A Few Familiar Faces at West Coast Green: PaperStone, Aquaduct Bike, and LiveRoof
by Jaymi Heimbuch, Central Coast, California on 09.29.08
There were a few familiar faces at West Coast Green 2008 and it's great to see cool technology continuing to grow.
First off, the Aquaduct made an appearance. The Aquaduct is a pedal powered water filtration system useful for people in developing countries.
The person collecting the water rides the bicycle over to the water source, and fills up the 20 gallon tank. As the person pedals back home, "the peristaltic pump draws the water from the storage tank, through a filter to a 2 gallon clean tank. That tank can be removed and taken indoors. When more water is needed, the tank is replaced, the clutch engaged and the person then peddles while remaining stationary."
The bike appeared on the "Innovation Pipeline" section of the tradeshow floor.
But it wasn't the only item at the conference that TreeHugger has crushed on in the past.
We were also excited to see LifeRoof on the floor of the conference. LiveRoof installs green roofs that are already mature, so there is no waiting around for plants to grow, no intensive maintenance, and much less chance for your green roof to be infested with weeds within a few weeks. However, the downside is that it's very expensive - about $30 per square foot installed. I was assured that it's for high end clients and would never make it on to the Average Joe residential scene. However, I have to say, "So what?" If the company is providing a great service that encourages green roofs on any level, then they get a big thumbs up.
PaperStone made an appearance as well. We've wanted to keep an eye on this product because it holds a lot of potential. It is a hard product made of recycled paper and non-petroleum-based resin (made of cashew nut shells, waste of a nearby ethanol plant, and organic dyes among other proprietary materials) and can be used for a whole range of things including counter tops, tables and other furniture. While it won't easily break down at the end of its life, it is produced in a very eco-friendly way.
More on West Coast Green 2008:
Al Gore Speaks at West Coast Green 2008
Sneak Peek Photos of the West Coast Green 2008 Showhouse
West Coast Green 2008 Goes Solar Powered with SolaRover
The Reclaimer Diverts Lumber From Near-Capacity Landfills
Thirsty for more? Check out these related articles:
- A Few Familiar Faces at West Coast Green: PaperStone, Aquaduct Bike, and LiveRoof
- GreenBuild: Project Frog
- Five Ways To Green Your Mortgage
- Announcement: California Clean Tech Open Winners
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