There’s Something Special About the Low Impact Natural Homes

As much as I love technology and gadgets, sometimes it’s nice to soak in a shot of simplicity. I think that’s why I’m such a big fan of natural material green homes. I fell in love with the Low Impact Woodland Home last year when I read about how it was built by two guys over four months using natural local materials and $7,000. They used trees cut from their land, local straw bales, and dirt dug from their foundation. The house they built is alive, warm, organic, and pure awesome:

Steve James did much the same thing. He built an uber green all natural round home with the help of friends in Scotland for $7,800 using straw bales and a green turf roof. Here’s a snip from a story about him:

When he’s expecting visitors, Steve James watches out the windows so he can catch the look on their faces when they see his house for the first time. “It’s always the same,” he say. “There’s an intense stare and total mystification, as if they can’t quite believe what they are seeing.” This may be because James’s house is made of straw and has a turf roof covered in flowers.

James is passionate about eco homes and deeply proud of the cottage, which huddles by a loch near Dumfries. His kitchen is made from a cedar that blew over in a Glasgow park. His sink came from a skip. To one side is a Moroccan marbled shower room, to the other are sofas and a log-burning stove. He sleeps in a galleried bedroom. A compost loo and rainwater filtration system complete the picture.

You can check out Steve’s site Envisioneer to read more about how he pulled it off.

Link [Envisioneer] via Neatorama

Planktos, With Plans to Dump Iron in Oceans to Fight Global Warming, Shuts Down in Face of Funding Crunch

I am extremely skeptical of any plans to fight global warming using large scale environmental engineering. You’ve probably read about a few of the wackier ideas like the artificial trees that absorb CO2 (actually a very cool idea), the plan to release massive amounts of sulfur into the air to bounce the suns rays back into space, and constructing giant sun blockers in space to shade the planet.
The company Planktos wanted to dump tons of raw iron into the ocean to boost the growth of plankton which would in theory capture large amounts of CO2. They got as far as putting together a small test study but luckily have been forced to shut down due to their inability to raise more capital.

I thought this idea was a bad one ever since reading it somewhere on the blogosphere a few years ago. I checked out their booth at Chicago Greenfest and have had my fingers crossed that they would fail to launch.

The idea of dumping a ton of iron into the ocean is a terrifically bad one, potentially on rank with bringing rabbits and cane toads to Australia. I think we need to be wary of any large scale environmental engineering projects. Nature is too complex for us to get close to understanding the potential effects of trying to tinker with it on a grand scale. Yeah, we might think dumping iron into the ocean could boost plankton levels with no bad side effects, but what if we found it also boosted the growth of some choking sea weed or fish lice or a nasty bacterial bloom. Or what if it actually sped up the release of CO2 from the oceans?

Treehugger just posted something on the ties between an excess of phytoplankton and nutrients and the formation of oxygen deprived dead zones in the ocean. Here’s a snip:

A team of marine ecologists at Oregon State University has determined that the increased occurrence of dead zones may be directly tied to global warming. As Kenneth Weiss reports in the Los Angeles Times, the researchers believe that stronger winds, brought about by higher land heat, are prolonging the natural process of upwelling, which brings deep nutrient-rich waters to the surface.

Upwelling is a crucial process because it provides the raw nutrients for phytoplankton to grow, creating a rich source of food for filter feeders and small fish and, in turn, larger fish and other organisms higher up the food chain. Off the coast of Oregon, however, it becomes a case of too much of a good thing: Stronger and more persistent winds prolong the process, resulting in a surplus of nutrients and phytoplankton that isn’t consumed - as a result, this large amount of food eventually sinks to the seafloor and rots, leading to the formation of low-oxygen, or anoxic, regions.

If Planktos had been able to get their project going they very could have exacerbated an already growing problem of ocean dead zones.

Planktos blamed the big bad “anti-offset crusaders” for leading the opposition to their work and for killing the chances of finding funding. That’s crap, I’m about as pro-offset as you can get and have been gunning for them to be shut down since I first read about their plans. Certified, high quality carbon offsetting that have verified additionality and a quantifiable impact are an important tool in the fight to save the world. Shady, ill conceived offset schemes like Planktos are the enemy of the good offsets and just muddy the waters in an already confusing industry. Good Riddance.

Atlas Kinetic Cell Phone Charges Up While You’re On the Go

I love green design that just makes sense. The Atlas Kinetic Phone captures the daily motions of a typical in-the-pocket cell phone and translates it into power. It’s also built with an all aluminum casing for a longer life cycle.

I hope someone at RIM sees this. I would LOVE to have a Blackberry with something like this. Coat it in a solar wrap and give me a phone that I never have to plug in. Free me from wires entirely!
Link [designer ID] via Yanko Design

Pushing the Envelope: Human Milk Cheese from France

Oh. My. Science.

Le Petit Singly is a farm in France that sells human cheese, made from the breast milk of a stable of French women.

Trendhunter has it:

“Human dairy, the taste of mother’s love” is sure to terrify a lot of people, but then again, these same people should be just as horrified by consuming cow’s milk.

“Human cheese is the best cheese I can feed my family,” the woman in the video says. “It is formulated for the human mind. It has a unique sweet flavour with rich and creamy undertones and a slight tang that will make your taste buds go wild.

“After I properly milked, the factories get to work, processing and mass producing me.”

There’s a video:

I ran with my curiosity when my wife was breastfeeding my girls and tried a small nip of the milk- it’s sweet stuff indeed. I’m sure the cheese Le Petit Singly makes is good, if you can get over the initial squeamishness. I just don’t know if I could eat human cheese.

Link [Le Petit Singly on French Lycos] Via Treehugger Via Trendhunter

EarthFirst Links-O-Rama: Wolverine Goes Green, Planktos Buried at Sea, and Maybe Crazy Solar Shields Aren’t So Crazy

Here are a few good links and stories I’ve come across this week. Enjoy! • Producers of ‘Wolverine’ Partner with Green Firm to Audit and Reduce Impact While Shooting Movies • WorldChanging: Planktos, Geo-Engineering, and Politics • Porsche Motors Fighting London on Gaz Guzzler Tax • Kentucky Cracks Down on Tree Thieves • Russia Tower, Third Largest Building in the World, Will Have Natural Ventilation • Save Time with Robertson Screws • Suburban Family Gives Up Oil Based Products for One Year • Catalytic Converters Getting Boosted as Platinum Price Rise • Treehugger: Crazy Solar Shields Not 100% Crazy • New materials Can selectively capture CO2 Links Photo taken by Flickr user Stringberd.

New Poll Finds That 18% of Americans are F*cking Morons

Have you ever looked at President Bush’s 29% approval rating and wondered “Who in their right mind could possibly approve of the job that guy is doing?”. Well, I found almost half of them. According to a new Gallup poll, 18% of Americans are Massively and Profoundly Stupid.

18 out of 100 Americans think the Sun revolves around the Earth.

Though the poll didn’t explore their other misconceptions, I’d gamble the same folks are fans of Creationism and think Global Warming is a hoax made up by Al Gore.

18% of this country’s citizens are at the same intellectual level as 4th Century European peasants.

May the Flying Spaghetti Monster bless America with his Noodly Appendage. We could really use his buttery blessing right about now.

In somewhat related hilarity…

Link [Gallup]

The photo is Ms. Teen South Carolina. Watch the video if you haven’t already, it’s a classic.

Peeing Outside is Good for Your Soul (and the Environment)

There’s nothing like a good pee outside. Green is Sexy so awesomely has it:

Not only is the fresh air liberating (even in sub-zero temperatures) it saves anywhere from 1.6 to 3.5 gallons per “episode,” depending on how chic and state-of-the-art your toilet is.

So true. Ladies can get the She Wee for easy outside standing bladder evacuation.

Link [Green is Sexy]

Memo to Bush: Distributing the 2,220 Page Budget in PDF Format is NOT Green

Want to hear a good joke? George Bush’s $3 trillion budget is “green”.

Not because it budgets funds to support the growth of renewable energy. Not because it removes the subsidies gas and oil companies receive. And not because it tightens regulations over toxic chemicals.

No, it’s “green” because they didn’t print it out. This year they are skipping out on printing the 2,200 page budget and passing it around to Congress and journalists in PDF format.

I’m not surprised in the least bit. Bush has pretty much made it his administrations signature move to do very stupid things and then to lie about it. This one is a pretty minor bit compared to Iraq, warrent-less wire tapping, and everything Dick Cheney does.

339 Days, 15 Hours, and 9 Minutes left in the Bush Administration…

Link [Ecogeek]

Idiot Manchild & GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz Thinks Global Warming is a “Total Crock of Shit.”

And as a followup to the “Coal is Great!” video, Green Daily has news that douche nozzle and GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz was heard to declare global warming a “total crock of shit.”

It warms my heart that GM is getting their asses handed to them by Honda and Toyota. Bob Lutz needs a push off the GM plane right onto his golden parachute to make room for someone who understands that the world is round and global warming is a reality that needs to be faced. GM’s position in the market will only get worse until they have people at the top who really understand the challenges of global warming and how to best position their car company to meet them.

Link [Autoblog Green] via Green Daily

Coal is the Enemy of Mankind

It makes me sad and angry that there are people in the world who think like this:

Via [GristMill]

Underwater Artistry: Master Aquarium Landscapes

Now this is an aquarium!

Check out the work of aquarium artists George and Steven Lo of Aqua Forest Aquarium in San Francisco. These things are amazing underwater landscapes. Pure Awesome.

Check out the Portfolio site for a ton of other amazing aquarium layouts.

Link [Portfolio] via Neatorama via Apartment Therapy San Francisco

PETA to Britney Spear’s Parents: Get That Girl on a Vegan Diet!

I’m with Michael over at Ecorazzi who mildly lays into PETA for sending a letter to the parents Britney Spears encouraging them to put Brit’ on an all vegan diet to solve her crazies.

Michael has it:

The letter then goes on to say that Britney should immediately be placed on a Vegan diet to benefit her mental and physical health. Ingrid even includes a copy of PETA’s free “Vegetarian Starter Kit”. How kind.

We cover PETA consistently on this site and respect the efforts they take to make the world a better place for animals. However, this is one of those actions that only invites ridicule and senselessly exploits the troubles of another individual to push forward an agenda. This is over the top, plain and simple.

Right on. PETA fights the good fight, but sometimes they step over the Stupid Line. This is one of those times.

Link [PETA Blog] via Ecorazzi

Windy Leader: Burt’s Bees Offers Wind Credits in Employee Benefits Package

Here’s a quick bit of cool personal news. One of the companies I’ve started in my career as an entrepreneur is Colorado based Renewable Choice Energy, a leading provider of clean wind credits. Me and my two pals Quayle Hodek and Kris Lotlikar started it the week before 9/11 in Quayle’s basement and it’s since grown to be a profitable 50+ person strong leader in their market.

It was great to read that Renewable Choice has partnered up with Burt’s Bees on a very cool new program. Burt’s Bees, which was bought by Clorox for almost $1 billion last year, not only purchased 3,954,000 kWh’s of wind credits as a company, but now reimburses employees for half of the cost of getting wind at their homes. To the best of my knowledge they are the first company to offer wind credits in their employee benefits package.

Very cool.

Link [Environmental Leader]

Presidential Candidates (Videos) Spar Off: One Clear Winner

Take a few minutes and watch these three videos. Then tell me who the next President of the United States will be. It’s no contest.

 

 

 

The Eco Button Offers Easy Greenwashed Sleep Mode

Check out this piece of greenwashed crap —>
That is the Eco Button, a self-proclaimed “green” product that you plug into your computer to allow you to put your computer into sleep mode with a touch of the big ugly button.

Problem is, you already can now put your computer to sleep with a touch of a button, your mouse button. How hard is to put your comptuer to sleep? If you have a Mac you can even make one of the corners of your screen a hotspot to auto drop it into sleep, making a snoozing computer a flick of the wrist away.

How much energy and materials were burned through to make the Eco Button? How much plastic, how much paper used in packaging and logistics, how much gas burned to ship it around from factory to store? This thing is a green washed turd of a product. Two thumbs and a toe down.

Link [EcoGeek] & [BoingBoing Gadgets]

No Impact Man: Are Better Cars a Better Cancer?

Colin Beaven is known as No Impact Man. For a year he lived a life with no negative environmental impact- he didn’t drive a car, didn’t use electricity in his New York City apartment, ate only locally grown food, and somehow managed to get his wife to come along for the journey.

He asks a killer question in his post on his excellent blog “Is making a better car like making a better cancer?” and then follows it up with 25 sharp and astute arguments for reducing our dependence on cars. Here are a few of my favorite, head over and read the whole list, it should jog your thoughts on our car culture. Colin references WorldChanging’s Alex Steffan’s post “My other car is a Bright Green City”

• Societal obsession with inventing a high-efficiency vehicle obscures the fact that using our land to live in suburbs instead of compact villages and cities may be not only a sustainable but a much more satisfying solution.
• If everyone in the United States deserves a car, then everyone in the world deserves a car. If everyone in the world gets a car, we’re toast.
• Studies show that building more roads only causes more traffic.
• Where, in major cities like, say, New York, are you supposed to fit more roads anyway?
• 3.5 million Americans now spend the equivalent of a month a year in their cars, according to Alex.
• According to Alex, “procurement of the materials used to make and maintain that car (and then dispose of it at the end of its life) may mean that almost half of the direct climate impact of a car never comes out of its tailpipe.”
• So even if you come up with a car, based on the same materials, that gets infinity miles per gallon, you’ll only have cut your footprint by half.

Link [No Impact Man] & [WorldChanging]

Greenify Your Sexy Time Toy Collection by Getting Off Chemicals

Victoria E has a good post up highlighting the dangers of cheap plastic sex toys. For the love of the Flying Spaghetti Monster people, spend some money on nice eco-friendly vibrators and whatnots. Good Vibrations, Babeland, and Good Clean Love are excellent places to start.

Here’s a snip, head over and read Victoria’s whole post.

Whether adventurous or mildly amorous, millions of couples use “novelty” items (a.k.a. sex toys). Often purchased on a whim, these bedside buddies can exponentially enhance your sensual encounters but they may also bring their own fair share of damage.

Soft and dangerous
If any of your toys are made from what looks to be a jelly-like substance or have the same smell as your newly purchased shower curtain, there is a very high possibility that they have been made with phthalates. These chemical compounds are used to soften the plastic, making it more flexible, which would seem to be perfect for such an intimate item.

Banned in Europe
Used since the 1920s in not only sex toys, but also perfumes, pesticides, rain coats, hair spray and medical instruments, phthalates have been linked to liver and kidney damage, genital abnormalities, hormone disruption and cancer. In 2005, the European Union banned six types of phthalates in children’s toys due to their dangers.

Link [Victoria E]

Las Vegas Has Even Odds on Going Dry Within 13 Years

Las Vegas is a city of odds. You get that the moment you step off the airplane and see the slot machines waiting just a few steps out of the tunnel. You can find odds on just about anything in Sin City- dice, cards, spinning wheels, fast dogs, and boxers.

And now water.

Environmental Graffiti reports that there’s a 50/50 chance that Las Vegas’s main source of drinking water, Lake Mead, will be dry by 2021. One of this country’s fastest growing metropolitan areas could be out of water in 13 years, rendering the whole place, for the most part, unlivable. Las Vegas doesn’t exist without easy cheap water. It’s a frickin’ desert for FSM’s sake. The city could possibly build a bigass pipeline to pull in water from far away, but would be hard pressed to do it without actually invading another state- water supplies is tight all over the country (see the fight between Florida, Georgia, and Alabama) and no one is giving it up easy.

Do you think mainstream America will wake up to the fact that clean drinking water is the most precious resource we have if Vegas went dry?
Make sure to get to Las Vegas in the next decade or so. It might not be around for much longer.

Link [Environmental Graffiti]

Green Geek’s Wetdream: The Super Tipper Truck Delivers Tons of Pure Awesome

Excuse me while I green geek out on you.

Great Flying Spaghetti Monster! Is this thing cool or what!?!

Meet the Super Tipper Truck, the coolest damn truck I’ve ever seen. It has independent suspension and electronic motors in all four wheels and it rips through the woods and up and down hills.

OK, so basically the thing is a dump truck sized Transformer-looking oversized ATV. You could do a lot of damage to the woods in that thing and it’s bound to be mainly utilized by mega sized multi-national mining and energy firms.

But… but…

It’s got electric wheels. That’s green, right?

Either way, it’s going on my Crazy Wish List, the list of things I will buy myself when I am a Billionaire. Maybe I’ll get a few and me and my friends can race them. We’ll charge ‘em up with the solar panels, I promise.

Link [Groovy Green]

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