Category Archives: environment

Here comes the sun

Posted on August 8, 2012 by | 3 Comments

As children we were used to hearing our parents say “turn that light off, electricity costs money”.  As a parent I hear myself repeating those words.  But I am hopeful that this trend will stop with our generation thanks to solar power.

For those who’ve grown up constantly plugged into the power grid, it’s almost impossible to think of life without an endless supply of outlets, power cords, and technology. But for an estimated 1.5 billion people around the world, power—from cutting and burning firewood to lighting kerosene lamps, paraffin, and candles—doesn’t come easy.

If you still think of solar power as some kind of hippie fantasy, think again!  Solar power is growing fast, finally.. and not just in a neighbourhood near you.  One of my favourite websites, GOOD.is has numerous articles revealing the fabulous work of social entrepreneurs around the world, who have dedicated their talents and efforts to creating a better future for us all.

Below is a selection of great articles from the GOOD website, that highlight the progress being made in solar technology and the great causes being furthered by each invention.  Click on any image to go to the original article.

The solar charging kit for Africa that you’ll want to take camping

About 1/6 of the world’s population lives without access to electricity. That’s 1.5 billion people. And cell phones are spreading faster than plug-in power. There are about 600 million people who own mobile phones, but don’t have anywhere to charge them.

Mike Lin and Brian Warshawsky find themselves in the unusual but enviable position of having stumbled on an unexpected business hit. The pair set out with a social goal and built a product for poor Ugandans. But the gadget the pair built to help poor Africans without electricity start micro businesses has proven popular with American customers. Their power system for rural Africa makes for a pretty handy camping tool as it turns out.

SolarKiosk: Mobile Modular Power for Really Remote Areas

In an effort to tackle health and development-related obstacles in developing countries, a company based in Germany and Ethiopia is bringing clean energy to “off-grid areas” around the world. Housed in a metal hut topped with a solar panel-filled roof, the designers have named their creation a “SolarKiosk,” a small-scale power source for communities without electricity.

Each SolarKiosk is expected to provide enough power for villagers to charge their mobile phones and car batteries, run a computer, or power up a solar fridge. Goods sold from the Kiosk include solar lanterns, mobile phones, and cards to top-up cellular devices. Considering that the Kiosk’s fridge may be the community’s only one, it could be used to house everything from medication to chilled drinks.

An Affordable, Solar-Powered Lantern Beams in Off-Grid Communities

The aptly named “Little Sun” is a lantern powered by the sun’s natural light designed to fight unequal energy distribution around the world. Part artwork, part social project tackling energy poverty, the bright yellow orb, complete with wavy rays radiating out from the center, looks remarkably like its namesake. Thanks to its small size, the functions are manifold: use it as anything from a table lamp to a bike light. The Little Sun website declares it “a work of art that works in life. It transforms the light that is for all of us into a light that is for each of us.”

Little Sun also provides an alternative to the health risks associated with kerosene lamps. According to UNEP, kerosene lamps used with cow dung release toxic emissions that are directly tied to eye infections, respiratory infections, and lung cancer. Inhaling these emissions is equivalent to smoking two packs of cigarettes a day—and a single lamp can emit one ton of carbon dioxide over the course of five years.

Solar Grill Stores Latent Heat for 25-Hour Cook Time at 450F

This story actually comes from treehugger.com but of course it is relevant and just as GOOD!

We’ve seen a DIY solar cooker built from old CDs, and there are already several commerically available solar ovens too. Apparently there is even one solar-powered grill. But we haven’t seen many solar cooking options that can store heat for longer cooking times or hotter temperatures.  Until now.

Derek Ham writes over at Barbeque Lovers about a solar-powered grill project he has been working on that uses latent heat storage to both extend cooking times, create hotter temperatures, and reduce the problem of intermittent sun. Based on technology developed by MIT professor David Wilson, the concept is expected to generate cooking temperatures of 450F, and offer up to 25 hours of cooking time.

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Posted in alternative energy, environment, health, natural resources

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Is this what is missing from our lives?

Posted on June 14, 2012 by | Leave a comment

“The things we need most are the things we have become most afraid of, such as adventure, intimacy, and authentic communication. We avert our eyes and stick to comfortable topics. We hold it as a virtue to be private, to be discreet, so that no one sees our dirty laundry. We are uncomfortable with intimacy and connection, which are among the greatest of our unmet needs today. To be truly seen and heard, to be truly known, is a deep human need. Our hunger for it is so omnipresent, so much apart of our life experience, that we no more know what it is missing than a fish knows it is wet. We need more intimacy than nearly anyone considers normal. Always hungry for it, we seek solace and sustenance in the closest available substitutes: television, shopping, pornography, conspicuous consumption — anything to ease the hurt, to feel connected, or to project an image by which we might be seen or known, or at least see and know ourselves.”

Charles Eistenstein

I have been following a blog called Higher Existence for a while, but recently came across a three part post that has inspired me to share it with you.  I will surely be spending the rest of the day, week or maybe longer contemplating Jordan Lejuwaan’s words and revisiting the ideas of community/communal living.  It was only a few years ago that I would spend hours a day trying to persuade my husband that we should move into a co-housing project with his sister and their family.. but circumstances changed and we found a pretty fantastic niche for ourselves in a fabulous neighbourhood instead, not communal living but definitely the makings of a great community (we’re having our first block party in a few weeks).

If you haven’t read Charles Eisenstein’s book, Sacred Economics you can read it online for free here.

Anyway, take a look at Jordan’s website and the project he is involved with and let me know your thoughts.  Even if we don’t all rush up to Montreal for this particular project, there are plenty of ideas to think about.

http://www.highexistence.com/how-we-can-actually-change-the-world-pt-13/

 

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Posted in co-housing, community, environment, natural resources, organic farming

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Biking Saves Americans $4.6 Billion Each Year

Posted on May 24, 2012 by | 2 Comments

 

 

 

 

 

 

In New York City recently, when the government announced the details of its bike share plan, the city collectively whined. An annual membership, which will cost $95, was too expensive. The fees for trips that ran over 45 minutes were too expensive. The whole idea was too expensive.

True, New York’s bike share is more expensive than other systems like it. But it’s cheaper than owning a bike, which costs just over $300 in annual upkeep, according to the Transportation Research Board. And it is nothing compared to the $7,000 or so that a car sucks up each year. Because cars are so pricey, Americans who are choosing to bike instead of driving are saving huge amounts of money—$4.6 billion, according to the calculations [PDF] of bike-friendly groups.

The Sierra Club, the League of American Bicyclists and the National of Council of La Raza took a look at the costs of each ride in a car and the cost of each ride on a bike. While a ride in a car costs about six times the amount a ride on a bike does, the actual dollar amounts attached to each individual decision are tiny: about sixty cents per mile for a car ride and about ten cents per mile for a bike ride.

But even in this bike-skeptical country, people are taking more than four billion bike rides each year. Since those trips average a little more than two miles, a bike rider only saves a dollar or so for each individual trip. But over time, those savings add up—like brewing coffee at home instead of buying a venti latte from Starbucks every day.

Right now, avid bikers are the ones who are saving the most. But as the groups’ report points out, if all drivers took just one round-trip per week by bike the savings on gas alone would be enormous—more than $7 billion. That’s money we could be spending on vegetables from a farmer’s market, a visit to the doctor, or tickets to the zoo.

And families could use those extra dollars. The New America Foundation has shown how burdensome car ownership has become even for middle class families. And for low-income families, car-related costs can eat up half of the money they take in. Many don’t have a choice about car ownership: This country’s infrastructure has been built up around the dream of the hot-rod automobile. While building bike infrastructure is relatively cheap and most Americans support at least maintaining funding for walking and biking, the government has shown its dedication to car culture. Those decisions are costing would-be bikers money every time they get in the car.

Photo via (cc) Flickr user Benson Kua

Read the original article here: http://www.good.is/post/biking-saves-americans-4-6-billion-each-year/

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First City to Mandate Green Roof Tops

Posted on May 8, 2012 by | 3 Comments

I don’t watch the news because the token good news story after all the horror stories is just not enough optimism for me.  So I love it when I find a good story, especially one about the environment, which is often subject to a lot of doom and gloom!  It often occurs to me that building legislators and local government could be doing a lot more to improve the planet by incentivising and encouraging eco-friendly practices in building.  How many new hospitals, schools and office building do you see with solar panels on the roof?  Not too many.  But this article warms my heart and these green roof tops should help to cool the residents and office dwellers beneath!

Summer is just around the corner, and for those who live in big cities, that means spring warmth will soon give way to searing heat. Green roofs can help regulate city temperatures, giving people, and the electrical grid, a much needed break. Toronto is the first city in North America with a bylaw that requires roofs to be green. And we’re not talking about paint. A green roof, also known as a living roof, uses various hardy plants to create a barrier between the sun’s rays and the tiles or shingles of the roof. The plants love the sun, and the building (and its inhabitants) enjoy more comfortable indoor temperatures as a result. Toronto’s new legislation will require all residential, commercial and institutional buildings over 2,000 square meters to have between 20 and 60 percent living roofs. Although it’s been in place since early 2010, the bylaw will apply to new industrial development as of April 30, 2012. While this is the first city-wide mandate involving green roofs, Toronto’s decision follow’s in the footsteps of other cities, like Chicago and New York. Under the direction of Mayor Richard Daley the city of Chicago put a 38,800 square foot green roof on a 12 story skyscraper in 2000. Twelve years later, that building now saves $5000 annually on utility bills, and Chicago boasts 7 million square feet of green roof space. New York has followed suit, and since planting a green roof on the Con Edison Learning Centre in Queens, the buildings managers have seen a 34 percent reduction of heat loss in winter, and reduced summer heat gain by 84 percent. But lower utility bills aren’t the only benefit of planting a living roof. In addition to cooling down the city, green roofs create cleaner air, cleaner water, and provide a peaceful oasis for people, birds and insects in an otherwise polluted, concrete and asphalt-covered environment.

The original article can be read here.

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Five Trends in Green Advertising

Posted on April 17, 2012 by | 2 Comments
evoasis electric car charging station 1Lkfi 69 300x203 Five Trends in Green Advertising for 2012
Green Advertisers Are Daring Consumers to Think Big, Introducing Ideas Such As Electrical Vehicle Charging Stations – Image from Google

Advertising has come a long way from the introduction of the radio in the 1920s to now the introduction of smartphone apps. In the business world, the idea of becoming more environmentally sustainable is gaining popularity, and companies in the advertising sector are taking note. Five trends in the green advertising industry are expected to rock the business arena this year.

1. Green Gadgets. With electronic gadgets quickly infiltrating our daily lives, efforts to use them to spark a green revolution are growing. More companies are using mobile apps to advertise their offerings in a green way. You easily can use a smartphone to download apps that allow you to compare different stores’ prices without traveling the distance or being in front of a computer. These apps are considered green because they prevent you from having to pollute the air by driving. One GoodGuide app actually lets consumers find green products based on scientific ratings as well.

2. Imagination. The quality that keeps the green industry exciting to consumers is the unknown. So much has yet to occur – such as the commonplace use of electric vehicles or solar energy systems on residences. For this reason, green advertising is increasingly presenting products and services as extremely innovative and trend-setting and essentially calling for the consumer’s imagination to be challenged. For instance, green ads are already using phrases such as, “Imagine a world where gas stations are no more and you can charge your vehicle anywhere and at anytime.” More green companies are daring the customer to dream big for a brighter planetary future.

3. Truth rules. Companies are realizing that being “green” and “sustainable” are buzzwords that are used everywhere nowadays – so much so that consumers are questioning whether a business’ green product claim actually is true. The Federal Trade Commission actually has gotten involved by producing Green Guides that determine how companies can use product certifications and terms such as “carbon offset” and “renewable materials.” As the number of companies who are trying to tap into the wallets of green-focused customers increases, you can expect the government to assume an even bigger role in making sure that green product claims that appear in the media are true. After all, according to Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability, almost three-fourths of people do not believe what companies say about their efforts to help the environment anymore.

4. Price is Powerful. Green companies are realizing that their products will be more in-demand if prices are lower. In fact, a 2009 Mintel survey revealed that more than half of Americans would be willing to purchase green products if their prices were more comparable to those of non-environmentally friendly products. This is changing how advertisers price and market their products – all in an effort to get more consumers to try them out and to get hooked on the green movement – a hook that will result in more “greens,” or money, for the companies. [Check out out bigfatgreenstore for some great green products]

5. Branding Through Action. One of the most popular ways companies are trying to advertise their products and their green causes simply is by getting involved in their communities. In today’s world, consumers don’t want to purchase products from a company that claims to be green but has nothing to show for it outside of its business. Companies realize that actions speak louder than words, so more of them are getting involved in green service projects, campaigns and efforts to woo environmentally focused customers.

This article appeared on usgreentechnology.com in February 2012.

U.S. Green Technology was established in January of 2009. U.S. Green Technology‘s mission is to share news and information about the latest advancements in green technologies and green jobs. U.S. Green Technology‘s areas of coverage include providing information on green social media campaigns, changes in green business, spread of the green movement throughout entertainment, green technological invention, new green start-ups, green manufacturing, green building, and green jobs.

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Posted in alternative energy, environment, natural resources, oil

Recycled Market

Posted on April 13, 2012 by | Leave a comment

My first Guest Blogger, Erica Louise kindly agreed to share the story of her new business, Recycled Market….

Recycled Market launched in October 2011, out of a passion for the environment and sustainable art, drawing on the sustainable business structure myself and my partner both experienced whilst travelling in developing countries, where re-use, recycle and resourcefulness are imperative.

We like to think of Recycled Market as an innovative online retail business which is quite literally turning trash to treasure by encouraging artists to sell artwork, which has been created from second-hand and recycled materials.

The idea was conceived after a multiple of avenues, which began when I worked for a world renowned international volunteer organisation specialising in wildlife conservation, environmental research, and humanitarian work. During an overseas trip some six years prior, visiting a non government centre for children rescued from the streets of Manila in the Philippines, I met a group of young children, many of them homeless and orphaned, crafting jewellery from recycled magazines. The sale of their handiwork would generate a small income for their future, and teach them ways to become self sufficient, in their otherwise uncertain future.

My partner Lester credits his passion for sustainability to his recurrent international travels, and young childhood born and raised in a developing country, where he experienced first-hand how far a little imagination and resourcefulness can go.

After the birth of our son, we started to look at our lives a little differently. I started crafting my own recycled fashion, jewellery and gifts using existing material, which I started to document on my blog. We substituted buying new products with second hand.

With Recycled Market, we are providing an online space where people can choose to buy products that are ethically manufactured, we’re providing a space where artists can sell these types of goods to an interested market and on top of that we’re helping minimise waste by encouraging use of recycled material.

A few picks from Recycled Market include:

Upcycled Vinyl Clocks

Repurposed Watch Part Steampunk Accessories

Upcycled Phone Book, Catalogues, and Paper Weaved Baskets

 

We currently have sellers on our site from all over the world, USA, Australia, UK, Cambodia, Estonia, Canada, Malaysia, The Netherlands, Thailand, India, Spain, France and many more.  It is currently free for sellers to set up their store within Recycled Market, and list their products, and we would therefore encourage recycled artisans to contact us if they would like an online platform to advertise their work.

We’d like to see Recycled Market as a way of introducing recycled crafts and goods to a worldwide audience.

For more details, please visit http://www.recycled-market.com/ or visit our facebook page http://www.facebook.com/RecycledMarket

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Wood Powered Truck!

Posted on April 9, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Wayne Keith's wood stove

Back in 2004, Wayne Keith drew a line in the sand at $1.50. That’s the price at which the Alabama native would no longer buy a gallon of gasoline. Keith, who makes his living raising cows, growing hay and milling timber in a small town about 30 miles northeast of Birmingham, wasn’t bluffing. He knew he had an alternative fuel in his backyard: the hundreds of pounds of scrap wood he generates every time he runs his sawmill.

Since 2004, Keith has powered his trucks with wood! This unassuming, down-to-earth farmer is an energy and transportation pioneer, with more than 250,000 miles of wood gas driving under his belt and about $40,000 saved by using wood chunks instead of gasoline.

“My Dodge Dakota truck gets about 5,200 miles per cord,” Keith says in an easygoing Southern drawl. (A cord is a common measurement for wood, meaning a wood stack 4 feet deep by 4 feet high by 8 feet long.) “I paid for my farm in the early 1990s by selling wood at $27 per cord. Today a cord costs about $50 [wholesale] in this area. I burn scrap wood from my sawmill, but if I had to buy wood, I could still travel for less than a penny a mile.”

For comparison, if gasoline costs $3.50 a gallon, your vehicle would have to achieve nearly 350 miles per gallon for its driving cost to be a penny per mile.

Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/green-transportation/wood-gas-zm0z12amzroc.aspx#ixzz1rYXnAEIw

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‘Poo-powered’ car seen on the streets of Bristol

Posted on March 1, 2012 by | Leave a comment

We hear a lot of doom and gloom about the environment these days, so I thought I should kick off the new month with a positive news story, which I stumbled across on a BBC website.

The BBC’s John Maguire is given a tour of the methane-powered car by developer Mohammed Saddiq

A “poo-powered” VW Beetle has taken to the streets of Bristol in an attempt to encourage sustainable motoring.

The Bio-Bug runs on processed methane gas generated as part of the raw sewage treatment process.

Wessex Water engineers estimate the yearly waste from 70 average households would generate enough gas to run the car for 10,000 miles (16,100km).

Despite being powered by fuel created from sewage, the car does not smell unpleasant.

“It performs like a normal car – you wouldn’t know it was powered by biogas,” a company spokesman said.

‘Surplus gas’

To use biogas as vehicle fuel without affecting vehicle performance or reliability the gas needs to be treated to remove the carbon dioxide content.

GENeco, part of Wessex Water, imported specialist “cleaning” equipment to treat the raw methane generated at the sewage treatment works in Avonmouth.

The spokesman added: Our site has been producing biogas for many years which we use to generate electricity to power the site and export to the National Grid.

“With the surplus gas we had available we wanted to put it to good use in a sustainable and efficient way.

“We decided to power a vehicle on the gas offering a sustainable alternative to using fossil fuels which we so heavily rely on in the UK.”

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Posted in environment