Published on May 14th, 2008
Like this post? Subscribe to our RSS feed and stay up to date.
My home is definitely my refuge.
Until recently, I thought I did a pretty nice job of doing my part for the environment when it came to my home: using eco-friendly cleaning supplies, buying CFL’s, setting the timer to regulate heat and air, but the more I read, the more I find that I can do. There are also a ton of companies emerging that are trying to make an impact while reducing their footprint.
Below are a few of my favorite online destinations for cool products and information for the home and home office:
- The Lazy Environmentalist, Josh Dorfman’s company, Vivavi, is a one stop shop for decorating a stylishly modern and eco savvy home. For a more traditional and equally stylish look, check out Brooklyn Farm Table’s reclaimed tables.
- For the home office, check out the Zody by Haworth. This ergonomically designed chair boasts cradle to cradle cert
ification and is made of recycled materials down to the nylon on the seats. Haworth even purchases wind credits to power the manufacturing of the product. While sourcing materials is one of the biggest challenges that they face according to the company’s Sr Design for Environment Engineer, Mark Bonnema, they are getting partners onboard and are creating a sustainable chain reaction. The company itself is pursuing some impressive sustainability objectives: sustainable products and design, energy management, green transportation, zero waste and emissions, green building and site management and social responsibility. Read the rest of this entry »
Published on May 12th, 2008
A few thoughts and a cartoon popped into my head last week while reading an article in Grist on oil companies having to clean up contaminated groundwater. The article stated that
“Some of the nation’s largest oil companies will over the next 30 years have to pay to clean up groundwater befouled with gasoline additive MTBE. In settling a suit brought by 153 public water providers in 17 states, a dozen companies — including BP, Shell, ConocoPhillips, and Chevron — will also have to pay a total $423 million cash.”
Thought #1: Finally!
Thought #2: 30 years! How about 3? And how about shipping clean water to homes in the affected areas in the mean time?
The article goes on to state that the estimated cost of the cleanup is $30 billion…
Thought #3: Why $423 million then?! I’m taking that same logic with me next time I fill up my car. “What, the cost is $4 a gallon? I’ll pay $1.50.”
It also mentioned that Exxon Mobile (among others) did not agree to settle…
Cartoon #1: Big Oil’s Mess? It MTBE, It Could Be, It Is!
And,
Thought #4: How can 17 states worth of contaminated groundwater even be cleaned up?
That’s when discovered that a few University of Aberdeen researchers have found that a whiskey bi-product may just do the trick.
Read the rest of this entry »
Published on May 11th, 2008
The Internet is so big, it’s easy to miss shopping resources, especially if you’re environmentally conscientious. Here’s an easy guide to green shopping online:
The Internet has revolutionized how we shop. Shopping has become an interesting intersection between society, economy, and technology. Its also an excellent place to find great deals. It used to be true that many green products were more expensive. Free trade? Organic? Recyclable? Post-Consumer? Get out the credit card and take a deep breath! But nowadays that’s not always true; in fact many green products are less expensive, or can save you a lot of money. That fact helps drive their popularity; so much so that even large corporations are taking efforts - or even pains - to go green. But with the mainstreaming green hype, we must beware greenwashing - misleading marketing or practices that lure consumers. On the flip side, buying stuff for the sake of stuff is not environmentally friendly either.
Green Companies:
It’s easy to know which companies are really making an effort.
National Green Pages: Co-op America provides the National Green Pages, which works like a phone book. Major brands include Patagonia, Seventh Generation, and Clif Bar; also features local stores.
LinksOrganic: an international guide to finding organic or environmentally-friendly businesses.
EcoMall: A 90s flash-back site with lots of great links for anything your heart desires.
Climate Counts: this site covers large corporations. It judges their carbon foot print and efforts to reduce it. It covers major brands in all product categories, but it does not cover individual products.
Green Peace Electronics Guide: similar to Climate Counts, covers large electronics corporations. Read the rest of this entry »
Published on May 10th, 2008
Having spent a lot of time in the wireless industry and being hopelessly addicted to my Blackberry and my Helio Ocean, I wanted to take a look at how manufacturers and carriers stand up when it comes to enviro-friendly action.
Nokia: Remaking Mobile
Nokia is one of my favorite handset manufacturers. Not only do they have some amazing concept devices, such as the Nokia Remade, a handset made entirely of pre-used parts from old tires to aluminum cans, they also currently have working devices on the market that are reducing impact. With covers made of recycled material and chargers that are Energy Star compliant and then some, Nokia is making bold strides in the right direction.
The 3110 Evolve’s biocover is made with 50% renewable material, and the packaging has been reduced by 60% for the handset. Along the a charger that uses 94% less energy that Energy Star compliance requires. Read the rest of this entry »
Published on May 10th, 2008
No doubt about it, I have my vices. Addiction to coffee seems to be genetic in my family, and so, really, there isn’t anything I can do about it other than try to drink responsibly. Aside from buying organic and fair trade coffee, what you drink out of is as important as what you drink.
I was very excited to see the new Sustain recycled and recyclable mugs from Aladdin. Made from eCycle, a new food-grade safe plastic that is recycled, it can also be dropped in any recycling bin at the end of it’s life cycle. At $9.99, I consider it a bargain, especially when the coffee itself is $5.00. 
The real benefit is that by using this eCycle technology to make their tumblers, the company is: using 2/3 of the energy they would if they made the same product from “virgin” plastics; saving oil (which we should all be thankful for since one ton of recycled plastic saves 685 gallons of oil according to the EPA), and they are helping “close the loop” by using something that is not only recycled but can be reused again. It almost sounds redundant.
This is an example that warrants re-purposing and recycling for other products.
Published on May 5th, 2008
There are a lot of cool gadgets out there, but there’s a fine line between what’s cool and what’s useful. This is a green list of gadgets that are useful, but boast the extra-cool factor of using renewable energy. No batteries required!
10. The Ship has Landed
The lightship is a solar-powered LED mounted on suction cups. Result: a portable, hands-free, solar light. It’s even weather proof and weighs a slim 8oz. For under $15, this is the best 8 hours of clean light I can think of, and I might just get one for my car/camping trips/travels.
9. High-tech pool toy? Read the rest of this entry »
Published on May 2nd, 2008
Tesla Would Be Proud
A few years back, Marin Soljačić was driven from bed by the insistent beeping of his mobile phone. But it wasn’t beeping for him to answer it, it was beeping for him to plug it in. Since that night, the assistant professor of physics at MIT, has been thinking about ways to start his phone charging as soon as he enters his home - without the need for plugs or wires.
Jennifer Chu at Technology Review writes that Soljačić considered using radio waves, but found that most of their energy would be lost in transmission. Targeted methods like lasers require a clear line-of-sight and could be dangerous for anything in their way. According to Chu, he eventually settled on a phenomenon called magnetic resonance coupling, in which two objects tuned to the same frequency exchange energy strongly but interact only weakly with other objects. Read the rest of this entry »
Published on April 28th, 2008
For years I’ve been reading about the benefits of a vegetarian lifestyle. Beef production creates more CO2 than autos, factory farm conditions are unhealthy and awful, and veggies are healthier too! But let me be frank: I really really really like bacon. I can cut down on my meat intake, no problem! I only eat it with friends and relatives. But say good bye to succulent chicken breast, or slow-cooked BBQ ribs… forever? Well there’s only so much a girl can do, my friends.
So I suppose it’s not surprising that some people are looking for meat alternatives, and I’m not talking about Tofurkey. I’m talking about real meat, but minus the animal. Read the rest of this entry »
Published on April 22nd, 2008
Happy Earth Day to all!
This Earth Day let’s break it all down and see things for what they are.
Our world is in a state of climate chaos as a result of our conveniences. This CleanTechnica blog is an opportunity to see what is being done worldwide in the realm of clean technology (ie. renewable energy, alternative fuels, sustainable products and services etc…) so that we can keep these conveniences.
That’s terrific–I’m glad it is being done, but this Earth Day I’d like to say–F your conveniences!
Here are 22 (since it’s April 22nd) things you can do daily that are inconvenient but we would all benefit greatly if everyone did them. And, to be honest–they’re not that inconvenient. They may in fact be just inconvenient enough that when you do them you get the rewarding feeling that you are doing something to benefit the greater good (i.e. earth, and its many earthlings) besides simply donating to a charity once a year during the holiday season.
I know we live in a country full of citizens more excited that Starbucks has a drive-thru than Toyota has a Prius, and will not be truly satisfied until Starbucks has a video camera mounted a mile from its store so it can read your license plate to anticipate your arrival and have your drink ready for you by the time you get there. Then all you’d have to do is slow down enough for the “barista” to throw your “coffee” into your car as you rolled by with your window down. After all, complete stops are for suckers! I digress…
Those people are out there in large numbers–and they are probably not reading this blog, so it’s up to you to send it to them because these 22 inconveniences can change the world.
Read the rest of this entry »
Published on April 19th, 2008
It looks like a child’s toy from the 70s, but this new high-tech camera can record more than a simple Polaroid. It can create a 3D image of almost anything, and you can take it almost anywhere.
Developed at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering IOF in Jena, Germany, the Kolibri CORDLESS is the size of a shoe box and it weighs a little over 2 lbs. No cables required, you just point and click. Several seconds later a detailed 3D image will appear on a laptop. From there you can analyze and use the digital model. Read the rest of this entry »
