A Nation of Hitchhikers

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 09:25:15 GMT

Image by Wikimedia As the American Automotive Fabric takes a little "T-Out" from its regularly scheduled programming, we may want to prepare our last bidey-byes to the notion that jumping into a personally-owned powered metal box - gas, electric, biodiesel, whatever - every time we need a quart of milk is going to reliably continue. With our sweet dreams and driving machines in pieces on the ground, a backup system is clearly required. One is hitchhiking, which relies on the kindness of strangers and a certain implicit level of decency in the shared social contract between rider and driver. Hitchhiking is commonplace in many countries throughout the world and is on the increase; a recent Digihitch poll showed that 2/3rds of respondents are going to try hitchhiking for the first time this year. Is the U.S. citizenry ready to support hitching, or must we look to the next technological thingy to solve our transportation problem? Here's what you need to know about holding up your end of the bargain. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Camps Forming on the End of the Information Age- Join Now!

Tue, 26 May 2009 10:18:24 GMT

Quite a brolio going on at the Archdruid Report regarding the sustainability of the Internet. Using his characteristic logic, John Michael Greer (the druid host) suggests that the End of the Information Age must be near, regardless of the oft-cited 'green gains in efficiency' from using the 'net. Obviously, there are a few Ad Astra Per Asperas who disagree but Greer is correct - just because a lot of people want information technology around doesn't mean it will it always be here, or guarantee our survival, or not bump up against hard ecological limits... right?... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Five Record-Breaking Trash Cans

Tue, 19 May 2009 06:50:51 GMT

Image from NowPublic Ahhh trash, we live amongst it although perhaps without as much esprit de corps as our furry green friend. Trash comes in all substance and sizes - brown banana peels, sticky popsicle wrappers, the occasional ship which needs to be scuttled - but one bit is clear: we are obsessive about collecting these cast-offs. This large variety of temporary and permanent resting places are known as 'Trash Cans' and have a record book all of their own - Grouchy Oscar himself wins the Trash Can Award for most widely recognized. Click-thru for four other odd, exotic, record-breaking garbage receptacles, including one triple record holder!... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Seven American Foods with Regional Availablilty

Tue, 12 May 2009 09:15:41 GMT

Image by Travel MSN One of the gentle ironies of the American Cultural Situation is the widespread availability of a limited amount of foodstuffs. Pick up any diner menu between the shining seas and it will have identical offerings; omelets, burgers, Reubens, chicken fingers. While there may be some comfort in the realization that we have all agreed to a National Palette, isn't it better to hunger for that only-locally-available edible which binds us culturally together, via food and place? Here are seven of these dishes which are only available regionally.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Unplugged Couple Green and Happy

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 12:26:16 GMT

Image by The Boston Globe No TV. No microwave. No mp3s. No Facebook. No Internet. Few words on the cell phone. No iPod. No car! So say Cara (27) and Alan (31) Kalf, who have deliberately chosen to forsake a whole slew of commonplace gadgetry and habitry to simplify their lives. Objective - happiness. Turns out it seems to be good for them and the globe as well; is Unplugged the new green trend?... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Microsoft MSDN Goes Loband

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 09:53:26 GMT

Image from Jon Galloway Anyone who has tinkered under the hood of a Windows machine is fully appreciative of the Microsoft Developer's Network (MSDN), a clearinghouse of information for all Microsoft products. Recently - and perhaps through a little Treehugger prompting - a new ultra-low bandwidth of MSDN has just been released that cuts page size by over 80 percent, insuring lightning-quick access to this heavily-used resource. Praise for the new site has been extreme; the hardcores from StackOverflow simply love it, and here's why you will too. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

High Tech Dinosaur Show in Itself a Dinosaur

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 12:38:55 GMT

Image by Dinosaur LIVE! The Low-Tech times reports on a novel self-recursive high-tech dinosaur show touring the globe that appears to be more enviro-trouble than it's worth. First, click the link and endure the crazy high bandwidth site design that breaks nearly every rule of application usability (the shaking resized browser is not often seen these days), then follow up with the staggering array of materials to run this thing.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Heirloom Computing - The 100-Year PC

Tue, 07 Apr 2009 10:30:29 GMT

Image from Snopes Yoni Levison over at EcoGeek lobbed one of those sobering environmental questions to Tod Arbogast, Dell's Director of Sustainable Business, the other day - when is the computer that lasts decades going to be developed? It's a good question; if we're so collectively technologically smart, why can't we develop a piece of (mostly) solid state equipment that lasts a century or more? In itself, it's interesting to imagine what such a device would look like - like the pic, will it have a wheel to steer it by? Yoni's placid probing, and Tod's response follows.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Can We Have Too Much Technology?

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 10:37:40 GMT

Kevin Kelly over at the Technium continues to throw out the raw meat, asking the question Is there a reason to diminish technology? Like many, Kelly is a obviously a dyed-wool technologist - lots, more, and often is his perspective but he fairly probes for the counterarguments. He found four, can you find more?... Read the full story on TreeHugger

The Blackboard Blogger of Liberia

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 09:27:46 GMT

Image from AfriGadget The "Daily News" is a blackboard on a major road in Monrovia, Liberia which is run by a fellow named Alfred Sirleaf. Everyday, he writes out the news in neat letters for those who can't afford newspapers, radio, or a generator to run a TV. Mr. Sirleaf might be considered an "analog blogger", and this is how he is changing the world one letter at a time. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Sustainable Loband in the Cloud?

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 12:35:21 GMT

As the discussion over rural broadband heats up, there's sure to be plenty more discussion as to the efficacy of the proposed solutions. Here's one that novel - Loband. Put out by Aptivate, Loband is a free service that simplifies web pages in order to make them download faster over slow Internet connections. The simplified page viewed through Loband contains the same text information as the original, with attempts to preserve the formatting as well. No colors or images though - these are removed. Can Loband save billions of dollars in government-subsidized telecom in rural broadband? Maybe. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Broadband in America - Fat Pipes for Old Glory a Questionable Green Plan

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 09:47:22 GMT

Image by Over Yonder With 4 a's and 3 b's in a total of 14 letters, The phrase "Obama Broadband" has a gentle, rolling hills kind of feel that is fun to say and think for its literary value alone. And it's fitting too; as the administration is about to pour $8 billion into U.S. broadband Internet networks across the country, it appears that most of new lines will be used to digitally light up Rural America. Dig some ditches, pull some wire and the job will be done but it's money down the bowl - the U.S. hinterlands don't need broadband. Find out why. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

The New Local Money - Food Dollars

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 02:50:21 GMT

Image from the Oil Drum Jumping immediately from John Michael Greer's sobering bit on the end of retirement to Jason Bradford's discussion of printing food-backed money dollars is only for environmental experts; I did it, but barely escaped with my life. The juxtaposition of the two of the biggest n'er-before-faced realities - that of forgetting about retiring, and wondering how the dinner plate will be filled in the next few years - is the sobering equivalent of pushing a galvanized ten-penny through your palm. But so shockingly rich in practicality prana the posts they are, one may be able to feel satiated just by reading them you will. Is printing your own fisc the solution achieving security in your old age? After the break.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

One Big Laugh - Technological Familiarity Breeds Contempt

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 10:43:35 GMT

Happened to light onto The Techium today, written by Kevin Kelly - several delicious articles there, and the site is well worth bookmarking. The above perky video featuring Louis C.K. on the Conan O'Brien show probes a very basic question - if technology is so great, why is everyone so unhappy? Laugh until you cry then read our take, after the break. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Our Low-Tech, Jury-Rigged Future

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 19:50:22 GMT

Ah! Nothing smells like shift more than tips from the New York Times on how to fix your high-tech junk using low-tech solutions. Far from a downer, there's satisfaction to be had here: who hasn't had that gentle internal smile when their hand-slam stopped that crazy 'puterized whirring sound? In today's world, re-pair and fix-it is the name of the game - it's time to reestablish who boss-man is. The list is a mixture of principle and witchcraft; while both methods work, some make sense and others nay. Examp - using a jar of rice to dry out your chatter after going into the crapper works because rice is a dessicant, but why wrapping your errant debit card in a plastic bag and reswiping works is beyond ken. From using mouthwash to clean dirty DVDs to freezing broken hard drives, every suggestion is a winner. Bravo, dead tree media, you did it again. NYT Low Tech Seven Overrated Technologies High Minds with Low-Tech Solutions Low-tech, Low Energy ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Those Slow-Teching Amish

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 16:05:58 GMT

Image by The Technium If you're prepared sharpen your shoehorn on what exactly appropriate technology is, one need look no further than this delightful little number on the Amish from Kevin Kelly over at the Technium. For The Some drenched in The Twitter, this nifty set of ideas might be considered to be horse-and-buggy thinking. Yowza yowza - it is; our future awaits. From "Amish Electricity" to the reasons for using disposable diapers and genetically modified corn, it's all there sir, plain as day, in black and white - it's the conversation without missing the message. Warning: Amish Ahead. The Technium Our New Amish Overlords Amish Farmer Challenges Raw Milk Laws Horse and Buggy + Wind Turbine Amish Love that Crazy Solar Thing ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Uncle Same (pun) Wants You To Buy a Car?

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 13:57:00 GMT

Image by New York Times I can see Jim Kunstler's face right now - pursed lips and purple. All this because CNN has leaked out that a few congresspeople think giving cash incentives to buy cars is the way to get things moving again (pun) in the good ole U.S. of A. There are 2 plans; one is even billed as 'environmentally sound'. Jim, don't turn the page; others, only if you dare.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Seeger, Van Jones Embrace the Way of the Gun

Thu, 22 Jan 2009 04:34:33 GMT

Courtesy of This Old House If you watched the inauguration, you noticed the steady stream of old-timers who did their bit on the stage; at one point, I half-expected The Who to get up there and rip off a chorus of "Degeneration" to scattered applause. But when 89 year old Pete Seeger came out, I rubbed my eyes; Seeger, an inspiration for at least three generations, still around? I had seen him at the Clearwater Festival some 20 years ago, and he has lost little of his magic or gusto, literally running off the stage when he was done. As such, I was surprised to learn that Seeger has recently teamed up with Van Jones to support gun-running in urban neighborhoods. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Seven Grams CO2 per Google Search? Not True or Relevant, but Fun To Repeat

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 08:30:23 GMT

Image from One of a Kind Antiques Many of us will remember the whole seven grams of CO2, kettle of tea thing with Google, and guess that it probably isn't quite right; the dude that supposedly said it now supposedly denies it, apparently blaming it on London Times ax grinding against Google. At this point, who really knows what's going on - maybe TechNewsWorld has an ax to grind for the Times too - but one thing is for sure; all day today, the entire audience following this story will get their pleasures from figuring it out. And that, environmentally, is 100% exactly the problem. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Christmas Chemistry Suggests that Adults Must Give, Children Receive

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 11:20:41 GMT

from Wordpress As both a supplier and inducer of the 'Christmas Cheer' in the coming weeks, it will behoove you to get comfortable with a little chemistry. Now, a Savvy Tyro might stop me right there, knowingly reciting the tried-and-true formula of "booze the adults, sugar the children." Yes, yes; granted, that works pretty well. But there's more to the story of providing a truly enjoyable holiday season, the secret to which also has some positive green implications as well. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Can You Survive the Heat Death of the Universe?

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 09:20:13 GMT

Image by Darren McManus, zeroDegreesArt Environmentalists are known for taking the 'long term' view - our sons' sons' sons' well-being, that kind of thing. This was ok with me until I got strange-tangled up with a physicist, a non-water related one, who has a doctorate of the subject. And he got me thinking - long term view? Brother (actually, cousin), you don't know the meaning of the phrase. Have you given any thought to surviving the heat death of the universe? Surviving the heat death of the universe is something that hadn't really occurred to me; I had been thinking of sustainability in more manageable terms, like not dumping paint down the toilet or refusing to wantonly spray DDT in schoolyards. But my time horizon was fairly short on these matters; getting a little more exotic life on earth, or for that matter anywhere, is probably not indefinitely sustainable in the form that we know it. And here's the problem. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Survey: Who's Your Green Villain?

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 08:43:54 GMT

Image by MyGreenVillain

If you liked My Green Hero, you'll love My Green Villain; infamy has this appeal. Much like the first, the survey looks at U.S. consumers' darker archetypes in an attempt to provide better motivators for both consumers and business. Results are tabulated, and if desired, SOAP will send them to you when the survey is complete. However, unlike the first one there are only 6 characters this time, but there's also a twist at the end. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Prosper.com Shutdown by SEC

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 07:45:43 GMT

Image from Netbanker You might have heard of prosper.com, a site where borrowers and lenders can get together in the absence of a legitimate bank and do business. It's an intriguing idea; lend your money directly to your planetary neighbor without some middleman taking a cut, who indubitably must fund their indoor Hamptonian pool on your dollar. As the lender, you take all the risk and get the all the interest; as the borrower, you get access to cash that a regular bank might not let you borrow, maybe because your credit rating is bad or you have no collateral. Sounds like a security, doesn't it? Obviously, Prosper is running the 'trust your brethren, help each other' model in full swing, something the Green Glow can relate to. But the scheme has two minor problems... it's illegal, and doesn't work - the Securities and Exchange Commission has shut them down. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Top 7 Green Categories of 7 Green Lists of 7 Green Things

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 07:05:19 GMT

Image by Treehugger In the never ending battle to beat out absurdities such as Stewie the Grape Stomping Reporter and the real 19th century vampire kit that is (apparently) a must have, here is a little contribution that picks up on my last blockbuster; seven categories of lists, each of which is composed of 7 separate lists, where each list has seven items!!! Not only that, but get this, every list and item has to do with the environment. This technology, it's a miracle - wouldn't have been possible with Google - distilling this stuff down into one easy to find place for y'all. Seven!!!!!... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Top 7 Green Lists of 7 Green Things

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 08:48:58 GMT

Image by Freefoto Seven, seven, seven, seven, seven, seven, seven! It's a magic number; people are addicted to the number seven. Doesn't it feel good, just looking at all those sevens? You get a thrill right, something deep down inside, a little frisson of yee-hah that is much bigger than looking at, say, twelves 12's or (Allah forbid) sixty-two 62s, the latter of which is statistically proven to be the most boring thing ever to be looked upon. Couple this love with the love of lists; there's even a book of lists, which is perfect for the top of the toilet tank. Most likely this is due to the boundaries of a human's short term memory - we can only put about 7 things in it - coupled with the fact that we, as a species, are lazy; just cut to the verb, tell me what to do. So, without further ado, here are 7 lists of 7 green things you can do. Seven!!!!! ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Survey: Who's Your Green Hero?

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 10:45:37 GMT

Image by MyGreenHero Taking stock of the green public zeitgeist is always a good idea; the more meaningful numbers, the better this dirt clod will be run. In this groove, The SOAP Group (a (rare) certified B Corporation) has started MyGreenHero.com, a cultural survey that looks at U.S. consumers' hero archetypes in an attempt to provide better motivators for both consumers and business to "emulate the hero." The survey works as follows; users rate nine different personas ('Soccer Mom', 'Green Socialite', 'Treehugger', etc.) on a variety of different hero attributes using a scale from 1 to 7. Results are tabulated, and if desired, SOAP will send them to you when the survey is complete.
... Read the full story on TreeHugger

How Far Would You Go, Literally, For Sex?

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 07:25:43 GMT

Once upon a time they were known as HTH's - HomeTown Honeys. This was the acronym ascribed to those undergrad, freshman dorm-dwellers who had had The Conversation with their high school sweetheart and decided that they were going to stick together, the thick and thin thing, even though they were now 1200 miles apart, in separate colleges, and would be for (at least) 4 more years. The magnanimous valor of the afflicted parties cannot be underestimated; airdropped into the college environment, burning with hormones, enduring ungodly peer pressure, and surrounded by nothing but booze-fuel as far as the keg stand can see, these intrepids must endure 5 weekdays of this nonsense to have their 16 and a quarter hours together on the weekend. They must be given credit - I know for a fact that some of them actually made it work - but it came at a price; thousands of dollars in plane tickets, car rentals, mid-point hotels, per diem expenses, and the clincher; thousands of pounds of CO2 blasted into the atmosphere. And let's not pretend; conversations and breakfasts aside this environmental unholiness was committed, in large part, in the name of sex. As Barron YoungSmith from Slate suggests, this is where the locasexual adventure may begin. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Organic Groceries - You're Buying Quality, Not Service.

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 17:23:10 GMT

Here's a little mystery to solve - a tub of sour cream purchased at Whole Foods yesterday. Right, it's a week past the expiration date, this being in addition to to getting credited with a double-counting of packaged walnuts at the checkout. Granted, it's nothing that an hour in a car back-and-forth to the claims counter won't solve for full money back, no questions asked, and of course I'll always have the memories. Somehow though, it drew a great want and the issue needed to be resolved - whyzizzit that supermarkets sell expired food, fail to bag, or ring up the purchases incorrectly? Here's why. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Schoolhouse Rock "Energy Blues" Now 30 - An Annotated Perspective

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 14:55:41 GMT

Thirty years ago, a certain generation digested large amounts of Schoolhouse Rock on their way from being Sugar Bomb Eaters to 9-to-fivers; many a happy moment was spent staring at the glass screen figuring out how a bill becomes law, what the heck an adverb is, and yes, the fundamentals of energy conservation, videoed above. Watching it may blend a laugh and a tear for some, akin to that Crying Indian commerical. What was the singing Earth right about? Let's take a look at the lyrics. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Child Climate Cops? Way, Way Over the Top.

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 16:45:10 GMT

This just in from the you-couldn't-make-this-stuff-up-if-you-tried department. A new website designed by npower, a British electric company, is recruiting children using games, badges and cartoons to enlist as "Climate Cops"; their duties are to actively keep records on their parents and neighbors for violations of "energy crimes" against the planet. Children then use the results of their spying to build a "Climate Crime Case File" on the perps, which they then "report back to your family to make sure they don't commit those crimes again (or else)!" The site also warns children that they "may need to keep a watchful eye" to prevent future violations. Did I mention I'm not making this up? It gets worse.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Recent Posts by TreeHugger's Mark Ontkush, Boston, Massachusetts, USA