On a Wind and a Care. The Sail Transport Company Freight Food By Yacht

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:37:38 GMT

Photos: Culture Change Previously we've talked about a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) carbon neutral project to ship grain from paddocks to pantries via sail-craft. That was in Canada's British Columbia. For the past year the Sail Transport Company (STC) have been following a similar ethos -- although a little further south -- moving vegetables across Puget Sound, from farmer's fields in Sequim to the produce markets in Seattle, with yachts. Using only "wind, tide, and a little human muscle power," the Sail Transport Company has spent not a single cent on liquid hydrocarbon fuel. They even transport the boxes of vegies from the docks to the markets with electric-powered cargo trikes.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Feetz Tribike: The Kid Carrying, Cargo Hauling, Folding Trike

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:08:22 GMT

Photo: Feetz. Last week we posted a round-up of 22 extended frame cargo bikes. Previously we've also collected up a passel of 16 tricycles. Yet still we've managed to neglect a few. The Feetz is such a vehicle. It's trike for transporting kids or cargo. One that folds up into a shopping trolley, without adjusting the cargo hold or child seat.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Ode to Los Angeles Bike Culture from 30 Seconds to Mars (Video)

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:45:01 GMT

American rock band '30 Seconds to Mars,' sing lyrics like: We were the kings and queens of promise / We were the victims of ourselves / These lessons that we learned here / Have only just begun. And they have chosen the vibrant bike culture of Los Angeles as the visual connection to their words. Although parts of the city were closed off to allow for filming it is rather pleasing to see one of the world's more automobile-centric cities overrun with bicycles, with barely a car in sight. Though one does make a dramatic entrance stage left. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

New To Nau? Discount for Neophyte Eco-Clothing Customers

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:07:23 GMT

Photo: Nau ' In any economic climate, it's natural to consider the price of the products we buy, and whether their value justifies their cost. We often receive comments regarding the prices for Nau products. One customer recently commented that, "The clothing is great and unique but the pricing is outrageous." ' So starts a discussion the outdoor-inspired, eco clothing company Nau, has on its website. They continue, "We recognize, and regret, that for some customers our products will be too expensive. [...] That's because our prices don't reflect some arbitrary mark-up, but rather the true cost of making high-quality product." It's an intriguing read about the True Cost of bringing a greener product to market. But what's equally as interesting is that Nau have offered new customers a special deal.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Bike Cargo: Chapter Three - 22 Extended Frame Bikes

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:41:15 GMT

Photo: WorkCycles Other photos via respective manufacturers. Bike Cargos for All Tastes! In our endeavours to take a snapshot of the world of Bicycle Cargo we have to date looked at the Racks And Bags used for bicycle cargo as well as the Bike Trailer. Now in Chapter Three, we take a gander at over 20 Extended Frame Bikes, as used for the hauling of people, product or produce. As per usual, leave a message in the comments panel to alert fellow readers to any glaring omissions we've made. Please note, our earlier round-up of Quads and Tricycles also captured quite a few human powered-vehicles used as bicycle transport. (In the next upcoming chapter, we'll showcase some of those businesses that rely on cargo bikes to get the job done.)... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Want Greener Clothes? Try Our 8 Tips for Less Laundry

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 07:56:20 GMT

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.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Patagonia's Yvon Chouinard: One of America's Best Leaders

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 07:44:51 GMT

[Image removed] "Corporations are real weenies," he says. "They are scared to death of everything. My company exists, basically, to take those risks and prove that it's a good business." This is Yvon Chouinard, founder and CEO of Patagonia, the $ 270 million USD outdoor clothing talking to U.S. News who just included him in their 2009 list of America's 25 Best Leaders. Yvon knows about risk. Both personal (climber, skier, white water paddler, surfer). And corporate. In 1972 Yvon told rockclimbers there was a more environmentally sound way to protect themselves on rock routes that didn't require bashing metal pitons in and out of the rock. At that time he was making his money selling pitons. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Window Farms: Vertical Gardens Behind Urban Glass

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 07:25:07 GMT

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.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Outdoor Industry Looks to Improve Sustainability Standards

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 07:07:26 GMT

"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.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Medicos Find Bike Injuries Are Increasing in Severity

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:44:26 GMT

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.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Common Soles Sells Thongs To Buy School Books

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:25:32 GMT

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.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Montane Puts the Squeeze on Recycled Outdoor Clothing

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 07:43:59 GMT

Photo: Montane Montane may not be one of the iconic names of outdoor gear, having only been around for 16 years. But they are taking it to the big boys by offering part of their outdoor sport clothing line in eco materials. The garments shown below, for example, use recycled polyester in either shell fabrics or insulations. Yet British-based Montane are still able to offer their signature low weight and pack size, demonstrating that eco-textiles still offer performance characteristics.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Gardening for Gumbies - the Roll-Out Veg Mat (Updated)

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 07:25:42 GMT

Photos: Chris Chapman website Chris Chapman is an early twenties British designer, who baulked at the idea of studying design to make "pretty things for wealthy, privileged consumers." So he changed tack and learnt design-for-sustainability instead. He now has a quiver of cool green projects ready to fling at prospective clients or employers. The one that most captured our attention was his Roll-Out Veg Mat. Each season householders buy a new roll of corrugated cardboard impregnated with vegetable seeds. Simply roll out the cardboard and cover with soil. Presto! Near instant veggie garden. It's simplicity could even push the No-Dig Garden for uncomplicated elegance. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Prefab Live Green House Built in One Day

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 07:10:20 GMT

Photo: courtesy City of Sydney, Live Green house. The sustainability demonstration showcase house was erected in a single day, when it first appeared as part of Sydney's Art & About Festival last month. Now it's on the move again, this time as an exhibit for the City of Sydney's participation in Australian National Recycling Week and other green community engagement events. Designed by Terry Bail and Martin Urakawa from Archology, the Live Green House uses a modular, interchangeable arrangement of low embodied energy plywood sheets. The house is prefabricated off-site allowing it to be assembled and disassembled by hand with just screws. The architects reckon their working prototype would perform real world service as a small home, shed, or artist retreat. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

10 Week Old Oil Spill's Rig is Now On Fire

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 07:26:47 GMT

Photo: PTTEP ERG Media You might recall back, in mid August 2009, when Matthew noted that an oil rig of the NW coast of Australia had sprung a leak. A rather bad leak that was expected to take some time to plug. Well, it's now November 2009, more than 70 days and four failed attempts later, the oil continues to gush into the Timor Sea, at an estimated rate of somewhere between 400 and 2,000 barrels per day. (A barrel contains 159 litres or 42 US gallons.) But the news gets worse. On Sunday 1 November the West Atlas oil rig caught on fire, and oil company PTTEP Australasia admit they don't know how they are going to put it out. Should the rig collapse, the opportunities to plug the still leaking oil, pouring from the well bore 2.6km under the seabed, decline markedly. And the bad news keeps on coming.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Sleep Like a Log in Vaude's Tencel Sleeping Bags

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:18:48 GMT

Bed frames are made from trees, but sleeping bags? Why not, reckon Vaude, the German mountain sports company. The insulation for a new range of Vaude sleeping bags due in 2010, will comprise 50% Tencel, a more benign form of nasty old viscose (aka Rayon), made from plantation tree pulp in a process that recycles most of the production solvents. Tencel is a relatively new fibre, having first appeared in 1987, and scoring its own textile category, known as Lyocell. Interest in the fibre waned for a while, but has been revived of late, with a whole raft of new fabrications coming to light. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Use Your Melon: Melon's Slice Folding Bike That Is.

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 07:40:11 GMT

We've been highlighting a heap of folding bikes recently (see list below). Melon Bikes is another to add to an ever growing collection. Their focus is that the simpler they "can make a bike to maintain, ride, and transport, the more fun you will have owning it." And Melon have opted to go with 20" wheels as an integral part of their story. Suggesting that with a wheel size that owes its heritage to BMX racing, you'll have a blast, "quick-starting to a high speed instantly - no big wheel inertia to overcome."... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Fischer Produces Skis With 100% Renewable Energy

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 09:47:01 GMT

We've had a few stories about smaller snowboard and backcountry ski companies heading off down a green path. I think this is the first time we've had a mainstream ski manufacturer on side. The Fischer Sports Group have just announced that the thermal energy for the production and heating of their plants which make Fischer Skis has gone 100% renewable. Their Ried, Austria factory has been into this gig since 2001, but recently their other plant in Mukachevo, Ukraine, which has 950 folk pumping out 700,00 pairs of skis (alpine and nordic), also joined the initiative. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

The Farmer-Veteran Coalition. A Modern Swords to Ploughshares

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:53:16 GMT

Writing for TreeHugger is such a brilliant job. We get to seek out all the positive news stories. To shine a little light on solutions, instead of only focussing on dark problems. It's food for the soul. Just like this heartwarming story -- about the Farmer-Veteran Coalition -- found on the WorldWatch blog, The coalition wants to match hard working farmers with returning Iraq and Afghanistan military veterans, so that they might help each other heal both the wounds of the US food system, and of those of the battle weary warrior. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

1,250 mpg. The PiMobility Electric Hybrid Bike Revisited (Video)

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 07:26:35 GMT

The PiCycle is an intriguing electric hybrid bike. We covered it previously when it was called Electrobike, and launched for the bargain basement price of $7,500 USD. Things have changed quite a bit in the past two years, particularly with regard to the price -- it's lost $5,000!, Yep, the PiCycle, as it now known, goes for $2,500. You have three option of riding the Pi: just like a bicycle under pedal power, completely under electric propulsion, or pedal with electric-assist. Where's the battery? Hiding in the rather fetching arched monocoque aluminium frame.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

The Poo Project and Other PortaPotty Adventures

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 07:26:14 GMT

Winter is inching inexorably closer for our Northern Hemisphere readers, and for a few hardy souls (skiers, snowboarders, snowshoers and alpinists) this will bring with it the excitement of days and nights spent in the snowy backcountry. The wilderness may beckon, but nature also calls. What to do our human waste in these pristine environments? Because, come the spring thaw, the evidence, once hidden from view, becomes very exposed. And soon finds itself contaminating nearby waterways. A couple of years ago the Cairngorms National Park, in Scotland, developed a rather elegant solution to the problem of winter waster or frozen faeces.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Is The AMiiVA More Than a (Folding) Bike?

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 09:42:17 GMT

The AMiiVA was officially introduced to the world last month. Though contrary to what your eyes might lead you to believe, the "AMiiVA is a more than a bike, it's a Personal Mobility Assistant (PMA)." Where's an airline sick bag when you need it? Come on guys, sure it's snappy, small wheel, folding bike, but let's not complicate things with another silly three letter acronym. The name itself is derived from the initials, Assistant de Mobilite Individuelle, indicating it's French origins. Setting aside my language conniptions, I should point out the good things the AMiiVA has going for it.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Spooklight: Wireless Bicycle Light Senses When You're Braking

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 08:27:14 GMT

Using technology similar to an iPhone, the Spooklight relies upon a three-axis accelerator to determine when the bike is slowing down. It then displays central rear red LED brake lights to alert other road users. Additionally you a touch sensitive pad mounted to your handle bars can be activated to show that you're turning left or right. A wireless signal is sent to the rear LED lights to blink the appropriate amber turn lights. But that's not all the 90g (3.17oz) can do. It has a couple more tricks up its sleeve. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Jango Flik: The Folding Bike You Can Ride, Push or Stow

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 08:19:27 GMT

Two years we noticed that Mercedes were selling a cute folding bike. Now it's resurfaced again. Though this time by the name of Jango Flik. A product of the Topeak design studio, -- they of the Bikamper tent and Chainbot -- the Jango Flik will be available in five models, which are mostly variations of a T or V shaped handlebar set; rigid or suspended front forks; and eight or nine speed gearing. Pricing is said to range between $1,199 and $1,599 USD. and we understand they'll be readily available in 2010, after having currently loitered about on the bike trade show circuit.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Documentary Team Win Nau's Inaugural $10,000 Grant 4 Change

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 07:59:16 GMT

Benjamin Drummond and Sara Joy Steele are a Seattle-based documentary team specialising in multimedia stories about people, nature and climate change. They are also the just announced recipients of $10,000 from the eco outdoor clothing company Nau, who through their Grant 4 Change campaign, which ran from 7 July to 31 August, exposed the work of over 280 very worthy nominees to a broader audience. Ten finalists (five selected by the public, and five by Nau staff) were chosen, and Benjamin Drummond and Sara Joy Steele have emerged as the winning grantees. As Nau put it in their media release, "Working together for over a decade, Benjamin and Sara have told stories through photography, field audio recordings and words. From semi-nomadic reindeer herdsmen in the Arctic to wildfire fighters of the American West, the two have documented the lives of people on a regional level, understanding that in order to mobilize a global effort we must first generate local will."... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Gone in 17 Seconds. The Bigfish Bike Folds and Unfolds Fast

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 08:52:17 GMT

In working through a backlog of posts we should've brought to you earlier, we present the Bigfish folding bike. In a strange reversal or trade, the bicycle was designed in Slovenia and is made in Italy. Yet sells for just 495 in the UK, 600 in Europe and $549 in the US, which is quite decent for a folding bike, particularly one made in Europe. It's main claim to fame is that it can be either folded or unfolded in 15 seconds. without need of any tools, and without any hinge points in the frame itself. This time seems accurate, as the YouTube video, later in this post, demonstrates the Bigfish being unfolded in 17 seconds. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Save Kids. Take 250,000 Cars Off US Roads: Wend Magazine Tells How

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 08:50:00 GMT

Wend Magazine's latest issue is out. As is expected from this fine publication, there is much to engage the grey matter and inspire the reader to ditch the sofa for a bike or board. Sure, there are the usual exotic destinations that travel magazines that filled with, but somehow Wend finds stories that go beyond the What To Do pages of Lonely Planet. And writers who see the environmental and social aspects of faraway locales or journeys. This issue is no exception. We explore remote regions, whose very names conjure images of windswept adventure: Mongolia, Kashmir, Peru, and Antarctica. To help readers get in the right mood, the Wendex gathers together scary statistics, which seem to equally reflect another world. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

World's Largest (Solar Powered) Tensegrity Pedestrian and Cycle Bridge Opens

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 10:50:21 GMT

This week the world's largest tensegrity pedestrian and cycle bridge was officially opened in Brisbane, Queensland. In fact, according to Wikipedia, it is "also the largest Tensegrity structure in existance." Tensegrity, meaning the tensional integrity based on a synergy between balanced tension and compression components. That might sound like engineering mumbo jumbo, but now that the bridge is open an estimated 36,500 monthly passage of pedestrians and cyclists can go test the theory for themselves, as they cross the 470 metre long span as, the Kurilpa Bridge arcs over the city's river.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Biodiesel Motorcycle Attempts Circumnavigation of Australia

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 09:06:22 GMT

With more than a touch of irony, a motorcyclist who spent about 20 years as an off-shore oil driller is demonstrating that there are alternatives to fossil fuels. Paul Carter, now a best seller author, last month leapt aboard a motorbike (designed and made by staff and students at the University of Adelaide, South Australia, to see how it copes with over 20,000 kilometres (~~124, 200 miles~~, whoops! 12,420 miles) of travel as he does a lap of the country. According to ABC Online, Paul reckons the biodiesel motorcycle is "the only road-registered, properly compliance plated, properly insured bike in the country that runs on used cooking oil and waste animal fats." He is also hoping that she'll be to maintain a speed of at least 80 to 90 kilometres an hour (53 mph) on her intake of recycled cooking oil and waste fats.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Dead People Are Cool: Crematorium Heat Powers Air Conditioning

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 08:16:43 GMT

Our second crematorium posts in weeks, but this one is a bit more uplifting than Mike's story about unfortunate Canadians breathing dead people soot. In this instance the Taipei Second Funeral Parlor in Taiwan plan to harness waste heat from their crematorium furnaces and run it through a heat exchanger to generate electricity to run the air-conditioning system in of all places, their waiting room. But the $236,00 USD energy conversion unit, due to be completed this month, has however not been welcomed by everyone. The ABC Online report that Taipei City Councillor Chuang Ruei-hsiung was quoted by the Central News Agency as saying, "It's creepy that the mourners are cooled by air-conditioning powered by the bodies of their relatives being burnt downstairs," ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Recent Posts by TreeHugger's Warren McLaren, Sydney