"The real-life Tasmanian devil could not look more different than its slobbering, whirling, rabbit-terrorizing animated counterpart even if it tried. And, while the iconic Loony Tunes fireball is safely ensconced in Toon Town, the fox-size Australian marsupial is being threatened with extinction by a mysterious and contagious cancer that spawns misshapen facial tumors." -- Treehugger article found here

Ok... I don't really get the point of solar-powered swimsuits... What happens when you want to swim... "OUCH THAT HURT BZZZZZZZZZZ"... but they do exist.


This bikini can power up an ipod or mobile phone on the beach. It was featured in a Fashion show in Valencia during the World Sailing Cup. It will be available to buy shortly. The manufacturer is Triumph and also has a few other models.

Here's another solar powered bikini - http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/04/solar_powered_b.php

This bike should be available shortly. It is under production in china and should start being sold at the end of the year. Expected price is $399.

You may not realize about it, but along with indoor air pollution being created from household cleaners, it is also emitted from the products you have in your house. Take, for instance, leather. Leather is basically decayed animal skin. It is not decaying because it has been bathed with chemical upon chemical. In fact, in most of the U.S. many of these chemicals are illegal to use even for industrial use. Americans tend to get around that by importing leather from such countries such as India and Italy. However, these chemicals still have an offgasing effect, and emit Voltaile Organic Compounds, or VOCs, into the interior of the building.
Leather is not the only product that offgasses VOCs, and include many chemicals used in making products such as paints and lacquers, paint strippers, cleaning supplies, pesticides, building materials and furnishings, office equipment such as copiers and printers, correction fluid and carbonless copy paper, graphic and craft materials (i.e. glues and adhesives), permanent markers, and photographic solutions (i.e. fixer). They can also be found in carpet backing, plastics, and cosmetics. Thankfully, not all products have harmful VOCs, but care should be taken into account to choose products that have low-VOCs.
One alternative to carpet is VCTT, or Vinyl Composition Tufted Textile. It is a "carpet" with impenetrable low-VOC backing, and keeps water and other liquids from seeping through and growing allergens. It is easily cleanable with paper napkins because stains won't go through, or dye the vinyl fibers. The only thing to watch out for might be for heated transfers. You can also choose a low VOC emitting wood floor.

More about indoor air pollution:
- Article from Science Daily about Indoor Particulate Pollution
- Article from Ecology Center that says most of the different types of toxins you'll encounter, and some of their related health effects.
- A book from Amazon entitled: The Healthy Living Space: 70 Practical Ways to Detoxify the Body and Home", I will buy this book within the next few months and will have a review as well. I'm also considering buying the book "How to Grow Fresh Air: 50 House Plants that Purify Your Home or Office".
-"Better Basics for the Home: Simple Solutions for Less Toxic Living" This book is reccomended by Treehugger.com and "offers more than 800 simple and practical alternatives to common household toxins, covering everything from skin care to gardening."

Did you know:

• There is an estimated 17,000 petrochimicals available for home use, and only 30% of which have been tested for exposure to human health and the environment.


• There are an average of 63 synthetic chemical products found int he average American home, or about 10 gallons of harmful chemicals.


• According to US EPA Estimates, indoor air pollution levels can be from 2 to above 100 times higher that of outdoor levels. (Good building insulation actually helps cause this) Opening a window can help.


• The institutional cleaning industry uses about 5 billion pounds of chemical for cleaning each year.


• The average janitor uses 23 gallons (87 liters) of chemicals a year, 1/4 of which are health hazards.

Here are some basic ingredients for non-toxic cleaners:
Baking Soda - Cleans and Deoderizes. Good Scouring powder.
Borax - Cleans and deoderizes. Disinfectant. Softens water. Look in laundry section of grocery store.
Soap - If bought w/o synthetic scents, colors or additives it will biodegrade safely and completely and is non-toxic. It is sold as liquid, flakes, in bars, or in powder form.
Washing Soda - Cuts grease and removes stains. Disinfects. Softens water. Also called Sodium Carbonate.
White Vinegar/Lemon Juice - Cuts grease and freshens.

Recipes:
( Household Cleaner )
( Window Cleaner )
( Disinfectant )
( Oven Cleaner )
( Drain Cleaner )
( Toilet Bowl cleaner )
( Air Freshener )
( Ceramic Tile Cleaner )
( Tile, Labatory, and Basin cleaner )
( Garbage Disposal Freshener )
( Mildew Remover )
( Rug and Upholstery Cleaner )
( Carpet Cleaning Foam )
( Floors )
( Furniture Polish )

All these recipes here. They also have a section on doing laundry.
Here is another article on "How to clean your house without hurting the planet"

This video is titled House of the future. It shows a house, which currently exists, that uses motion sensors, greywater systems, solar power heaters, and PVs. It also uses passive solar heating (which is the way the building is designed to collect heated/cool air depending on the time of the year (note the "blinds" in front of the windows for keeping too much light from entering during the summer). There is no question that green houses in the future will have these things and much more, since these are already the norm in green houses.

This video is british, however it still has some wonderful ways to save energy. 10 ways to save energy. (btw, number 7 in the US would be energy star appliances). Parts of it, however, didn't make sense to me. For example saving over 123 stadiums worth of CO2... is that every second, weekly, once, or annually?



Here is another video from the same British series, but this one is about how much Britians waste in energy per year. I especially like the "My Car would be Chocolate"... chocoholic? :P

First of all, I have to say I have a huge respect for Robert Redford. He has been an environmentalist and Human Rights activisit since before the founding of the Sundance Institute in 1969. A lot of people don't realize that he started the sundance festival on Timphaven as an attempt to create a place that exemplifies environmental conservation and artistic experimentation. He had a lot of offers to fill the land with hotels and condos, but never took any of them. He has a ski resort, and a hotel, and the institute, but the rest is preserve. Ever since Sundance preserve was created, its mission has been "to inspire action for the benefit of civil society".

Starting April 17, 2007 Sundance Channel will have the premiere of a new block of shows called The Green(TM). One of these shows is called "Big Ideas for a Small Planet" produced by Scout Productions (the same producers of "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy") and will have 13 episodes. It is presented by Robert Redford and hosted by Majora Carter, director of Sustainable South Bronx.

for more information on the block of shows click here.


This is a segment from Greening the Ghetto that Majora Carter spoke at about her project.

I'm looking forward to watching these blocks of shows; thankfully I have enough time to figure out where to watch it.

I have often thought about the role that urban development plays in one's daily life, and the life if the city, as well as the environment. One of the biggest ways people can help global warming is by riding their bikes, thereby driving less. Many people won't ride their bikes, especially in hilly geographical conditions, because of the hills. However, there are ways that city developers and mass transit workers can work around these problems. Let's take Trondheim, Norway for example. Trondheim is a university of city with over 30,000 students, 90% of whom ride their bikes as main transport. This has gotten the local government to design with bicycle transport infrastructure in mind. One such example is the Trampe.

The Trampe is a bicycle lift, much like a ski lift found in skiing areas. By entering a card into the reader, the reader sits on their bike and puts one leg on the "step" which carries them up hill. See a video of this in action.

The number of people bicycling in a community would increase enough to warrant the construction in these in many U.S. Cities. Since the opening of the Trampe in 1993, it has pushed more than 220,000 cyclist up the hill. Also, according to a user survey 41% of the lift users claim they're riding their bikes more often since the installation of the Trampe.

For more information on the Test Site Report about the Bicycle Lift, read the UTOPIA Test Site Report of the Bicycle Lift in Trondheim.

A winery in California has hired some new workers to help save 50% in energy useage. Who are these new workers? SHEEP!

While the concept is still in the works, Electrolux, the same company that brought you Trilobite is developing a "hydroponic growing cupboard" called the Electrolux VEGE. It's a device that holds up to 40 of your favorite plants, herbs, and vegetables, and allows perfect light and tempature conditions for optimum growth. In other words, it's a device that allows you to grow your own vegetables at home just for the price of some seeds and whatever mineral substance they use to grow. It even has a digital readout that will tell you how the plant-growing is going. Attractive for the people more likely to kill their plants than grow them. The idea was the brainchild of Thai student Teeravit Hanharutaivan for Electrolux Design Lab

"Adagio creates gorgeous curving baths from rich ruddy African hardwood. Made of sustainable Umbila, the wood bath is carved from layers of the dark grained wood. Featuring a gentle curving form, the wooden bath gently cradles you in warm water. Finished in seven layers of natural varnish, the character and vitality of Umbila shines through. A distinctive and unusual material for bathrooms, Adagio bath brings a natural warmth and elegance. Available in limited quantities Adagio baths provide luxurious style that you’ll not see anywhere else." - Official Website

image by Mike Levin

"This year the cutting edge of alternative energy will be selling consumers on a clean technology previously used only at an industrial level: wind power. A dozen U.S. companies are set to offer turbines that can be placed in users' yards to cut their energy bills." More info here.

1. Don't drive if you don't have too. Obviously if you can walk, ride a bike, or take mass transit, you should.
2. Car Pool, Ride Share, or take Mass Transit. Start a carpool program at work, or if your friends are going shopping, offer to go with/take them.
3. Combine your small trips. If you know you're going to be passing somewhere you need to stop at in the future, just do it now if possible. Starting your car over and over again is bad for your gas mileage. Just make a few trips and get all your errands out of the way at once.
4. Don't floor it at Green Lights. Let your engine get up to speed slowly but surely; then again, don't go to slow either. Going too slowly is just as bad on your gas mileage.
5. Try to drive near the speed limit. Most cars work better at slower speeds than speeding. Go 65 when the speed limit is 65.
6. Don't slam on the breaks. Using moderate acceleration and breaking will help you improve gas mileage.
7. Check your tire pressure. Underflated tires will reduce your gas mileage.
8. Don't be a packrat. I have to admit I'm guilty of this one. My trunk is pretty full. However, for every 100 pounds you carry in your car, you reduce your gas mileage by up to 2%. Get rid of the stuff you don't need in your car.
9. Keep your windows up, and your sunroof closed. Staying aerodynamic will keep your car going smoothly, but having your windows down will create drag.
10. Idle isn't not Ideal. Don't use drive thrus, try not to get stuck in traffic, etc. If your car is still running, but not going anywhere, that's wasted gas.

Treehugger has an article with green ideas based around Valentines Day gifts. Worth a read if you're thinking about buying something for your lover. Which, hopefully you are.. :P

There is also an article on How to Green Your Gifts.

"A coalition of seven utilities in the Southwest is currently exploring the possibility of constructing a 250-megawatt solar power plant in Arizona or Nevada. If built, the plant could produce enough energy to power 160,000 to 200,000 homes. The proposed facility would likely utilize solar trough technology rather than more expensive photovoltaics. The group of utilities which includes: Arizona Public Service, Salt River Project, and Tuscon Electric Power is working to develop a request for proposals and hopes to seek approval for the project by early next year. In an effort to spur investments in renewable energy projects of this scope, the Arizona Corporation Commission passed a law that requires Arizona utilities to obtain 15 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by the year 2025." - Treehugger website

For more information on Solar Trough Power Plants, treehugger has an article here.

Ever get dry cleaning back, and not keep the flimsy wire hangar that you get from them with your dry cleaning? HangarNetwork has a new solution for Dry Cleaners called EcoHangars. Each Hangar is made out of biodegradeable recycled paper. They also pay for themselves as they have advertisement on them, thus Dry Cleaners don't even have to pay for them. This is a solution where all the distributor, advertiser, servicer (Drycleaner) and consumer whens. Sustainable design that meets ecological, economical, and social needs.

More info here: Green Options