Sundance Channel

Green tech finds: the power-free kitchen appliances edition

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:42:39 +0000

Refrigerate and cook food without electricity? We've got finds this week that get you pretty close, along with mushrooms that eat plastic, and plans to reuse dirty diapers (really!). The DIY, electricity-free refrigerator: Ever heard of a zeer pot? This very old concept for keeping food chilled only requires two clay flower pots, and some sand and water to build yourself. (via @dothegreenthing) And then cook that food without power: Well, not exactly, but with a lot less power. The Wonderbag keeps food cooking after the heat's turned off, and was originally designed for very poor people who couldn't afford much fuel. (via Inhabitat)

How to park your lawn mower for good: the Meadow Project

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:40:37 +0000

Got a lawn? Ever stopped to consider the amount of time, money, and natural resources you put into keeping that grass green? The watering, fertilizing (whether through organic or conventional means), mowing, and weeding? No doubt that lawn grass is the most high-maintenance plant on the planet (as the expert in the video above observes)! Even if you're not a greenie, is that really how you want to spend your time, energy, and money?

Green tech finds – 8/18/11

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 17:17:46 +0000

Old school shipping, CO2 as a source of fuel and yet another new solar technology for charging your phone: this week's green tech finds. Another recycling robot: While not as directly practical as the ZenRobotics Recycler we mentioned in an earlier post, Florida Robotics' Dr. R.E. Cycler is designed for educational purposes - essentially, to show kids what happens to the aluminum cans that go into those blue bins. Take a quick look at it above. (via Fast Company and @TaigaCompany)

Student music video trains peers on recycling

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Wed, 11 May 2011 18:00:46 +0000

Ever get frustrated when you see someone throwing away a recyclable item... right next to a recycling bin? Or throw a recyclable item in the wrong container? High school junior CJ Joseph certainly has, and has played the role of "recycling police" (or "recycling nazi" if you prefer) at Queens' The Renaissance Charter School: "If I see somebody I'm like, 'You're throwing that out in the wrong bin. Follow the signs people! I know you’ve heard it: Papers go in the blue (bins), and bottles in the green." But as many of us have learned, badgering only gets you so far... so CJ decided to apply her other passion, music, to her recycling fervor, and wrote the song "R to the E to the Cycle." If you read the lyrics, you'll see they're not much different from her "recycling police" instructions... but definitely more catchy!

Young filmmakers challenge viewers to “Find Your Footprint”

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 19:01:29 +0000

The last time I mentioned young filmmakers, I was discussing college students. Turns out they're not the youngest people making environmentally-themed documentaries: the National Geographic and P&G Future Friendly "Find Your Footprint" contest solicited short films from elementary school classes in which the kids shared their ideas for conserving natural resources.

85-year-old Victor Kaufmann’s legacy: a forest

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 19:49:37 +0000

Most of us probably view our "golden years" as a time in which we'll enjoy the fruits of a lifelong labors, and perhaps try to make sense of our lifetimes and our legacies. At the age of 75, though, Victor Kaufmann decided to start a project: the reforesting of a parcel of land he'd recently purchased in Lyle, WA. Unfazed by the notion that he would not witness the full fruition of his project -- a healthy, mature forest -- Victor set out to plant ten thousand trees on his land. This Spring, ten years after starting, Victor will put that ten thousandth tree into the ground... and a team of student filmmakers, which includes his granddaughter, will be there to witness and record the event.

Urban beekeeping project aimed at Philadelphia’s underserved youth

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 20:32:58 +0000

As an educational tool, beekeeping has a lot to recommend it: students keeping hives get a direct education in the complex relationships of natural systems, and insight into food production. Added lessons may focus on bees' creation of around $15 billion in added crop value, or the fact that "about one mouthful in three in the diet directly or indirectly benefits from honey bee pollination." And, finally, they'll pick up a skill with economic value as demand for local honey is very strong. The Woodland Community Apiary in Western Philadelphia plans to teach all of these lessons and more as a part of its youth beekeeping project.

Brits to offer green jobs training nationwide

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 22:00:12 +0000

Here in the US, community colleges are often at the forefront of training for emerging career fields... and we've seen that happening with various forms of green technology. That happens on a system-by-system basis here; in the UK, however, they're taking green job training nationwide with the launch of the new National Skills Academy for Environmental Technologies.

Green tech finds (1/13/11)

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 21:31:54 +0000

From green tech at the auto show in Detroit to a potential standard for eco cell phones... your green tech finds for the week.

Green tech in Detroit: Lots of green technology at the North American International Auto Show; The Street gives a run-down of seven developments worth watching...
Crowdsourced environmental video: Dialogue Earth, an organization tied to the University of Minnesota's Institute on the Environment, has completed a pilot involving "crowdsourcing" environmental science video content (specifically on ocean acidification). See the winner above...

San Francisco State University adds sustainability to general education requirements

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 21:56:48 +0000

Freshman composition, world civilization, college algebra... and, now, intro to sustainability? Yep, the core curriculum at San Francisco State University will look something like that in a couple of years, as the university has approved the addition of three units of environmentally-themed coursework to its general education requirements.

Boulder environmental education program focuses on zero waste

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 19:21:33 +0000

Traditionally, environmental education involves classroom lessons supplemented by field trips and hands-on learning. In 24 elementary schools in Boulder, Colorado, however, learning about waste, recycling, and composting involves going to lunch. OK, that's not the complete program, but Boulder's Green Star Schools go beyond the standard environmental education curriculum in focusing on zero waste... and implementing these ideas in the cafeteria, where kids separate out recyclables and compostables.

US colleges compete in Campus Conservation Nationals

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 21:12:22 +0000

Thought football was the main competition going on between colleges and universities this fall? Well, it will get the lion's share of the attention... but we're smack dab in the middle of another intercollegiate competitive event that could make a difference for the planet: the Campus Conservation Nationals.

The true size of Africa

Em and Lo — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 21:00:25 +0000

Kai Krause came up with this awesome map to help in the “fight against rampant Immappancy,” i.e. insufficient geographic knowledge: A survey with random American schoolkids let them guess the population and land area of their country. Not entirely unexpected, but still rather unsettling, the majority chose “1-2″ billion” and “largest in the world,” respectively. [...]

How Mr. Condom made Thailand a better place

Em and Lo — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 17:05:25 +0000

We’ve got our TiVo hooked up to get the latest Ted Talks on our TV, so we were delighted to find Mechai Viravaidya’s presentation “How Mr. Condom Made Thailand a Better Place” in our “Now Playing” list recently. Viravaidya is an eloquent and funny speaker, which alone makes it worth watching the 14-minute talk. But [...]

Artist’s response to cuts to arts funding

Matthew Rodriguez — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 17:30:17 +0000

As part of a British campaign led by artists to protest cuts to arts funding, Cornelia Parker leads the charge with this statement that chops a wing off of Antony Gormley’s Angel of the North. It’s captioned, “Why clip the wings of an industry that is soaring? It’s a false economy to cut the arts.” [...]

Environmental education now required in Maryland schools

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 20:43:12 +0000

Environmental education initiatives are popping up at schools around the US; few places, however, require them. The state of Maryland yesterday joined Washington as one of the exceptions to this rule: according to the Baltimore Sun, "The Maryland State Board of Education voted unanimously Tuesday to make environmental education a part of every student's education..."

The illustrated guide to a Ph.D

Matthew Rodriguez — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 22:36:56 +0000

My brilliant scientist friend Evan shared this link which I thought was just too good to not share and should be appreciated by those of us who spent some time in academia: Matt Might, an assistant professor at University of Utah, created this hilarious “illustrated guide to a Ph.D” to help explain to “a fresh [...]

Green tech finds (8/12/10)

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 20:06:49 +0000

The greenest cell phone companies, solar Marines, and DIY LED Facebook notification... your green tech finds for the week.

Smart energy cities: The NRDC's Smarter Cities project has published a list of 22 US cities taking the lead on more sustainable energy use and production. (via GreenTech Pastures)
LED Facebook notification: OK, this is only marginally green, but Instructables has a project up for a DIY Facebook notification device that uses LED lights.

School fundraising goes green

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 19:50:33 +0000

Though the kids are probably home for the summer at this point, the PTA, band boosters, or other school organization may already be discussing fundraising plans for the coming year. More efforts to get the kids knocking on doors to sell wrapping paper and nasty pizza kits, right? Fortunately, a number of eco-entrepreneurs have gotten into the fundraising game, and created opportunities for either selling greener products, or leveraging activities like recycling to raise money for school activities and organizations. A few of the companies involved in this niche after the jump.

Green tech finds (5/27/10)

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Thu, 27 May 2010 18:20:08 +0000

Energy to ice, and cardboard to energy... and much more. Here are your green tech finds for the week:

Nokia still tops in greener electronics: That's the word from Greenpeace, which released the latest update on its Guide to Greener Electronics. The Finnish company has stayed ensconced in that position; the biggest mover this time was Toshiba, which dropped from 3rd place to 14th. (via Fast Company)
Alabama airships: 21st Century Airships, a division of E-Green Technologies, will build its updated versions of the blimp (they prefer airships) in Alabama... so another win for the green jobs push. The vehicles can be used for transporting cargo and people very efficiently, and could even be employed by the military for high-altitude observation.

New UMass Dartmouth “classroom” requires no building

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Mon, 24 May 2010 16:15:13 +0000

According to South Coast Today, the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth is kind of famous for its buildings: big hulking futuristic concrete structures (Wikimedia Commons has several great photos). But the school's latest plans for new classrooms won't require any concrete at all; rather, UMass Dartmouth plans to develop its 400 acres of "forests, meadows, and wetlands" into a "living classroom."

Princeton Review publishes green college guide

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 19:13:15 +0000

Got a student at home trying to make the big choice of a college to attend? Are schools' commitments to sustainability a part of his/her criteria for choosing one? If so, your budding collegian isn't alone: according to the Princeton Review's 2009 College Hopes & Worries Survey (which solicited information from college applicants and their parents), "66 percent of respondents said they would value having information about a college's commitment to the environment. Moreover, of that cohort, 24 percent said such information would 'very much' impact their decision to apply to or attend the school." But where do you find this information?

Creation care for teens: Let There Be… Stuff?

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 17:52:21 +0000

The folks at The Story of Stuff Project have been keeping busy! In early March, Annie Leonard's book The Story of Stuff came out; later that month, the project released "The Story of Bottled Water" for World Water Day. This month, the project moves in some interesting new directions: on Earth Day, they announced the release of Let There Be... Stuff?, "a six-session curriculum that helps Christian teenagers explore the relationship between their consumption, their faith, and the health of the planet."

While The Story of Stuff has been used for educational purposes since the launch of the first web video, the move into churches (and eventually synagogues... a Jewish version comes out this summer) demonstrates the power of the "creation care" movement. According to the Project, faith leaders began reaching out almost immediately after the original Story of Stuff video came out. In response, The Story of Stuff Project partnered with Green Faith, an "interfaith coalition for the environment," to produce the curriculum.

A pre-Kinsey Victorian sex survey

Em and Lo — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 20:00:48 +0000

photo of Clelia Mosher from the Stanford University Archives

The March/April edition of Stanford Magazine has a fascinating article on Dr. Clelia Mosher, a Victorian-Era scientist, researcher and Stanford professor who conducted the first known sex surveys of women, decades before Kinsey (who's considered the pioneer of sex research). Even though the sample size is small and represents mostly white, middle-class, educated women, it still goes far in revealing that Victorian repression was an ideology that was pushed on women rather than a reflection of actual views or practices of the time. Below are some highlights from the piece, but the whole thing is worth a read if you've got the time.

Los Angeles schools seek savings with green upgrades

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 20:56:06 +0000

State-level budget crunches are taking their toll on local school systems, with many resorting to layoffs and service cutbacks to stretch funds. The Los Angeles Unified School District is no different: a quick scan of their news releases shows the board approving layoffs, and the district's superintendent proposing a shorter school year and even taking furlough days. LAUSD is also considering some more unusual, and more sustainable, approaches to making ends meet: cutting energy and water use through the implementation of green building and transportation.

St. Louis’ green elementary school

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 23:33:44 +0000

Green jobs training programs are popping up all over the country. Often funded by grants from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (i.e., the stimulus bill), these programs generally aim to retrain displaced workers in skills such as building efficiency and renewable energy installation and maintenance. Recent numbers tend to bear out the potential for job growth in green industries: wind power, for instance, grew by 39% in 2009.

Interactive music table

Matthew Rodriguez — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 18:34:05 +0000

Noteput – Interactive music table from Jonas Heuer on Vimeo.

A very cool proof of concept by Jürgen Graef & Jonas Heuer that would've been useful to me when I was trying unsuccessfuly to learn basic and fundamental music theory in elementary school.

"Notput" is an interactive music table with tangible notes, that combines all three senses of hearing, sight and touch to make learning the classical notation of music for children and pupils more easy and interesting.

Oil From Port Arthur Tanker-Barge Collision Stretches Nine Miles

Sundance Channel — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 13:56:42 +0000

Cleanup crews and 27 skimmer boats are working to contain and remove oil from a massive spill that happened when a crude oil tanker and a barge collided Saturday in the Port Arthur Ship Channel.

Green Cup Challenge invites schools to save energy, money, and maybe the planet

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 18:40:09 +0000

Can schoolkids do what world leaders in Copenhagen failed to do last month: lower greenhouse gas emissions in the face of climate change? You may have already seen how some students challenged leaders in Denmark with patches from the climate quilt; now, the Green Schools Alliance (a sponsor of the quilt) has persuaded 128 schools in 22 states to take direct action against global warming by participating in the Green Cup Challenge.

School is in session

Perrin Drumm — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 16:45:41 +0000

An Art History lesson at BHQFU.

Even though the Bruce High Quality Foundation has exhibited at places both high and low, from the W Hotel to P.S.1 MoMA and the upcoming Whitney Biennial, they still, quite often, have to explain themselves. One such example is the BHQFU, the Bruce High Quality Foundation University, a series of classes open to the public in subjects such as Philosophy of Motion Pictures, What's a Metaphor and Occult Shenanigans in 20th/21st Century Art. More explanation defying courses are listed here, the most stupefying being the BHQFU Detective Agency (just try making sense of the website). But if you're really interested and you want to know more, BHQFU, like a proper institution of higher learning, is having another open house this evening.

Blogging for Solar Schools: fundraising via the blogosphere

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 20:15:09 +0000

Solar systems at elementary and secondary schools create opportunities for reduced energy bills and student education... but they're also expensive. Even when a school system recognizes the long-term potential for savings, the money just may not be there for the up-front investment. The Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) and Solarpower.org are trying out an innovative method of raising for school solar systems: get bloggers involved.

Climate Quilt panels on display in Copenhagen

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:00:26 +0000

As world leaders gather in Copenhagen this week to negotiate continued international action on climate change, they'll have one good example of the kinds of pledges they'll need to make: the Climate Quilt. A project of Habitat Heroes and The Green Schools Alliance, the Climate Quilt Campaign asks school kids from around the world to make "pledge patches" (from recycled materials, of course) that display individual promises "to preserve the future of the planet." While the finished quilt won't be available until Earth Day, 2010, panels from kids in New Jersey and Australia have made their way to COP15.

Huge Alaska Oil Spill Blamed on Ice Plugs

Sundance Channel — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:07:01 +0000

Ice plugged an inactive pipeline, causing it to burst, officials said Tuesday in an attempt to explain how 46,000 gallons of crude oil spewed onto the tundra near a BP Exploration processing center at Prudhoe Bay on Alaska's North Slope

Solar boat racing provides hands-on learning for students

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:18:22 +0000

When you were a high school student, how did you prefer to learn your science: formulas on the board and text books, or hands-on experiments involving building things (or maybe even blowing things up, or dropping items from high distances)? Yeah, I thought so... Southern California's Metropolitan Water District has provided a hands-on opportunity for kids throughout the area to learn about engineering principles, solar power and electrical systems, and even water pollution and other broad environmental issues through its annual Solar Cup boat races.

Environmental education and at-risk kids: 4 programs making a difference

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 23:00:00 +0000

If you've read Richard Louv's Last Child in the Woods, or looked into the detail of "No Child Left Inside" legislation and initiatives,you know that broad health issues (obesity, diabetes, ADHD, and even depression), and concern over environmental awareness, tend to drive the idea of getting kids outdoors more. For a number of programs around the country, though, the stakes are even higher: environmental education is becoming an integral part of working with kids at risk of falling into lives of crime, addiction, and poverty (which make the above-mentioned health issues a bigger likelihood).

They Might Be Giants teach science

Matthew Rodriguez — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 19:57:30 +0000

Science class is in session with Grammy award winning band They Might Be Giants as they teach the periodic table elements in this animated music video for “Meet the Elements” which debuted on Boing Boing. This song is from their new album Here Comes Science, which is aimed at entertaining and educating (or “edumataining”) children [...]

Viagra for your intellect

Em and Lo — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:00:38 +0000

Although the Internet has successfully reduced our collective attention span to the time it takes to watch "nunchucks pro" fall flat on his face, there are still some great online opportunities for enlightenment if you apply some patience and commitment. Fora.tv, for example, is a vast "collection of unmediated video drawn from live events, lectures, and debates going on all the time at the world's top universities, think tanks and conferences." Basically, the kind of fascinating stuff that's wasted on hungover college students.

Story of Stuff called “anti-capitalist”

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Tue, 12 May 2009 17:57:59 +0000

In internet time, Annie Leonard's The Story Of Stuff is relatively old. But the 2007 web video, produced by Free Range Studios and funded by the Tides Foundation and Funders Workgroup for Sustainable Production and Consumption (among others) has attained cult status in American classrooms. According to the New York Times, teachers around the country use the video to supplement environmental education textbooks that often lack information on recent scientific discoveries. Creative teaching, right? Not in Missoula County, Montana, where the school board responded to a parent's complaint about the video's "anti-capitalist" message with a decision that use of The Story of Stuff "violated its standards on bias."

Arturo Sandoval – Backstage at Iridium Jazz Club (Part 2)

Sundance Channel — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 18:28:59 +0000

ARTURO SANDOVAL SHAKING THINGS UP ON PERCUSSION BETWEEN SETS WITH ARTURO SANDOVAL (PART 2): Sundancechannel.com caught up with the legendary Cuban-born trumpeter, composer, pianist, percussionist and, yes, scatter (!) between shows at the world-famous Iridium Jazz Club just north of Times Square in New York City this past Saturday night. Be sure to read Part [...]

Rock It Green: 3 musical acts with an environmental message

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 19:08:56 +0000

Sure, you’ve heard about environmental efforts by Jack Johnson, Pearl Jam, and Neil Young. But Eco Elvis? That’s right, babuh: a handful of lesser-known acts have gone “all green all the time,” with music focused on lightening their (and our) footprint on the planet. Eco Elvis: “Born” in 1997, this Kansas City-based Elvis impersonator has [...]