Archive for July, 2009
July 29th, 2009
Photo via Chumphon Cabana Resort & Diving Center
Although going green doesn’t have to mean spending a bundle, it’s much easier to find a luxury eco-friendly resort than it is to find a cheap one. But we found five beach-centered resorts in areas all over the world that cost less per night than you’d spend on a week of organic groceries–think less than $65, and, at several of these resorts, less than $50. Even at those wallet-friendly prices, you won’t have to compromise your green morals: Solar p… Read the full story on TreeHugger
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July 29th, 2009
Take a step in the right direction with olsenHaus, the 100% vegan line by Elizabeth Olsen. The collection boasts clean, modern design, with a twist – resulting in interesting, unexpected, yet totally wearable combinations.
A long-time vegetarian and recent vegan convert, Elizabeth uses sustainable components as much as possible and sources most materials from Italy under fair trade practices. The styles are similar to some of the high-fashion, trendy shapes we’ve been seeing on the red carpet and runway, but without the chromium-dyed leather skins.
Topping the list are the wedges, perfect for everyday wear, but with a kick. The Wit style ($160) pairs two of spring’s hottest trends – neutrals and neons. Natural linen makes it wearable for work, while the touch of hot pink at the heel adds a little sass to your office strut. The Love style ($175) is equally cute and wearable and looks great with bum-hugging organic dark wash jeans. Both wedges let you stand a little taller, and not just because you’re walking with the knowledge that your shoes are cruelty-free.
Get ready to dress your man in something meaningful as well – coming soon, olsenHaus will be releasing a men’s collection!
*Search for Olsen Haus on The Find.
July 29th, 2009
This is a story about an interesting collaboration of five different organizations: San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), Clear Channel Outdoor, Inc., Lundberg Design, 3Form, and Konarka. San Francisco needed to replace its existing transit locations, and the SFMTA selected Clear Channel for the contract based upon a transit shelter design by Lundberg Design. So far, the first five of roughly 1,200 new, sustainably designed transit shelters have been installed, and ~400 of the total will be powered by roof integrated photovoltaics. The shelters have wireless internet, NextMuni, and Push to Talk capabilities.
Even though only a third of all the new transit shelters will have grid-tied solar, all of them will be made with green materials. The undulating, colorful roof is a 3form material with 40% post-industrial content, the steel is comprised of roughly 70% recycled content, and the lighting is powered by energy-efficient LEDs. Plus, if feasible, some of the locations may add small wind to generate additional power.
Interestingly, all of the five participating organizations seem to get something out of the arrangement. Clear Channel is paying for 100% of the new shelters, which is certainly a benefit to SFMTA, and Clear Channel gets to use the shelters for advertising. The SFMTA receives a guaranteed annual advertising payment or 55% of revenue generated, whichever is higher.
Also, 3form developed a new, specialized material to encapsulate the flexible solar panels within the recycled polycarbonate, and this integrated solar product will certainly fit well with all the other green materials produced by the Salt Lake City-based company. All the while, Konarka has a customer for their proprietary, flexible solar panels, and Lundberg Design gets to leave its imprint on the city.
Photos: Lundberg Design (1-2); Streetsblog (next 3, 5); 3form (4).
July 29th, 2009
photo: Paul Mannix via flickr
It’s well known that global tiger populations are in serious decline, with habitat loss and poaching driving the big cats quickly towards extinction. In fact, recently in India another reserve was found to actually have no tigers in it. Now, Nepal has completed its first nationwide assessment of tigers and the results are decidedly mixed. He…
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July 29th, 2009
Here are today’s picks for what’s wow in the world of green.
US Postal Service Delivers Plan for Huge Green Roof in NYC
Miami Zoo Finds a Use for Mounds of Animal Waste
Mass. startup uses biotech smarts to take the corn out of ethanol
July 29th, 2009
For over 20 years John Masters has been making luxury organic products that soothe, nourish and style. We’ve raved about his clean air salon (New York’s one and only), now operating on 100% wind power, in previous posts. And now it’s his full line of skincare we’re gushing about – with new, updated products for 2009!
With an array of cleansers, toners, and moisturizers for all skin types – the line of “super natural beauty” products has become an ecofab office obsession. The mandarin maximum moisture uses Japanese satsuma mandarin extract to reduce sunspots and stimulate cell growth, and the rose and aloe hydrating toning mist calms and refreshes. But it’s praises for the new spf 30 natural mineral sunscreen with extracts of green tea, shea butter and jojoba that we’ve been singing from the office – this beach bag essential has a high enough spf to ensure you’re fully protected and works as a moisturizer on its own for warm summer days.
July 28th, 2009
So the question is: “Is it possible for a golf course to be ‘green?’“
In October 2008, we discussed celebrity Justin Timberlake’s green plans for Big Creek Golf Course, and last week, some of these plans came to fruition. At the press conference on Friday, Timberlake discussed his experiment to green a golf course, and decided that it can successfully be done (see video below). Located just north of downtown Memphis, the newly renovated, par-72 course is now called Mirimichi, which means “place of happy retreat,” and features 7,400 yards of play.
Mirimichi was the first golf course Justin Timberlake played on, and he
and his family bought the property in 2007. Since that time, according
to Commercial Appeal,
the purchase group has invested roughly $16 million to completely
overhaul everything about the course. While the group is working
towards LEED Platinum certification for the buildings in 2011, they’re
also planning to make Mirimichi the world’s first golf course to
calculate its own footprint.
Moreover, Mirimichi is the first golf course in the United States to be designated as a certified Audubon International Classic Sanctuary. To qualify for the Classic Program, according to a press release, “Mirimichi implemented sustainable resource management principles
that incorporate wildlife conservation, habitat rehabilitation and
enhancement, water conservation, and water quality protection.“
The Classic Program also requires a yearly audit to ensure that the natural resource
management principles are being practiced, and all Mirimichi employees
are trained in environmental stewardship. The course has some of the following green elements:
- Reflective coatings on parking lots to reduce the heat footprint;
- Landscape areas that capture and reuse rainwater runoff;
- Used native grass areas, waste bunkers, and enhanced water acreage to reduce manicured acreage from 195 acres to 100 acres;
- Irrigation system that reduces water usage by maximizing water management efficiency; and
- Lake areas and re-circulating creeks to create a habitat for the ecosystem.
Now, after hearing about the Mirimichi makeover, don’t you agree that a golf course can be green?
Some environmentalists argue that there’s nothing green about golf — a logical argument based on the amount of water used to keep these places going. But the same environmentalists might also agree that Mirimichi has invested in strategies to take the same environmental impact out of the game.
Personally, if I could ever get past my quadruple-bogey hacker status, I’d take a trip out to Mirimichi and shake the man’s hand for pursuing a strong business strategy that minimizes the course’s impact on the environment. Plus, for those of you that like to get out and walk a round early Saturday morning — call it a natural walk with expensive walking sticks — wouldn’t you rather do it at a place that invests in sustainability. I know I would.
July 28th, 2009
Image: PNNL
Guiding Salmon to Safety
Many populations of Chinook Salmon are endangered, and hydropower dams are not making things betters. But is there a way to mitigate their impact? Part of the problem is that predators (like the pikeminnow) gather in the shallow waters downstream of the dam and devour passing salmon. Researchers at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) decided to do something about that, so they tracked about 4,140 young salmon with a system they call Juvenile Salmon Acoustic Telemetry System (JSATS), and using computer models they figured out a…
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July 28th, 2009
Luna Sport Gear Booth at Wanderlust Festival. Image via: Author’s Collection
The Luna brand is branching out from food into…bike apparel for women? Actually this marriage makes perfect sense, as we found out this weekend at the Wanderlust Festival. Plus, for all you style mavens out there, the gear comes in great colors too. …
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July 28th, 2009
Photo: Flickr, CC
They Practiced Forest Conservation for a While
Young environmentalists might think “old school green” means hippies from the 1960s, but that’s actually quite recent compared to what the Mayans were doing 3,000 years ago. A new study published in the Journal of Archaeological Science concludes that the ancient Mayans not only practiced effective forest management and conservation, but also that when they abandoned the practice, it was detrimental to their entire civilization (those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it). Read on …
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