Hive Modular, a prefab company out of Minneapolis, recently completed this custom modular home on a sloping corner lot in St. Paul.  Sandwiched between mid-century modern neighbors, the 1,864 square foot prefab features contemporary oak finishes and landscaping from none other than Rosenlof/Lucas.  Check it out below from a few different perspectives. 

This is the X-Line 012 model with two bedrooms and two bathrooms.  Hive aims for airtight construction and uses 2×6 exterior wall framing, R19 insulation, and R44 engineered floor and roof trusses. 

The company also uses low-VOC and green materials while minimizing construction waste in controlled factory conditions. 

Hive Modular is one of a handful of businesses out there consistently building contemporary prefabs.  If you like this one, you’ll certainly like some of these others, including this B-Line Medium in Minneapolis, this X-Line in Vadnais Heights, and this B-Line Medium in St. Paul.

[+] Get more info on Green Homes from Hive Modular.

Credits: Hive Modular.

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Nothing like a flood of minks loose in a country’s already fragile ecosystem to put environmentalists in a tough spot. Two fur farms in northern Greece were raided, the results of which saw 50,000 minks running for the hills. Fortunately for everyone (except the minks) the problem could solve itself in a short time.

UPDATE: An animal rights group has claimed responsibility for the raids and a photo of the unfortunate outcome of the action, after the jump. … Read the full story on TreeHugger
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We’ve got a new regular slideshow here on TreeHugger: The Week in Animal Photos. Catch a glimpse of what the animal kingdom has been up to this week, from a tiger cub disguised as a stuffed tiger rescued from an international smuggling deal to a newly discovered pea-sized frog perched on a pencil tip.

<img alt="The Week in Ani… Read the full story on TreeHugger
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A really neat time lapse video put together by Oregon State University alum Don Pettit shows footage from his time on the International Space Station. This one shows Earth from day to night, and you can spot everything from auroras to city lights. Check it out after the jump. … Read the full story on TreeHugger
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The grand prize winner of eBay’s annual Innovation Expo, “simple green shipping,” is a durable box designed to be reused over and over again. Sounds pretty simple, right? Well that’s the idea. Since so many eBay buyer are sellers and vice versa it’s common that eBay users will be receiving product one day and shipping something else out the next. According to the eBay Green Team’s calculations, if a box gets reused at least five times, it will protect nearly 4,000 trees, save 2.4 million gallons of water and conserve enough energy to power 49 homes for a year. That’s a pretty powerful piece of 100% recycled, FSC-certified corrugated cardboard, if you ask us. The bonus? Super cute graphics and space to write a personal message to the next person in the chain, giving each box its own personal life (plus you’ll be able to track the route of each box through a virtual community online).

For more info on this pilot program, visit the FAQ page on eBayGreenTeam.com.

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Seattle allows backyard cottages — legally referred to as detached accessory dwelling units (DADU) — in certain single-family situations.  These structures aren’t without controversy but can helpful when taking on a renter or housing extra family.  BjarkoSerra Architects designed this DADU for a family in Beacon Hill, and it will be built in the next year or so to a Built Green 5-Star rating. 

As shown in the rendering above, Beacon Hill DADU will have abundant windows for natural lighting, SIPs for an airtight and energy-efficient envelope, and rainwater harvesting for garden irrigation and stormwater management. 

Clad in Western Red Cedar, the project will also have roof-mounted solar systems for hot water and electricity and will be built with recycled and otherwise green materials.  I’ll try to follow up with this DADU upon the completion of construction.  It will be beautiful. 

Credit: BjarkoSerra Architects.

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Each year in early September, Japan opens season on dolphins, and today marks the start of the season in Taiji, a now notorious place for slaughtering cetaceans thanks to the Oscar-winning documentary The Cove. And of course, activist Ric O’Barry is on the move. He delivered a petition to the US Embassy in Tokyo signed by 1.7 million people from 155 countries demanding an end to … Read the full story on TreeHugger
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Leave a comment below through the end of Friday, September 3, 2010, to be considered for this random book giveaway.*

Jerry Yudelson is a green building leader, but he’s also a professional engineer with a master’s degree in water resource development.  Relying on this background, Yudelson authored a new book called Dry Run: Preventing the Next Urban Water Crisis.  The truth is, as he explains, the global human population is expected to quadruple from 1950 to 2050, placing more and more stress on water resources.  Swift action is necessary to prevent a water crisis, and Dry Run provides a timely set of solutions. 

New Society Publishers provided us with a review copy of the book, which focuses on urban water use, as opposed to agriculture or industry use.  Yudelson discusses water crises all over the world (including Australia) and concludes that the general public needs to develop a “culture of conservation.” 

Gathering research and information from interviews of industry experts, the author deftly handles a variety of topics, including the difference between water efficiency and conservation, the linkage between energy and water use, and the relationship between various certification systems and water usage. 

Yudelson devotes a solid portion of text to what he calls the colors of water: blue water, graywater, brown water, blackwater, green water, zen water, and new water.  After that, Yudelson examines two Texas cities and two California cities — all hit with varying degrees of drought — and how each city successfully managed water issues. 

Speaking to activists, citizens, building managers, homeowners, designers, developers, and officials alike, Yudelson concludes with a 10-step program to drastically reduce water consumption and create green jobs at the same time.  It’s an important book for our generation and worth reading, particularly if you’re interested in doing something about water scarcity before it becomes a massive societal problem. 

[+] Buy Dry Run by Jerry Yudelson on Amazon.

*To participate in this giveaway contest, leave a
comment here by midnight MST on Friday, September 3, 2010.  One comment per person; use a valid email; available only in the United States.  By leaving a comment, you agree to the terms and conditions relating to giveaways on Jetson Green.

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Does the intelligence of an animal factor in on your decision whether or not to eat them? Many people consider pigs to be incredibly intelligent, but they’re still mostly factory farmed in often abhorrent conditions. Scientists are pushing for dolphins and other cetaceans to have non-human person status, complete with inalienable rights. But they’re still hunted every year as a fish stock, as the documentary The Cove has highlighted. And what about cephalopods, a.k.a. octopuses and squid, which are known to be highly intelligent — so… Read the full story on TreeHugger
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The ocean’s whales are some of the Earth’s most massive and majestic animals, reaching sizes of up to 80 feet long and 150 tons. As the targets of centuries of whaling, they have a violent history — and are still recovering from an industry that depleted their numbers substantially.

But while whales can be aggressive at times, they are more often gentle, curious creatures — and likely to check out foreign objects in the water, including boats and photographers.

<a href="http://www.tr… Read the full story on TreeHugger
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