 | TreeHugger's founder Graham Hill turned 38 recently. Instead of gifts, he asked friends and family to give a tax deductible donation to Charity:Water in his name. It's a fantastic organization that is drilling wells across Africa and thereby helping lower disease, by increasing access to cleaner water, and poverty, since it reduces the need to haul water for hours each day. (More than 75% of the people in Ethiopia don't have safe drinking water -- the world's most precious resource and humanity's most basic need.)
| Strida Folding Bike Update
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When our illustrious founder isn't trying to drill water wells, he's often cruising about on his Strida bicycle. The diminutive, angular folder weighs less than 25 pounds, and can fold and unfold in 5 seconds flat, making it a great option for storage to street to transit and back again. Now, Strida is getting some updates, to be officially unveiled at the upcoming Interbike Expo, September 24-26 in Las Vegas. This include a stripped down techy model with slick shifter gearing, sporty coloured versions and a big wheel model for larger souls. ::More
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| | | 12-Year Old Invents Solar Cell
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We don't really have much on this one yet from the techno side, but William Yuan, a 12-year old boy from Beaverton, Oregon, has developed a new 3D solar cell which if it ever gets commercialized could seriously change the face of solar power. Though he was encouraged by his middle school science teacher, this is no mere school science experiment: the Davidson Institute awarded Yuan a $25,000 scholarship for his research. His solar panel enables light absorption from visible to ultraviolet light, via carbon nanotubes. ::More
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| | | No Parts Available: An Unsustainable Future?
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John laments that his torn gazebo cannot be repaired by the supplier. "We wouldn't tolerate it for our vehicles or bicycles or cell phones or packaged foods. Somehow, we do tolerate it for other product categories. Why? One solution is to avoid buying unrepairable items; to send suppliers a message. But how do you know until it's too late? Design can not overcome a business model that does not facilitate the possibility of repair and the customer loyalty than can come from it." Our readers leapt to the issue with myriad comments. ::More
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| Bright Built Barn is Net-Zero Energy
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If it isn't the greenest project we have presented, it is certainly the best marketed, with a website, a wiki, a blog and an extensive press kit. The BrightBuilt Barn, designed by Kaplan Thompson Architects and built by Bensonwood, is a net-zero building that attempts to do it all. They call it a 200-year house: designed to last generations, using a process called "open building", where components in the house can be easily changed and upgraded. The Structural Insulated Panel (SIP) walls ensure a R-40 shell that needs no furnace. ::More
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| | | Why Paper Recyclers Fear Inkjet Growth
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Inkjets are tempting. The price tag may be hundreds of dollars lower than the price of the laserjets on display nearby. But that cheap up-front allure masks serious side effects. Cheaper inkjet cartridges have low page yields, with more cartridge waste. But there is more to the story. Recycling inkjet printed paper is very hard. Even in small amounts, inkjet printed papers can spoil a load of recovered paper dedicated to be recycled for new newsprint or office papers. Their inks dissolve in process water like a red sock in the white wash. ::More
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| | | Hummer Dealer Switches to SMART Cars
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Dan Towbin's Hummer dealership in Las Vegas is one of the biggest in the USA. It was even featured in the "King of Cars" documentary on A&E. But the time they are a-changin', and the Vegas Hummer dealership will soon shut down, making it at least the 8th Hummer dealership to close in the US. But Mr. Towbin, a "uber-Hummer enthusiast", has plans. He wants to open a Smart car dealership, and he's already selling many other brands including Vespa scooters. Does this suggest people in Vegas are interested by smaller vehicles? ::More
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| Edukat'n Dun Me Gud
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a. In the US, over 200 university and colleges and schools in 16 states have implemented programs that emphasize local food purchasing.
b. Toys, called Idbids, encourage kids to make "iddy biddy" steps to go green via activities that simplify complex eco issues.
c. The Earth Institute calls for better global education: "the ability to read instructions on a pesticide container can be life-saving."
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| | | Bike Bizarre
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a. A teacher in Montana, was lucky to survive when he t-boned a black bear while riding his bike to work.
b. Yahoo! has been tricking up bikes with solar powered cameras that record riders journeys for Flickr, every minute of the ride.
c. And New Belgium Brewing has its Team Wonderbike, 13,000 cyclists pledged to ride 13 million miles instead of driving.
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| | | Threads
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a. HT Naturals have previewed their Spring 2009 line, made from bamboo, soy, hemp, recycled PET, and/or organic cotton.
b. The new Nau trims its range to 69 key garments, of which 2% of all sales will be donated to six Partners For Change.
c. Community-Based Eco Clothing Line 'nvohk' is expanding their scope to include 40,000 members.
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Maybe you've noticed our occasional series entitled Jargon Watch. Last week we played with the new word 'Locavolt' : referring to micro-grids" which are self-contained islands of electric power, and where locavolts tap "indigenous renewable resources." To keep abreast of this and other such eco-news you might want to consider signing up for the cute, bite sized news snippets in our Daily newsletter. And see that lil blue, left-hand link below? Clicking on it will forward this e-News to your mates. Let 'em know you're still breathing, and reading all this amazing stuff.
a la prochaine,
Team TreeHugger
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