We believe in miracles, since you came along, you sexy TreeHugger Forums…
1) Forums user saxon68 thinks (as TreeHugger does) that “biofuels, hailed by many as the green solution to offset a coming oil shortage and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, are not a cure-all solution,” because, in part, they “requ…
Photo credit: Malingering
We now know that chronic exposure to diacetyl, the artificial-flavoring chemical in microwavable popcorn, causes a debilitating and sometimes-fatal lung disease known as bronchiolitis obliterans, or “popcorn lungs.” But what’s an armchair cinephile with a jonesing for lightly puffed snacks to do?
It actually couldn’t be easier (or less inexpensive) to make your own at home, using popcorn kernels you might find in the bulk-foods section of your grocery store. Place a serving of kernels into a brown paper bag, smear some butter on the…
We showed a Canadian icebreaker in our earlier post on the battle for the melting north; here is the US Coast Guard Healy, which according to Robert Lee Hotz in the Wall Street Journal is “are gathering the data legally required to extend national territories across vast reaches of the mineral-rich seafloor usually blocked by Arctic ice. Fathom by fathom, multibeam sonar sensors mounted on the Healy’s hull chart a submerged plateau called the Chukchi Cap, in a region that may contain 25% of the world’s reserves of oil and natural gas.”
The Journal continues: “In an era of climate change, these frozen assets are up for grabs, …
Photo credit: kingdesmond
Quick fact: Recycling materials can take as little as 5 percent of the energy you’d wind up expending if you produced them from virgin sources, as is the case with aluminum, which means you not only conserve already-limited resources, but you also curtail potential atmosphere-warming carbon emissions
Or as BoingBoing titled it, “Irony, Thy Name is Amazon.”
Nothing more need be said, but to fill out this space we can direct you to Mike testing a human powered lawn mower, Jasmin’s How to green your gardening, and Bonnie’s ten commandments of eco-gardening. …
Start with a bunch of flat sheets of aluminum, bend them “with love” and what do you have? If you’re Swedish design firm “Form Us With Love,” you might have a set of home and office accoutrements like the tabletop set pictured above. Aside from producing cleverly-designed, functional objects, the collection showcases the utility and efficiency of flat-pack design as you turn paper-sized aluminum sheets into stuff you can use every day. Some of their products come pre-bent, which takes some of the fun out of it, but it’s still neat to think that they all started as simple, flat sheets. Now if they’d just use recycled aluminum…
It is not surprising to find that vacation homes in Aspen use more energy when occupied than the average Aspen home of 3,272 square feet; what is really surprising is that they are vacant on average 277 days per year and still generate 43.8 tons of carbon dioxide a year compared with 32.4 tons by each full-time, single-family residence.
“Many energy demands are unnecessary and egregious, such as driveway heating, roof-melt systems, hot tubs (and) towel-bar heaters,” said Richard Heede, who did a study for the Sopris Foundation. He noted there are also necessities like cigar humidors and wine cellars, and the flicking on and off of 24/7 floodlights.
“Rich people ju…
Tree hit free this week; several environmental groups (the Green Party, New Internationalist, Friends of the Earth International, and People and Planet) signed a statement with the Free Software Foundation (FSF) to promote their common interests. You may not have heard of the FSF but you are almost certainly affected by them; their products compose most of GNU/Linux, a popular alternative operating system used to host web servers and the like.
The statement outlines a two point plan (1) reject Microsoft’s Vista operating system, and (2) encourage the adoption and use of free software. From the E-standpoint, point one is obvious – the
We have been told that genetically engineered (GE) material just disperses in nature, but in fact, it is remarkably permanent. Biologically engineered genes and DNA have been found to persist in soil organisms, in insects, pollen, and especially water, and have been found in agricultural ditches as much as a kilometer from the original site. The antibiotic-resistant marker genes used in the process have survived digestion by cattle and even bees, and therefore post a threat of increased antibiotic resistance up and down the food chain. This is one reason why the technology is under a de facto ban in Europe. The genes themsel…
This is how I got to work this morning: a Johnson 9.9 horsepower that was old when I got it 20 years ago. I don’t use it very much so didn’t give it much thought, until I learned this morning that :
-Old two-strokes like this put out as much pollution in an hour as driving a modern car 5,000 miles;
-40% of the oil and gas goes straight into the lake.
Regulations on outboards are getting tighter all the time, but nobody gets rid of the old motors. “They are so dependable that people keep using them until they die” said a Ministry of Environment representative. “and I mean the people, not the motors, which go forever.” There is talk that perhaps a moratorium on 2-strokes might…