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When he was 14, Andrew Angelloti got the idea to turn his 1988 Mazda pickup into an electric vehicle. The part-time lifeguard started buying parts in 2006 and finished his project in May, 2007. Powered by 20 golf cart batteries, the truck has a top speed of 55MPH with a range of 40 miles per charge. Now 18 years-old, Andrew reports that, despite the rigors of college life, he’s built a few motor controllers of various types on the small scale, digital voltage gauges, and “a few other non-EV-related items that I am equally unrightfully proud of – digital clocks, stepper motor controllers, that kind of thing.”
Namaste: www.ecofriend.org
Mr. Potato Head, originally uploaded by herobyday
A British company, Vegware, is using potatoes to create disposable items such as cutlery and tableware. Because they’re made from vegetable matter, the products are totally biodegradable. Vegware also produces take-out boxes made from sugar cane and compostable straws made from corn and other natural starches. Check them out at www.vegware.us.
Hat Tip: www.zible.com
Cottage in a Day is the next generation of factory-built, energy-efficient, green homes. It comes in different variations with different additional modules and takes about 5 hours to assemble.
Hat Tip: www.digsdigs.com
Asked to design an ecological business card for an environmental consultant, Fischer Portugal decided not to print any cards at all. Instead they created a rubber stamp to turn re-usable material into business cards.
Advertised brand: Andrea Romani – Environmental Consultant
Advertising Agency: Fischer Portugal, Lisbon
Namaste: theinspirationroom.com.
Joel Salatin’s Polyface, Inc. is “a family owned, multi-generational, pasture-based, beyond organic, local-market farm and informational outreach in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. “We are in the redemption business: healing the land, healing the food, healing the economy, and healing the culture. Writing, speaking, and farm tours offer various message venues.”
Joel plays a major part in Michael Pollan’s Omnivore’s Dilemma and can be seen in the documentary, Food, Inc.
Green roofs keep roofs cooler and can therefore reduce air conditioning costs. They also reduce storm water runoff. Having even a couple inches of soil helps to greatly extend the life of the roof, and a longer lifespan means less material ends up in landfills. If you’d like to know more, visit ecogeek.org.
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- Toronto Makes Green Roofs the Law, Approves Controversial Bike Lanes (treehugger.com)
- Seattle’s Largest Green Roof Over 1.4 Acres! (groovygreen.com)
- Green Roofs: Style + Sustainable = 17 Sweet Designs (neatorama.com)
New Belgium Brewing Company, an environmentally responsible purveyor of adult beverages, has introduced a new, low-calorie brew called, Skinny Dip. The company (which also produces an amber ale called, Fat Tire) is also “diving head first into water advocacy” because (1) water makes up over 90% of their beer (no fresh water, no great beers) and the west is in middle of a severe water shortage. Skinny dip here for more information.
Namaste: Peligro Films
RelightNY began about two years ago when high school freshman, Avery Hairston and 10 of his classmates began educating the public about the benefits of CFL bulbs. Since then, the RelightNY team has raised significant contributions from corporations and individuals. With those donations, the team has been able to buy and distribute nearly 30,000 energy efficient light bulbs (CFLs) to low-income families in all 5 boroughs of NYC. You can form a team and adopt a building or support them in other ways at relightny.com.
So far, 54 RelightNY teams have: adopted 609 NYC buildings, changed 111,283 bulbs, eliminated 21,811,468 lbs of CO2 emissions, saved New York City $5,497,380.20 in energy costs.*
(*estimate for lifetime savings per bulb based on 3 hours per day usage in New York.)
Light bulb photo: Originally uploaded by purplemattfish
LunchBots are a healthy alternative to plastic containers for packing lunch to go. Made from the highest quality 18/8 stainless steel, LunchBots do not leach chemicals like plastic does. Eco-friendly and reusable means saving money and the environment. Visit the lunchbot website for more information.
Namaste: Peligro Films
The Voltaic solar bags are solar chargers designed to charge virtually all handheld electronics. Embedded in the outside of these solar chargers are lightweight, tough, waterproof solar panels. The new Generator produces up to 15 watts, powerful enough to fully charge a typical laptop from a day of direct sunlight. The smaller bags produce 4 watts of power so 1 hour in direct sun will power over 3 hours of iPod play time or 1.5 hours of cell phone talk time. Visit voltaicsystems.com for more information.
Originally uploaded by jt916
Sustainable Sushi: A Guide To Saving the Oceans One Bite At A Time, written by a fishery and sustainability expert who was himself netted long ago by the allure of Japanese cuisine, Sustainable Sushi offers simple, clear explanations of such topics as mercury and PCB levels, overfishing, and species extinction.
Visit sustainablesushi.net for more information.
Icebreaker is a sportswear outfit from New Zealand that makes clothing from merino wool. It’s a company with a deep commitment to animal welfare, the welfare of its employees, and the environment. For example, each Icebreaker item now comes with a unique “Baa-code” that lets you see the living conditions of the high country sheep that produced the merino fiber, meet the farmers who raised the sheep, and follow every step in the supply chain. For more information, visit icebreaker.com.
Namaste: mother nature network
British university student and designer, Emily Cummins, was named Female Innovator of the Year in 2007 by the British Female Inventors and Innovators Network, and has been shortlisted for Cosmopolitan Magazine’s Ultimate Women of The Year Awards. Her latest innovation is a refrigerator that cools completely without electricity. The fridge is already in use in Africa (where she gave away the design for free).
Namaste: worldchanging.com
We all know about shampooing oily hair, but it took Phil McCrory, a stylist from Alabama, to realize that hair was also an efficient and abundant material for collecting and containing petroleum spills. McCrory manufactures “Oil Spill Hair Mats” for that purpose with clippings mailed to him from thousands of salons across America. Hair can also be stuffed into tubes (booms) made from recycled nylons, tied together to surround and contain a spill.
And that’s not all. Hair Mats are extremely efficient for drip pans during oil changes or under leaky cars, machinery, pipelines, even as booms for storm drains.
By the way, Hair is also great fertilizer with a slow nitrogen and karetin protein release. Hair prevents weed growth, snail infestation and reduces water evaporation up to 50%.
HatTip: matteroftrust.org
Chile “practices significant sustainable viticulture, and is a leader in biodynamic farming.” Currently, thirty-two wineries in the country use organic production methods, and about 2% of wine-growing land is devoted to organic agriculture.
Looking for recommendations? Several wine writers around the web have highlighted “green” Chilean wines that they really like:
* Caliterra: Pawsey recommends their ‘08 Sauvignon Blanc, and their ‘07 Cabernet Sauvignon, and notes that senior winemaker Sergio Cuadra’s sustainable practices are leading the way to broader sustainability in the Chilean wine industry.
* Vinedos Emiliana: Megan Witherspoon of Wine Conscience loves their Natura Sauvignon Blanc, and outlines the variety of green and socially responsbile practices the vinter has incorporated into its business model.
Thirsty? Click here for more info.
Green Supreme, originally uploaded by solidskorpion.
As part of the photosynthesis process algae produce oil and can generate 15 times more oil per acre than other plants used for biofuels, such as corn and switchgrass. Algae can grow in salt water, freshwater or even contaminated water, at sea or in ponds, and on land not suitable for food production. On top of those advantages, algae — at least in theory — should grow even better when fed extra carbon dioxide (the main greenhouse gas) and organic material like sewage. If so, algae could produce biofuel while cleaning up other problems.
Hat Tips: renewableenergyworld.com & sciencedaily.com
Popular clothing maker Billabong is using a new material called ECO Supreme Suede for some of its boardshorts and swim suits. The exclusive material is made from recycled textiles and plastic soda bottles.* The company says its cool new material doesn’t sacrifice on quality.
• Approximately 10 plastic bottles are used to create one pair of boardshorts.
You can see more eco-products from Billabong at billabong.com.
LazyEnvironmentalist.com is a resource for people who want to easily and enjoyably green their lives. We recognize that one thing almost of us do everyday is shop. Consuming products is intrinsically tied to the very fabric of our lifestyles. Reducing the impact of our consumption on the planet while still maintaining the quality of our lives is where The Lazy Environmenalist comes in. Our website features informative articles, videos, and specific green product recommendations intended to help really busy people figure out which green choices to make. It’s also the online home of environmental author and television and radio host Josh Dorfman whose new TV series – The Lazy Environmentalist – airs on Sundance Channel beginning in June.
The Ecopod is an earth-friendly coffin made by hand from recycled newspapers and finished with paper made from recycled silk and mulberry leaves, It comes in a range of colors with and without screen-printed motifs. Each Ecopod is supplied with a calico mattress, straps and carrying handles. As an optional extra, the walls of the interior can also be lined with feathers in a choice of colors, including white, red, cream or pale blue.
ARKA Ecopod Limited is based in Brighton, East Sussex, in the United Kingdom. You can visit their website at ecopod.co.uk.
Also available:
The Acorn Urn, made from recycled silk and mulberry leaves. The stalk of the lid is made from a twist of recycled paper.
M takes her seafood watch very seriously, originally uploaded by jovino.
At a time when the world’s oceans are severely over-fished, your seafood choices make a big difference. Make sustainable seafood choices quickly and easily – whether you’re eating at your favorite restaurant or shopping for dinner – with a Seafood Watch iPhone App. Don’t have an iPhone? Seafood Watch recommendations are available for all mobile devices with an Internet connection. If you don’t have a handheld device, you can also view the recommendations here: montereybayaquarium.org
Namaste: www.nmoe.org
Engineer James Peret’s Vegawatt is the first all-in-one device that processes grease to continuously provide a building with electricity and hot water. The Vegawatt can process about 80 gallons of grease a week (standard for large restaurants) and produces five kilowatts of energy an hour, which could translate to monthly savings of $1,000. Last December, after a year of 80-hour weeks on the development, Peret, 33, installed the first Vegawatt at Finz, a restaurant in Dedham, Massachusetts, that specializes in fried seafood.
Hat Tip: popsci.com and more about the Vegawatt at vegawatt.com.
Hat Tip: nmoe.org/
Poo Bags, originally uploaded by sand dragon.
Without further a-doo, meet the BioBag, the world’s largest brand of 100% biodegradable and 100% compostable bags and films made from the material, Mater-Bi. The company’s environmentally friendly, petroleum-free bags are made from GMO free certified corn. Making bags from crops instead of polyethylene is a major advance in environmental technology. You can purchase BioBags at Amazon.com, Whole Foods, and a variety of other retailers.
Hat Tip: Pauline for the link to earth911.com
