the New York hotel for city jaunts. The other five are being sold through the Standard's online store ($1250). Via Highsnobiety... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Newsweek Ranks America's Greenest Companies

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 09:29:06 GMT

It wasn't easy. In fact, Newsweek's Deputy Editor Kathy Deveny admits that if she knew how hard it would be, she probably wouldn't have. But what's done is done: Newsweek spent more than a year vetting the 500 biggest companies in America and ranking them from greenest to brownest. Deveny breaks down the grueling process for us, explaining why the winners won and the losers lost. Listen to the podcast of this interview via iTunes, or just click here to listen, right-click to download.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Taking Volvo's Electric C30 for a Spin (Video)

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:58:13 GMT

(Images: Dick Gilbert)
I recently had the pleasure of taking two of Volvo's latest prototypes for some blissful laps around the test track in Gothenburg, Sweden. This is the first time Volvo has presented its all-electric C30, a technology still in the research phase, and I got a good feel for where the company's stands with its EV and plug-in hybrid projects. Seen in action in the video below is the BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle), based around the already-in-production Volvo C30. The car has a fantastic feel: tight handling, satisfying pickup, and a beautiful sound during acceleration. The car is outfitted with two lithium-ion batteries, one under the hood, the other beneath the trunk, giving the car a range of 150 km (about 93 miles). I also sampled a plug-in diesel hybrid, a technology that Volvo will bring to commercialization in 2012.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Slideshow: Green Wheels of the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 14:01:18 GMT

This year's Frankfurt Auto Show was an explosion of new green vehicles. With extravagant displays and more than 80 world-premiers, this year's show lived up to its reputation as the auto event to watch. It was also the year of green transportation: we venture to say that no major car show has been more jam packed with electric cars, hybrids, fuel cells, low-carbon diesels, and hybrids of every imaginable species. So take a browse through our slideshow of Frankfurt highlights and pick your favorites. Also check out: 9 Electric Cars That Were The Buzz of Frankfurt Auto Show Test-Driving Renault's All-Electric Car at the Frankfurt Motor Show ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

2009 Frankfurt Auto Show

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 13:37:19 GMT

The 2009 International Motor Show (IAA), also known as the Frankfurt Auto Show, is a juggernaut; a juicy feast for the senses and the imagination. Despite auto-industry gloom, this year's show was bursting with world premiers, flashy theatrics, and slowly rotating models. More importantly, sustainable technology was the guest of honor, and we saw a stunning array of alternative vehicles.

Image: Jacob Gordon

... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Colin Beavan on his Year as No Impact Man

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:12:11 GMT

The world has been watching Colin Beavan--better known as No Impact Man--for some time. Now, his year of no-impact living at an end, he is sharing the ups and downs, the laughter and nail-biting, and all the lessons that came from what The New York Times dubbed "the year without toilet paper." No Impact Man is now a film, a book, and a nonprofit (NoImpactProject.org), and the critics are scurrying about trying to make sense of it all. Listen to the podcast of this interview via iTunes, or just click here to listen, right-click to download. Music credit: Andrew Bird... Read the full story on TreeHugger

A Warm Workpod for Drafty Lofts

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 13:41:41 GMT

(Images: Dezeen)
Warehouses, schoolhouses, and factory buildings repurpose well into lofts and art studios, but draftiness and patchy temperatures often come with the terrain. Berlin architecture firm Davidson Refaildis devised this concept, Selective Insulation, to help with this problem. The result: a thermally cloistered space for desk work, built around a window. Installed in the Old School House in Hexham, UK-an 1849 structure where it is "difficult to maintain warm working conditions for much of the year,"-this angular pod creates an insulated microenvironment.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

VerTerra Dinnerware Made from Fallen Leaves

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 18:23:11 GMT

If the meal calls for disposable plates, they may as well be biological nutrients that can be readily returned to the soil. Elegance doesn't hurt, either. These disposable plates, bowls, and serving dishes from VerTerra are made from fallen leaves, pressed into shape with nothing but heat and water. You can see from our post last year that VerTerra's designs have evolved aesthetically, while retaining the same remarkably simple production process. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Design Revolution: 100 Products That Empower People

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:37:19 GMT

Back when we had Emily Pilloton on TreeHugger Radio, she got us all excited about the book she was working on. Now it's here. Design Revolution: 100 Products That Empower People (available from Amazon and Project H) is both visually stimulating and cerebrally satisfying as it surveys 100 products and initiatives that are making life better for real, live human beings. Design Revolution kicks off with a foreword by Allan Chochinov (editor of Core77 http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/02/allan-chochinovs-10-steps-for-sustainable-design.php), and is carried through by the deft aesthetic of Scott Stowell (the man who makes GOOD magazine look so good).... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Bill McKibben on Why 350 is the World's Most Important Number

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 11:49:04 GMT

Bill McKibben (author of Deep Economy and The End of Nature) is the man behind 350.org, the campaign to convince the world that we aren't safe until global carbon dioxide levels are down to 350 parts per million. In the run-up to major climate talks in Copenhagen, the author-turned-organizer has orchestrated what he hopes will be the largest day of climate action in history, complete with scuba divers in the Maldives and monks in Tibet. McKibben talks with TreeHugger about the recent good news from the head of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and about one of his greatest challenges to date: being a guest on The Colbert Report. Listen to the podcast of this interview via iTunes, or just click here to listen, right-click to download. Music credit: Dengue Fever... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Sexy Bike Alert: Electra's New Ticino

Sat, 05 Sep 2009 09:48:04 GMT

Hello, Ticino. Electra has had a lot of success marketing affordable bikes for that chunk of the biking public that is not about to ride a century, yet won't settle for a generic Wal-Mart model (we know Sarah Michelle Geller is fond of her Amsterdam). But this kicks it up a notch. Due out in the fall of 2010, the Ticino is rumored to be completely purpose-built by Electra (except for the drivetrain) and will come in 1, 7, 8, 16, and 20-speed configurations, and range from $500 to $2000. The Ticino is clearly designed to appeal to those wanting a bike from the bygone glory days, but with the upgrades offered by contemporary manufacturing. There's something about the reversed brake levers, down-tube shifters, and elegant cargo racks that just makes us a bit hot under the collar. Is that normal? More pics below... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Recent Posts by TreeHugger's Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN