Sort of Coal, Purifying Charcoal for Your Home
by Petz Scholtus, Barcelona, Spain on 11. 8.07
At TreeHugger, we don’t like bottled water (read here, here and here) and believe tap water is the greenest way to have it. However, some of us are unfortunate to live in areas where the tap water tastes really bad, so we need to filter it. Water softening also helps, or you can install an osmosis system or use other water-filer products. A more simple and beautiful option for filtering your tap water is the century old Asian method of using active charcoal. The Danish company Sort of Coal have made it their mission to combine the purifying elements as well as the aesthetics of charcoal in their products. These derive from the mountain forests of Japan and Korea and are harvested in a sustainable way. The tree’s root structure is not damaged so that after the best branches have been collected, they can grow back over and over again.
So how does charcoal work as a water purifier? The Binchotan (left picture), a beautiful thick charcoal branch, absorbs unwanted particles like bacteria and smells from the water and instead, releases natural minerals. Because the water is softened, our bodies easier absorb it. One Binchotan branch serves for about 1 litre of water. After leaving it in the fridge for 1 night, the water is pure and soft. After about 3 months they recommend changing the branch, or you might be able to reactivate it a few times by boiling and drying it. At the end of its life, it should be smashed and composted. One Binchotan costs 20€.
Apart from water purifying products, Sort of Coal have other charcoal products like the Hakutan Grain, a bag that absorbs humidity and odours inside shoe cupboards for example. Kuro Kabe (right picture) are beautiful panels and tiles for interior decoration that purify the air. Charcoal soap to cleanse the skin is also available as well as a range of purifying jewellery called Shinju Binchotan.
The Hakutan also raised our interests. It is a stem to freshen the air, without added chemicals and perfumes. Tabacco smells and other pollutants are reduced, and it is said to have ionic properties that balance environments with computers or mobile phones. A Hakutan costs between 65 and 120€, depending on the size. All Sort of Coal products are available in shops in Denmark or online via the Sort of Coal web shop.
What we most like about it is that the products are truly beautiful, as interior objects as well as architectural features. This is why Sort of Coal also design charcoal spaces, from private homes to offices or yoga studios. To get a full feel for it, check out their web site and amazing images. Or visit the charcoal kilns on your next visit to Korea, and sit inside a kiln whose heat is recycled for a bit of pleasure; it serves as a sauna, once emptied after 7 days of transforming one batch of wood into charcoal. Via: Green With Passion ::Sort of Coal
that's pretty cool. It's unfortuante that it has to come from halfway accross the world to use it.
A better alternative might be making your own. Of course, it doesn't looks as pretty, and you need to make sure that you're not burning something dangerous if you're going to use it for drinking water. I have no idea what type of trees are good, even in my area.
see also: http://wiki.envirowiki.info/index.php/Charcoal
You guys had me excited until you said "and it is said to have ionic properties that balance environments with computers or mobile phones." Come on!
I'm sick of hearing about all sorts of "ionic" properties from people who demonstrate that they don't even know what an ion is. For those of you who don't remember what an ion is from high school physical science, look it up in Wikipedia.
This is how quack medicine and frauds propagate amongst the green crowd. This gives us a bad name. Cut it out.
Yes, it is "active" carbon, and it naturally adheres to chemicals and will passively filter things by reacting with undesirable substances in the air and water. Stop there. If this thing has "ionic properties," do tell what they are and how that supposedly works, and what exactly it does to "balance environments with computers and mobile phones." What the heck is "balance" supposed to mean in this context? What exactly is it balancing?
"Because the water is softened, our bodies easier absorb it."
Why should your body do such a thing? Do you mix it up with washing automats?
Anyway: 'hard water' contains for example calcium, that makes it 'hard'. Ever looked under nutrition requirements for calcium? Bingo, you need it.
Only reason to filter it out of your water is when you are going to make tea with the water and can't stand the "skin" on surface of the tea.
Hear hear!
I, unfortunately, expect to see this product touted on Living With Ed and hearing them expound upon the wondrous IONIC WONDERFULNESS.
Funny how Ions are now back in favor with the greenwashing marketing crew. Remember the "Ionic Breeze" and similar air filters? They generated ozone and caused more damage than good.
I have lots of urls. I hope you can learn to respect coal and carbon and not have a global warming fit. Until we can have clean safe nuclear power, like High Temp Gas Reactors, coal is what we have for power.
I have lots of urls.
Do you now? Do you keep them in a box with a lock on them?
I hope you can learn to respect coal and carbon and not have a global warming fit. Until we can have clean safe nuclear power, like High Temp Gas Reactors, coal is what we have for power.
Trolling hippies is fun! Whee!
How White charcoal helps indoor environment?
A computer room will have roughly six times as many positive ions as negative ones at the end of the day even if the room was aired in the morning, unless it is aired frequently during the day.
· Binchotan, Hakutan and bamboo charcoals not only dissipate 'hazardous' electromagnetic waves from computer monitors but also generate negative ions. More accurately, the infrared rays emitted constantly from charcoals reduce moisture in the air into fine particles that naturally change into negative ions. This means that a certain amount of moisture must be present in the computer room if charcoal is used to increase the room's negative ion ratio. The ideal degree of humidity in computer rooms is between 45 and 55%. In winter, when houses are heated, the computer room tends to be too dry. Of course, we can install a humidifier capable of controlling the degree of humidity in the air, but a few wet towels may be sufficient.
· In order to keep a room 10 ft x 10 ft (3.2 m x 3.2 m) in an ideal ionic state, we need 9 lbs. (4 kg) of Hakutan /binchotan or 7 lbs. (3 kg) of bamboo charcoal [about $80 US]. According to our charcoal prices, it costs the same whether we use binchotan charcoal or bamboo charcoal.
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· One important thing, however, is that once charcoal is placed in a room, it keeps working forever."
Why charcoal helps the indoor environment?
A computer room will have roughly six times as many positive ions as negative ones at the end of the day even if the room was aired in the morning, unless it is aired frequently during the day.
· Binchotan, Hakutan and bamboo charcoals not only dissipate 'hazardous' electromagnetic waves from computer monitors but also generate negative ions. More accurately, the infrared rays emitted constantly from charcoals reduce moisture in the air into fine particles that naturally change into negative ions. This means that a certain amount of moisture must be present in the computer room if charcoal is used to increase the room's negative ion ratio. The ideal degree of humidity in computer rooms is between 45 and 55%. In winter, when houses are heated, the computer room tends to be too dry. Of course, we can install a humidifier capable of controlling the degree of humidity in the air, but a few wet towels may be sufficient.
· In order to keep a room 10 ft x 10 ft (3.2 m x 3.2 m) in an ideal ionic state, we need 9 lbs. (4 kg) of binchotan or 7 lbs. (3 kg) of bamboo charcoal [about $80 US]. According to our charcoal prices, it costs the same whether we use binchotan charcoal or bamboo charcoal.
One important thing, however, is that once charcoal is placed in a room, it keeps working forever
Ions are molecules that have gained or lost an electrical charge. . They are created in nature as air molecules break apart due to sunlight, radiation, and moving air and water. You may have experienced the power of negative ions when you last set foot on the beach or walked beneath a waterfall. While part of the euphoria is simply being around these wondrous settings and away from the normal pressures of home and work, the air circulating in the mountains and the beach is said to contain tens of thousands of negative ions -- Much more than the average home or office building, which contain dozens or hundreds, and many register a flat zero.
"The action of the pounding surf creates negative air ions and we also see it immediately after spring thunderstorms when people report lightened moods," says ion researcher Michael Terman, PhD, of Columbia University in New York.
In fact, Columbia University studies of people with winter and chronic depression show that negative ion generators relieve depression as much as antidepressants. "The best part is that there are relatively no side effects, but we still need to figure out appropriate doses and which people it works best on," he says.
Charcoal is a natural ioniser !
Ions are molecules that have gained or lost an electrical charge. . They are created in nature as air molecules break apart due to sunlight, radiation, and moving air and water. You may have experienced the power of negative ions when you last set foot on the beach or walked beneath a waterfall. While part of the euphoria is simply being around these wondrous settings and away from the normal pressures of home and work, the air circulating in the mountains and the beach is said to contain tens of thousands of negative ions -- Much more than the average home or office building, which contain dozens or hundreds, and many register a flat zero.
"The action of the pounding surf creates negative air ions and we also see it immediately after spring thunderstorms when people report lightened moods," says ion researcher Michael Terman, PhD, of Columbia University in New York.
In fact, Columbia University studies of people with winter and chronic depression show that negative ion generators relieve depression as much as antidepressants. "The best part is that there are relatively no side effects, but we still need to figure out appropriate doses and which people it works best on," he says. Charcoal is a natural ioniser!