Green Living Show Roundup
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 04.28.08
We tour the booths at the Green Living Show. Image credits: Emma Alter
The Hästens $ 60,000 sleep
It is, of course, all natural horsehair and cotton and flax and pine and down. "Horsehair comes with its own, extremely effective, built-in ventilation system. Moisture passes through the hollow strands so quickly that if you wet horsehair with water and give it a shake, it dries straight away." This particular mattress also costs $ 60,000. Did it feel it? VP Sandy McDermid had to pry me off it. Unfortunately my credit card limit kicked in and I had to take a pass. ::Hastens
Greenwood Studios
Michael Greenwood's early fascinations were Lego and Mechano, and he transferred his interest into furniture design and woodworking. He only works with materials from sustainable sources: salvaged, reclaimed or self-harvested windfalls. Sources for material are always small, local operations that have minimal impact on their surroundings. Wood is left un-planed to provide a less processed texture. "Time-honoured methods are employed, true to the craftsman movement. Pieces are hand-dressed with joinery that is equally strong and beautiful." ::Greenwood Studios
Green Rooms
It has often been hard to find good green design all in one place, but as more people get into it, the specialty stores are beginning to pop up. If there were a TreeHugger store, it might look a lot like Green Rooms in Oakville, Ont; there is the rocker from the Brothers Dressler, chairs fromCovello and Reesor, Brent Comber's alder collection, Daniel Michalik's sway stool, neat doormats made from the cut-off waste from Philipine flip-flops, and even the booth's back wall is a Molo Softwall. Proprietor Jackie Crawford tells us she did her initial research on TreeHugger. ::Green Rooms
Green Design Studio
Toronto Gets its version of an all-green design store soon, with the opening of the Green Design Studio later this spring, which will carry the Conphorm topological wonders. ::Green Design Studio
Raincoast Wild Seafood
Raincoast Trading is "committed to employing the most ecologically responsible methods available to harvest and process our seafood products. They give a good explanation of the hazards of factory farming and the benefits of wild fish, and are right on top of the BPA issue, with guarantees from their supplier that their cans are BPA free. Delicious, too. ::Raincoast Trading
Bushman Rainwater Collection from Vanden Bussche Irrigation
Serious rainwater harvesting hardware has come to town, in the guise of the Australian-designed, California-moulded Bushman hardware. It is a package including tank and pumps to set yourself up to catch every drop. ::Vanden Bussche
I was really unhappy to see half the floor area of the show taken up with cars. They may pay a lot of rent but they didn't fit, and split the show in two, separating the bikes and the home energy products from the rest. ::Green Living Show
Thirsty for more? Check out these related articles:
- More Cycle/Car Rage Conflicts in Toronto
- GreenBuild: So Many Booths, So Much Greenwashing
- Ultimate DIY: Swedish Eco-Store Builds Posh "Passive" House
- Top 7 Green Categories of 7 Green Lists of 7 Green Things
I've seen those Hästens beds in Wallpaper and always wondered if they were *that* good, didn't know they had something green to them though. However, with an exchange rate like ours in Argentina (one to three USD), it's an impossible dream.....
I've seen those Hästens beds in Wallpaper and always wondered if they were *that* good, didn't know they had something green to them though. However, with an exchange rate like ours in Argentina (one to three USD), it's an impossible dream.....
Just like to point out that we were the family waiting to ask Ed Begley Jr. a question when Merella ran out of time and he literally jumped down off the stage to come over and meet us. Great message (Live Simple so others can Simply Live) about being aware of all of the little things you can do for cheap / free rather than just the high end (solar, electric cars, etc.)
And yeah - the car displays were... disappointing. Who needs a Hybrid full size SUV?
Tell me more about the irrigation systems! I went to the web site, and could not find more about that particular product. Is it suitable for a urban/suburban home? I love the fact that it is moulded in California, cuts down on the embodied energy. I love the WaterHog but could not figure out if it was made in AU. My guess is yes, and that seems like a wasteful use of shipping.
I want more deets on Vanden Bussche Irrigation