THIN FILM SOLAR PANELS

Author Archive

Dwell.com and the American Institute of Architects (AIA) would like to know, “How Green Are You?”

The contest, which runs now through June 30^th, is your chance to show how green you are, and to win some great prizes for it!

The most inspired entries will be posted on the competition pages on Dwell.com and evaluated by Dwell’s editorial staff and AIA architects. The grand prize winner receives $1000, and two runners-up will receive $500 each from the AIA to apply toward their next big Green Project! 

To enter, simply pull together up to four images of your green or sustainable project, and write a simple yet specific 250-word description of the project that highlights the most important aspects of the project, including material names, vendors, etc.

Projects will be assessed on their sustainability, functionality, originality, cost effectiveness and design, and the submissions will be judged by Dwell.com editors and AIA architects.

To enter, or to find out more information, visit Dwell’s “How Green Are You?” page at http://www.dwell.com/services/contests/how_green_are_you.html

It’s wedding season — and also family reunion season– so we thought we’d share some insights on how to make your Big Event a Big Green Success! 

Location

To limit the carbon footprint of your event, you’ll want to have it as close to the majority of attendees as possible. It may well be very romantic to have your wedding in Southern Mexico, but just think of all of your guests flying there and the resultant carbon emissions!  Keeping it close to home will really lower the footprint (and the cost!).

And have the event out-of-doors if at all possible.  Fresh air and sunshine always make an event more fun. Maybe you can find a wonderful park or a community garden and contribute to the non-profit that runs it? 

Green Event Planners

If the whole process seems a bit over-whelming, there are now many green event planners available to take the eco-worries off your mind. In the San Francisco Bay Area, ZahZoom Weddings & Parties will help you make your dream green event a reality. Angelique Events in Los Angeles will plan a spectacular, sustainable event for you. Lyndsey Hamilton Events plans eco-friendly weddings and events in New York and New England.

Invitations

Do you really need to use paper invitations? They are expensive for you, likely to get lost or tossed by your guests, and cause more trees to die in vain for the production of paper!  A pretty email works just great, or you can use Evite and make up a snazzy invitation, and track RSVPs online.  Here’s an eco-snap to that!

Food and Beverage Choices

As with location, local is best. Try to either buy local, organic foods from farmers near you, or work with a caterer who can handle this process for you. Here’s an article with wonderful green catering resources all across the United States.  Or you can refer to Local Harvest’s list of organic restaurants, or our very own organic restaurant directory here at Low Impact Living.  Check ‘em out!

Reduce, Reuse and Recycle the Mess

Try to eliminate disposable plates and cutlery from your plans. Either rent the real stuff (ceramics, metal) that can be washed and used again, or get recycled and/or compostable plates and dishes.

And make sure to have plenty of recycling bins for beer bottles, soda cans, etc.  One bin never seems to be enough!

Rings

If it’s a wedding you’re planning, consider using a family ring, or purchasing a vintage piece.  Remember in the world of green, reusing something old is always more eco-friendly than buying something new. Maybe your family has some old gold jewelry that are not being used anymore? You can have them melted down and turned into a new treasure. And the variety and quality of vintage jewelry is mind-boggling. 

If new is your thing, check out the ring selection from Brilliant Earth, which makes jewelry from sustainably sourced gold and gems.  There are several other eco-minded jewelers that have caught our fancy. Give them a look!

Dresses

If you need a wedding dress, may we suggest you use a pre-loved, vintage dress? It’s the most sustainable way to go and you will save a LOT of money.  Learn more about sources of vintage fashion here.

But if a new dress is what you fancy, definitely go with an eco-friendly designer. We love the work of Morgan Boszilkov and the Natural Bridal Collection, which is a new line of eco-friendly designer wedding gowns. All of her designs are hand-crafted in the U.S. and 5% of profits are donated to environmental causes. Her designs are elegant, beautiful, luxurious and Green!

Gifts or Favors

We personally think favors are unnecessary and will get tossed like most paper invitations, but if you want to do favors, how about seed packets?  It’s a great way to spread a love of nature.  Or how about making a donation on everyone’s behalf to a wonderful environmental non-profit like The Nature Conservancy or the Natural Resources Defense Council? Now that’s a great way to spend some money and have an impact!

Written by Carol Gulyas, courtesty of CleanTechnica.com 

Though many states and localities are waking up to their water shortages and taking steps to plan for “peak water”, people generally continue to waste water and to ignore the energy-water link. In 2004 the Natural Resources Defense Council did a study in conjunction with the Pacific Institute called “Energy Down the Drain” on how saving water saves energy. We need to do more to spread the word. Here are seven ways to save energy by saving water:

1. Use local water. Transporting water uses energy, so rainwater harvesting is a serious water-and-energy saver. According to the NRDC/Pacific Institute study “California’s State Water Project (SWP), which transports water from Northern California to Southern California is the state’s largest single energy user, consuming 2 to 3 percent of all electricity. It takes tremendous amounts of energy to pump the water 2,000 feet over the Tehachapi Mountains — the highest water lift of any water system in the world
2. Use less heated water in homes and businesses. Heating water uses a great deal of energy. Small things magnified a million times over — like washing clothes with cold water or taking shorter showers — saves large amounts of energy.
3. Use energy-saving appliances. Energy Star appliances will decrease water and energy use.
4. Learn from Australia. Why reinvent the wheel? Since 2006, when the BBC reported Australia’s biggest drought in 1,000 years, the situation has not improved. In an island nation, this has a tendency to focus the mind, and water-and energy-saving inventions have been pouring forth from that country, while the government introduces policies that save energy and water almost daily.
5. Rethink your bathroom. Toto, an innovative company from Japan (another island nation concerned about water use) offers an EcoPower hands-free faucet that recharges itself each time it is used.
6. Rip out that lawn and replace it with a rain garden. Watering grass, fertilizing it with petroleum-based fertilizers, and mowing it with a gas or electric mower…..need I say more? Learn how to install a rain garden here.
7. Eat more vegetables and grains; cut down on the beef. Animal farming takes more energy and water. “Beef production requires large volumes of water–as much as 100 times that required to produce equivalent amounts of protein energy from grains.” (Environmental Health Perspectives, 2002 And the cows are fed from corn that is farmed using energy-hogging fertilizers, insecticides, and fossil fuels.

If we can start thinking holistically about the systems we use in our daily lives — and get our governments to create policies that promote wise use of energy and water, we’ll be more ready for the limits to resources that are only going to increase.

Honda has just announced that it will be releasing the FCX Clarity in the US market in 2009.  This is a major piece of automotive progress! The Clarity will get 68 MPG and be a zero-emissions vehicle.

How it works: The fuel cell combines hydrogen with oxygen to make electricity. The electricity then powers the electric motor, which in turn propels the vehicle. Water is the only byproduct the FCX Clarity leaves behind.  No carbon emissions, no reliance on foreign oil. 

To learn more about hydrogen as a fuel for cars, and about the scarcity of hydrogen fueling stations, click here.

According the reviewers at Business Week, the new Clarity is ”a futuristic jellybean, first impressions suggesting a cross between the new Honda Accord and the Prius… If we had any complaint, surprisingly, it was rear visibility, despite the sedan’s expanse of glass.”  You can read the rest of the detailed review here. 

How much does it cost?  Customers will pay $600 a month, over the course of three-year leases, including both maintenance and insurance.  The first models will be leased in the L.A. area, but Honda hopes to roll it out to other major markets as well.  The problem in those other markets will likely be that there are very few hydrogen filling stations, as compared to California where there are at least a few.

Well, we still can’t wait to see it on the road!

I don’t go into Starbucks very much any more because I pretty much break out in eco-hives seeing all of that plastic and paper waste being shuttled across the counter and out into the unsuspecting, inundated world. But occasionally I have to break down and get an ice coffee with a shot of hazelnut.

And so I did last week, and tho’ it was refreshing and delicious, I had the same nagging thought I have every time I go there–”Why oh why are there no recycling bins at Starbucks???”

Wistfully I looked at the display of Ethos Water bottles and realized if I bought and drank one, I would be in the position to put my bottle into the trash. Now where is the Ethos in that?

Then I saw the business card of the store’s District Manager! Right there on the barista bar, there was a stack of her cards. Brilliant! I will contact this woman and she will illuminate the Starbucks recycling mystery for me. And she did respond to my email and she was great. She said she was personally concerned about this issue and that when she managed a store herself, she worked on getting recycling in place. Then she informed me that “The long and the short of it is that every store is a little different, depending on the landlord and the recycling capacity.” And here is the official word from Starbucks:

“Starbucks is committed to protecting and improving the environment, and is continually pursuing opportunities to reduce, reuse, and recycle our waste products where commercial facilities exist. Most of our retail store recycling is conducted “behind the scenes” in the back room (boxes, milk jugs, etc.). If you are not certain that recycling is taking place in a store, please ask a store manager; he/she can explain what we are doing, what is recyclable in the local area, and what the landlord will allow for waste disposal. One of our challenges is that some parts of the country can process more recyclable materials than others. We are working with a recycling subcontractor to locate local recycling facilities to process materials generated from each store.”

Well that’s sort of okay…but only sort of. I don’t think out-sourcing the process to the local stores is really going to get the job done. Starbucks may need a National Recycling Czar. (Or do they have one already?) And here’s another notion– why not give a discount to people who bring in their own re-usable cups and mugs? That would really help educate folks about the importance of moving beyond disposables.

To be fair, I also decided to kick the tires at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. I went to two stores in Los Angeles and again, no blue bins. Now I was really sad. Where in this town can a girl recycle her plastic cup? Her water bottle? Do we have to take everything home?

Here’s where you come in: we can let our coffee chain friends know where we stand on recycling. Starbucks can be reached by clicking here or you can call 1-800-235-2883. (I did and I spoke with a charming guy who shared my concern.) For Coffee Bean you can click here to register your thoughts, or you can call them at 1-800-TEA-LEAF (1-800-832-5323).

Thanks and I’ll see you on line at the counter! Don’t take the last maple scone.