Archive for October, 2009
October 31st, 2009
- Building green with less green.
- Green building tips for remodeling.
- Feud continues between wood certifiers.
- Designer pinpoints trends in green building.
- New online tool shows a building’s carbon usage.
- Open space in green buildings reduces productivity?
- The coming national water crisis.
- As green as you care to be.
Also, follow @jetsongreen on Twitter for more news, links, and commentary.
Posted in 
October 31st, 2009
photo: W.B. Karesh
Modern technology came in handy for several scientists tracking the marathon migration of pronghorn antelopes. Using GPS collars, the scientists were able to follow the species in what is being called the longest migration of any land mammal in the Western Hemisphere.
… Read the full story on TreeHugger
Go to Source
October 31st, 2009
Credit: GLERL.
Once upon a time, a president named George W. Bush called the Great Lakes “a national treasure,” formed a group to come up with a restoration plan, and did nothing.
That was in May 2004. The regional group he formed later came up with a $20 billion plan to clean up the lakes.
This year, 2009, Part 1 of that regional strategy is about to kick off, to address th… Read the full story on TreeHugger
Go to Source
October 31st, 2009
Earlier this week, Green Wavelength LLC, a bio-inspired clean energy startup, unveiled their 19-foot, prototype, small wind turbine to crowds at The Perfect Pitch 2009 entrepreneur conference. Called XBee, the turbine – unlike any that you’ve probably ever seen – was designed with inspiration from the movement of bumblebees, hummingbirds, and dragonflies.
Unfortunately, the controller for the XBee overheated and stopped working properly. As a result, Green Wavelength will go back to the drawing board for additional development and testing.
Nevertheless, the company might be on to something in terms of finding a new wind turbine design with greater efficiencies. We’ll have to wait and see. If they can pull it off, Green Wavelength intends to produce 1-10 kW small wind turbines for home and small business uses. And that would be quite incredible, really.
[+] Green Wavelength LLC.
October 31st, 2009
Photo: Rent-a-Ruminent LLC
Could goats be the past and the future?
We’ve written many times about goats being used to replace lawnmowers and to clear brush (for example, in Arizona, in North-Carolina, and even at Google’s Mountainview HQ). Well, we can now add to that list the Seattle-based <a href="http://rent-a-ruminant.mapmate.com/maps/71… Read the full story on TreeHugger
Go to Source
October 31st, 2009
Photo: Flickr, CC
Storing, Changing, Buying, Repairing, Inspiring
The UK transport secretary, Andrew Adonis, has launched a new program to encourage more people to commute to work on bicycles. Currently, only about 3% of UK citizens do that, compared to about 40% in Copenhagen. The initiative is named the Cycle to Work Guarantee and it is a voluntary program that workplaces can join. Members are basically sending the message to their current and potential employees that they’ll tak… Read the full story on TreeHugger
Go to Source
October 30th, 2009
Are you on Twitter yet? If you’re not, I hope you’ll get there soon, because the conversation is good. And the sharing is getting better, too. You may have noticed we have a “retweet” button at the end of each article. It’s been fun to see how far and wide topics can spread with these buttons.
Along these lines, if you’re on Twitter, you may have noticed the roll out of lists. It seems like a great idea and we’re going to try to get more out of it. We’ve built up the following lists and want to add friends of Jetson Green to the right category. Drop a comment with your Twitter handle and the appropriate list group, and we’ll add you to it.
Oh yeah, we created a list of Must Follow Green Twitter Feeds, which needs a revamp, and we Twitter at @jetsongreen. See you there …
October 30th, 2009
Image credit: worak/Flickr
Anyone who has seen Little Shop of Horrors has felt it: that sinking feeling that something is not right. And I’m not talking about Rick Moranis singing. I’m talking about sinister carnivorous plants.
We all know plants can poison us, sure, but it seems unnatural for a plant to eat another living thing. It’s hard to believe that a member of the largely peaceful and beneficent Plantae kingdom would lurk in the forest, waiting for prey.
Well believe it. You’re about to see a whole hoard of horri… Read the full story on TreeHugger
Go to Source
October 30th, 2009
Laser-cut products are all the rage these days – from art, to rugs, to metal sculptures and jewelry. But cool as the designs may be, we only get elated over these technological breakthroughs when ensured that they are using their innovation for good (design, that is).
We’ve had our eye on molly m jewelry for some time now – the intricate detailing and fresh structured style adds interest to any drab outfit. But the development of her new botanicals line is what made us jump for sustainable joy. Inspired “by botanical forms in Molly’s mom’s garden, the onset of autumn in Berkeley, and plant anatomy and morphology,” the collection is made with eco-friendly materials like bamboo veneer, recycled suede, felt and wool (from salvaged surplus).
The line is a constant reminder of nature’s innate sense of style – cattails and cellulose are so 2010, as is being environmentally conscious, baby.
October 30th, 2009
We’ve mentioned Ideabox several times over the years, and their new offering, the Fortino, has to be one my favorites. The Fortino was on display at the Seattle Home Show 2, although, unfortunately, there was a huge pole at the show obstructing photos. You’ll have to imagine the Fortino in a well-manicured, xeriscaped setting on the lot of your choosing. Something like 30,000 people saw the Fortino in Seattle, and Jim Russell, founder of Ideabox, tells me the response was incredible.
The Fortino is a two bedroom, two bathroom home of 1,250 square feet of space. With the Ideabox standard materials and features, it sells for $148,750. The company is taking pre-orders at some sort of introductory pricing at $142,250 for a short period of time. You won’t be able to get the Fortino show house, though, because it sold on the second day of the show.
There are three available siding options for the Fortino. The first is an architectural block, which is shown in these images. There’s also a “z” channel system and a galvalume corrugated metal.
Also, the Fortino has a number of green materials and elements, such as an EPA cool roof, Energy Star windows, insulated thermal front door, no VOC paint, bamboo flooring, recycled glass concrete counter, dual flush toilets, low flow faucets and shower heads, Energy Star CFL lighting, Energy Star Kitchenaid stainless appliances, Energy Star clothes washer, a tankless hot water, tested and certified insulated ductwork, maple plywood cabinets with no MDF, and a whole house ventilation system.
Not necessarily apparent from these photos is how the Fortino was designed to blend indoor and outdoor living. With a well thought landscape and deck plan, a Fortino owner could end up with a lot of extra outdoor space accessible through multiple sets of sliding doors.
Some other Ideabox homes that we’ve featured include the Island Cottage, Confluence Modern, and Port Townsend Confluence Modern.
Photo credits: Ideabox.