Archive for January, 2010
January 31st, 2010
- The grassroots efforts of using gray water.
- How to avoid the legal pitfalls of green marketing.
- Sustainable design needs more than bells and whistles.
- Green materials sector is gaining attention and growing fast.
- SEC to require disclosure of climate change risks.
- Study finds that white roofs reduce urban heat.
- The ever expanding green toolbox.
- Is your house making you sick?
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January 30th, 2010
photo: Sébastien Bertu via flickr.
Some migrating birds may be more able to adapt to changing climate that previously thought. Writing in Current Biology researchers studying the migration patterns of pied flycatchers say that changing climatic conditions are indeed causing them to begin their migrations earlier in the spring, but it turns out that they are not actually arriving at their end destination earlier–something w… Read the full story on TreeHugger
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January 30th, 2010
The national day of love is right around the corner. When planning the ways you’ll profess your feelings (whether for a partner, parent or friend), make sure you’re also taking Mother E into consideration. Here’s a round-up of Valentine’s Day cards that beat true red, while holding steadfast to our stringent green criteria – but be forewarned, they’re not all mushy-gushy on the inside!
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Binth “Sucker” Card: When whispering sweet nothings doesn’t get the point across, try sending a more direct message. Screen-printed on recycled white stock, this card is sure to garner a response ($4.25). |
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Good On Paper “You + Me” Card: Rekindle that schoolyard flame – you can even add a “check yes or no” box on the back. Printed on recycled paper using vegetable-based inks ($4.75). |
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Night Owl Paper Goods “Otter Love” Card: New prints from an old favorite – we absolutely love everything from Night Owl Paper Goods, but this adorable otter card (reads: “there’s other fish in the sea, but you otter be with me”) is at the top of our list this year. Card is made of eco-friendly, sustainably harvested birch ($6). |
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Botanical Paperworks Plantable V-Day Card: For a love that will continue to grow – this sweet card can be planted and will actually sprout up as wildflowers later in the season! Made of 100% post-consumer waste, embedded with high-grade pure North American wildflower seeds ($4.95). |
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Seltzer Goods “V-Day Fangs” Card: For the love that’s eternally yours. Printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper using veggie-based inks ($3.50). |
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Positively Green Card: When you really want to let someone know how truly important they are, this quote from George Elliot says it perfectly: “Blessed is the influence of one true, loving human soul to another.” Printed with soy ink on FSC certified 100% recycled stock ($2.95). |
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Fugu Fugu Press “Love You Bird” Card: If you feel like singing about your love from the treetops, but know that your tone-deaf voice may not be the best way to woo your valentine, let this songbird card send the message instead. Printed on 100% recycled paper using soy-based ink ($5.00). |
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Hard Cards “Be Mine” Valentine: No matter the occasion, we know we’ll find ourselves rolling over in laughter with anything from Hard Cards. The inside of this seemingly affectionate card reads: “And I mean MINE. So help me if you so much as look at another person I will rip your eyeballs out. Happy Valentine’s Day.” Made on 100% post-consumer waste paper, using soy-based inks ($3.50). |
January 30th, 2010
We’re introducing a new advertiser on GreatGreenGoods today …and we are so happy to have them! If you looking for a good looking bag that is also eco-friendly, you can’t go wrong with a bag from instinctive. They are made with recycled materials (the main body fabric, the polyester webbing and the plastic buckles are all recycled) and they are manufactured in a Fair Labor Association and Social Accountability International approved factory. What separates instinctive from the pack is that they have a lifetime “Takeback” policy….which means that if you want a new look, you can return your bag for repair or replacement.
$49.99 at Instinctive
$59.99 at Instinctive
In addition, when you purchase one of these bags, 1% is donated to The Wild Foundation.
January 29th, 2010
According to the Miami Herald, architect Andrés Duany has created a temporary house — referred to as the “core-house” — that can be made of a strong, composite material and flat pack shipped to Haiti. The prefab houses sleep eight, if arranged with the bunk beds, and can expand with additional core units. Duany believes they could be built affordably in order to provide a temporary shelter from the elements and rain.
Each temporary core house is only 8′2″ x 8′2″ x 19′8″, although when shipped it would only be a few inches thick. Duany has a prototype under construction right now in a factory in Miami Gardens, Florida.
This weekend, the designer will visit Haiti to scout temporary locations and learn about sewage arrangements. He’s also going to take soil samples to determine the foundation required for the flat pack homes.
After that, Duany hopes to get sponsorships for the manufacture, shipment, and installation of the homes in Haiti. If he can, they would be manufactured by InnoVida, a company that makes the light, waterproof, strong, fiber-composite panels.
All in all, it seems like Duany is on to something that could work in Haiti. We’ll try to follow this as the progress unfolds.
[+] Miami architect devises prefabs for homeless by Miami Herald.
Rendering credits: Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company via Miami Herald.
January 29th, 2010
Image credit: Robert W. Matthews, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org
In 2005, Adrian Dyer trained bees to associate sugary rewards with pictures of human faces. The results seemed to indicate that bees could actually identify a human face. New research, however, indicates that the situation is more complex—and more fascinating—than this early study suggested…. Read the full story on TreeHugger
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January 29th, 2010
Image credit: Ethan Hein/Flickr
The lightning observed during the eruption of Mt. Redoubt in 2009, researchers have determined, is an entirely new variety. Using radio antennas, scientists noticed that the bolts were shorter, lasting only a few milliseconds, and much more frequent than typical lightning…. Read the full story on TreeHugger
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January 29th, 2010
Fireworks are a popular way to celebrate in Turkey. Photo by Jennifer Hattam.
Especially during the summer months, the sound of fireworks is part of the evening soundtrack in Turkey, where pyrotechnics are often used to celebrate weddings, football victories, and official ceremonies alike. But a municipality on the country’s Mediterranean coast has put the kibosh on such festivities, saying they can fatally frighten endangered sea turtles…. Read the full story on TreeHugger
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January 29th, 2010
Not much has changed since our last update on the Honeywell Wind Turbine, except WindTronics released this video showing the gearless blade tip system at work. It’s spinning nicely, and the company claims it can start generating energy at winds speeds as low as 2 mph (and up to 42 mph). The $5,995, soon-to-be-launched small wind turbine can produce up to 2000 kWh/yr in class 3 winds and up to 2752 kWh/yr in class 4 winds.
According to WindTronics, the WT6500 will be the company’s launch product. Early units will sell from select Ace Hardware Stores in February 2010, with the product launch continuing throughout the spring.
Although a purchaser may be able to install the Honeywell Wind Turbine, it still needs to be wired up by a certified installer. The cost of installation is estimated to be around $1,000 – $1,500, plus electrical contracting costs. It can be grid-tied or off-grid, depending on what the purchaser needs.
One of the things that makes the system interesting is the fact that a purchaser can take advantage of
federal, state, and/or local incentives of anywhere from 30-100% of the
total system cost, making the system economically approachable.
Another interesting fact about the Honeywell Wind Turbine is that it generates energy from the blade tips using a gearless Blade Tip Power System (BTPS). The advantage of this, according to the company, is
that the turbine starts turning at winds of 1 mph, generates energy at
2 mph, and operates 50% more of the time than traditional systems.
The turbine causes less than 35 decibels of noise when operating, although it’s quite large in size. The WT6500 has a diameter of 67 inches, or just over five
and a half feet, and weighs 170 pounds. It can be mounted on a pole, roof, or commercial mount and has a 120 degree wide acceptance angle.
[+] Learn more about the Honeywell Wind Turbine.
Visual credits: WindTronics.
January 29th, 2010
With the spread of VHSV, fishing in the great lakes could become a lot less interesting. Image credit: *clairity*/Flickr
Viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) is a deadly disease that affects a startlingly large number of fish species. Afflicted fish suffer from anemia and, eventually, hemorrhaging. Since 2005, VHSV has worked its way through the Northeast of the United States and now, researchers report, it has spread… Read the full story on TreeHugger
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