Sundance Channel

What can you do with an old gas station? How about live in it?

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:30:22 +0000

Neighborhood gas and service stations are largely a thing of the past: the large-scale convenience store located on main drags or interstate off-ramps seems to have replaced them. Just because the businesses are gone doesn't mean the buildings are, though, and many of these older structures have unique architectural and design features. Might make for a good business location with some renovation, but a home? It would take an artist's eye to transform such a structure into a place someone wanted to live.

Green tech finds: Architects to the rescue!

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 19:22:14 +0000

Can good design save the world? Well, maybe the Great Lakes, anyway. That, plus community-based solar, clothing recycling, and more: your green tech finds for the week. The DIY bike seat: Ever wanted a second seat on your bicycle, without investing in a tandem? Or just carrying space without a trailer? Israeli designer Yael Livneh has you covered with his concept made from a used plastic milk crate. He's entered the concept in Designboom's Seoul Cycle Design competition. (via Unconsumption and @dothegreenthing) Occupy the sun: We generally think of solar power as something that individual home and building owners do, but Francesca Rheannon at CSRWire takes a look at community-based efforts to adopt solar technology.

Green tech finds: Earthships and solar get affordable

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 19:17:11 +0000

Think "green tech" automatically means "expensive?" Nope: costs are dropping on everything from Earthships to solar power. An affordable Earthship: I've been in love with the Earthship building concept for years, but no way I'd ever be able to afford one. That may be changing, though: the "Simple Survival" model Earthship is designed to provide the amenities of these self-sufficient structures without the "mortgage bondage." Check it out above.

Green tech finds: Recycled guitars and impromptu speakers

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 19:46:54 +0000

Cool concept cars and planes, speakers that turn ordinary objects into amplifiers, and the potential environmental cost of washing your jacket: this week's green tech finds. Honda's very cool, very light electric concept vehicle: Unfortunately, "concept" often means we'll never see one on the road. Still, Honda's EV-STER (which rolled out last week at the Tokyo Auto Show, and is pictured above) shows the company combining electric power with light weight (through lots of body elements made from carbon) and sweet styling; maybe they'll keep thinking this way as they work towards new production vehicles. (via Earth Techling)

Green tech finds, 10/20/11

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 19:17:25 +0000

Underground skyscrapers, smart windows and more problems with natural gas drilling: Your green tech finds for the week. Charge your car with your phone: Well, not exactly, but a new app developed by IBM and Swiss utility EKZ allows for better management of when your electric vehicle is charged and what sources of energy are used to charge it. Find out more in the video above. (via @greeneconpost) The grain silo hotel: While not as green as it could be (because the structures used were built for the project), Silo Stay, a nine-unit New Zealand hotel built from grain silos...

Green tech finds, 9/29/11

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 18:54:30 +0000

Lots of green tech on wheels this week: Ford's concept e-bike, Peugeot's tiny electric car, and the Air Force's big move towards EV adoption. Ford getting into the bicycle business? Maybe: the company released an e-bike concept at the Frankfurt Auto Show. The frame weighs in at a very light 5.5 pounds, and the electric assist motor can run for 53 miles. (via Matter Network and Rodale) The printed bicycle: The Aerospace Innovation Centre's bicycle concept on display at the London Design Festival is made from nylon and created by a process similar to 3D printing. The result: a lightweight frame that's supposedly as strong as steel. (via Do the Green Thing)

New transformable home is like LEGOs for grown-ups

Blair Pfander — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 17:54:43 +0000

Architect Michael Jantzen is known for creating "transformable" structures: buildings that an inhabitant can change or interact with on a physical level. Think of them as the high-art equivalent to a snail shell. After all, why keep your house in one place when you can hit the road and bring it with you? His latest project, the "M" series, features relocatable buildings that can be slapped together in infinite combinations to a matrix of modular support frames, creating totally customizable spaces. If you were a Lego freak as a child, you should probably stop reading and splash cold water on your face, 'cause yeah, this is totally big kid LEGOs.

Green tech finds, 9/15/11

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 19:03:46 +0000

Pig poop, coconuts, and seaweed: all the stuff of good green tech finds this week. An affordable, fast and tip-proof electric motorcycle: Lit Motors CEO Daniel Kim claims all of those qualities come together in the C-1 concept, which could be available as early as 2013. Check it out in the video above. (via GreenTech Pastures)

Green tech finds, 9/8/11

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 17:21:05 +0000

Harvesting runner power, turning plastic back into oil and becoming a (virtual) upcycling magnate: your green tech finds for the week. Charge your phone with your shoes: If you run or walk regularly, you're creating mechanical energy that's going to waste. The Instep Nanopower concept offers a way to capture that power and transfer it to electronic devices via wi-fi. (via Inhabitat and @EcoverUS) Become a Trash Tycoon on Facebook: Tired of Farmville? Guerillaapps new Facebook-based social game Trash Tycoon (which is sponsored by upcycling company Terracycle) gives you the opportunity to build a virtual recycling empire. (via Crisp Green)

Green tech finds, 9/1/11

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 17:11:45 +0000

Lots of building tech this week, from shipping container "farms" to a net-zero rehab to a "living building" in Seattle. Shipping containers as mini farms?: Is there anything you can't do with used shipping containers? Atlanta-based PodPonics turns them into small hydroponic "farms" for growing food near the point of sale. (via Triplepundit) Solar collector by day, light display by night: Move over, Jumbotron! Industrial designer Meidad Marzan's Urban Tiles concept combines solar panels and OLED panels that can be installed on the outside of buildings in an array, and which "flip" to shift from solar collector to advertising display, big screen television, or even a massive artistic canvas. (via Inhabitat)

New Chicago green building brings lighter footprint to food distribution

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 21:47:22 +0000

While I don't have numbers at my fingertips, I'd be willing to bet that most new LEED certified commercial buildings fall into the office space category: corporate headquarters or other buildings in which lots of people work behind desks. There's nothing wrong with that; These structures certainly use plenty of energy and water, and elements of green building such as the focus on daylighting and air quality make for more pleasant and productive workplaces. But what about those buildings where products are manufactured, processed and/or distributed? In many cases, these are the real resource hogs sorely in need of, at the very least, a good green retrofitting. And new structures built around resource efficiency can be real cost savers for their owners.

Green tech finds: 8/4/11

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 18:10:21 +0000

Would you live in an old Hummer? Could solar power be available even when the sun's not shining? These and other questions answered in this week's green tech finds. Harvesting ambient energy with paper antennas: Researchers at Georgia Tech are experimenting with pulling electromagnetic energy from the air with "antennas" printed on paper with inkjet technology. (via Grist) Biodegradable sneakers that sprout flowers: Amsterdam-based OAT Shoes creates sneakers that not only biodegrade in soil, they even have wildflower seeds embedded in the tongue, so you can add to your garden once the shoes are worn out. (via Yahoo! Green)

Green tech finds (7/21/11)

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 18:13:52 +0000

A 72,000 square foot tornado-proof (and kinda' green) mansion, a sweet electric motorcycle, and a push for a redesigned toilet... this week's green tech finds.

The mobile waste-to-ethanol unit: Easy Energy Systems' MEPS unit is a modular system for converting organic wastes to ethanol. Find out more about the system and its application in an interview with EES' founder at Cleantechies.
Walkability as a marketing point for real estate? Apparently so... Walkscore now boasts a presence on over 10,ooo real estate websites that "are using its neighborhood mapping and data services to market their properties."

Maryland nursery specializes in plants for green roofs

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 17:22:43 +0000

Green roofs are quickly becoming a standard for improving building energy efficiency and managing storm water run-off. Chicago became a green roofing hub during the Daley administration, and Toronto now mandates them for new buildings. But, unless a building owner has plans for a rooftop garden (and the care required for it), a green roof requires plants that can thrive under hot, dry, and sunny conditions. Farmer and management consultant Ed Snodgrass saw an opportunity here, and, in 2004, expanded his wholesale nursery into the green roof plants niche.

Green tech finds

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 21:30:52 +0000

eople-powered gyms, transmitting from turtles in Illinois, and combining flies and poop for good use... your green tech finds for the week.

The open-source solar concentrator: Designer Eerik Wissenz claims that his Solar Fire open source solar concentrator concept can harvest power at ten times cheaper than photovoltaics. Check it out in the video above... (via Earth Techling)
New university trend -- the human-powered gym: Powering exercise and recreation facilities with energy harvested from workout equipment is catching on at universities... the Sustainable Cities Collective takes a closer look at Drexel University's approach.

Green tech finds (6/9/11)

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 18:00:58 +0000

The original electric cars, a solar-powered train tunnel, and geothermal energy harvesting that also sequesters carbon... your green tech finds for the week.

Big battery breakthrough?: Researchers at MIT are redesigning batteries as "semi-solid flow cells," which could eliminate charging time issues for electric cars, as well as provide viable storage of energy generated from renewable sources. (via Grist)
Solar-powered train tunnel opens in Belgium: A two-mile stretch of train tunnel near Antwerp is now covered with solar panels, and will provide electricity for both high-speed and inter-city rail links, as well as a train station. (via AOL Travel)

Passive House next addition to Greensburg’s Chain of Eco-Homes

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 17:49:51 +0000

With the recent spate of deadly tornadoes in Alabama and Missouri, Greensburg, Kansas, the town destroyed by an E5 tornado in May, 2007, has largely fallen out of public view. That's too bad, as this small western Kansas town has made itself a model of resilience and adaptation... not to mention turning itself into a hub of sustainable development.

Using shipping containers to house prisoners: green or inhumane?

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Tue, 10 May 2011 18:07:26 +0000

Shipping containers have become a hot form of prefabricated building material: they're cheap, plentiful, and ready for retrofitting. Their modular nature provides lots of opportunities for creativity, and architects have used them for both homes and larger buildings. All of these reasons have played into Adelaide, Australia's decision to experiment with shipping containers as prison cells. But a number of state legislators and activists are crying foul, claiming that the plan is inhumane. Civil libertarian George Mancini told The Advertiser that he sees the plan as representative of short-term thinking on corrections: "I would have thought the future of prisons involves the rehabilitation of prisoners... There needs to be a focus on rehabilitation and reasonable conditions, not just cheap housing but effective housing."

The $300 House: safe green housing for the world’s poor

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Tue, 03 May 2011 18:31:48 +0000

The world's poorest citizens often have to make do with shelter... and that often involves scrap or natural materials found near shantytowns. In one sense, this is green building at its simplest; on the other, such structures provide minimal protection, while often creating risks for fire, suffocation from cooking smoke, and other hazards. Last Summer, Dartmouth business professor Vijay Govindarajan and marketing consultant Christian Sarkar tossed out an idea on the Harvard Business Review blog: the $300 house. The concept: create a safe, sustainably-built structure that provided shelter and even some utilities (solar power and water filtering) at a price that the world's poorest people might be able to afford. To keep costs and environmental impact down, the house would use prefabricated materials. People would buy the houses on a microfinance model.

The carbon-neutral, ultra-modern tiny house: The Cube Project

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 18:07:26 +0000

A tour of the Cube from Mike Page on Vimeo.

Think you could live in 100 square feet? Certainly, you'd have to do without some basic amenities, right... because you couldn't cram a kitchen, bath, bedroom, and living/dining area into that small a space?

Green tech finds (4/14/11)

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 20:00:33 +0000

Lots of solar news this week... from a new efficiency record, to solar company corporate responsibility rankings, to a DIY solar cooker.

Solar powered washing machines: They're just one part of a test to see if people are ready for the smart grid in Breda, The Netherlands. (via Crisp Green)
ENERGY STAR certification for senior facilities: Living and care facilities for elders are now among new commercial building types eligible for ENERGY STAR certification (via Earth Techling)

Green tech finds (3/31/11)

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 19:05:53 +0000

LSA In Action from Sticky Advertising on Vimeo.

Plastic made from meat wastes, and "self-charging" cell phones... these and more in this week's green tech finds.

Floating solar panels: "Offshore renewables" has generally meant wind or wave power, but an Australian company has developed a prototype for floating solar panels... and Indian company Tata Power is going to give the concept a go. Check out the Liquid Solar Array in action above. (via Calfinder's Residential Solar blog)
Plastic bottle schools: Plastic bottles get recycled into all sorts of consumer products... but the Bottle Schools Project is turning them into literal building blocks for schools in the developing world. (via Springwise and @COSEnergy)

Green tech finds (3/17/11)

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 18:43:43 +0000

Raise a glass of Guinness to St. Paddy... and to a couple of Irish green tech finds this week.

Social gaming app for saving energy: JouleBug, a social gaming iPhone app for saving energy, was released this week at SXSW.
ENERGY STAR certified buildings increase by nearly 60%: That's just one finding from this week's release of its third annual report on the top 25 cities for ENERGY STAR certified buildings.

Green tech finds (2/24/11)

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 19:57:01 +0000

Going off-grid as economic necessity, quiet compostable chip bags, and green beer... your green tech finds for the week.

Green beer in the Last Frontier: Juneau-based Alaskan Brewing Company faces some relatively unique challenges and costs in making its beer... and has implemented some relatively unique green technology (for a craft brewer, anyway) to keep a lid on both economic and environmental costs. (via Utne Reader)
Adjust the thermostat with your phone: ecobee, the makers of the Smart Thermostat, now offer an Android app that allows you to remotely adjust your home's temperature.

Green tech finds (2/3/11)

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 19:30:41 +0000

warning signs from Susan Ngo on Vimeo.

T-shirts that detect pollution, wind power from transit tunnels, and solar power in coal's heartland... your green tech finds for the week.

The pollution-detecting t-shirt: NYU grad students Nien Lam and Sue Ngo's Warning Signs t-shirts display either a heart or a pair of lungs that change color according to the levels of carbon monoxide in the air. Watch it work above... (via Green Energy News and @greeneconpost)
All renewables by 2050? A brand new report from WWF claims we can get there, "...with only isolated residual uses of fossil and nuclear fuels." (via Mail & Guardian Online)

Green tech finds (12/30/10)

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 20:30:48 +0000

For our last green tech finds of the year, we've got some predictions (of course), as well as new thoughts on tobacco, and high praise for white roofs.

Green tech predictions: IBM's fifth annual "Next Five in Five" list of tech predictions has four items with a green bent, including much more efficient "breathing" batteries, and environmental data collection from all of us via our phones and other devices. (via Information Week)
Green tech hopes: Heather Clancy at GreenTech Pastures isn't going so far as to make predictions, but has a thorough list of stories she'd really like to write in 2011.

Green tech finds (12/16/10)

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 20:17:29 +0000

Plastic bottles you can eat, a tiny solar home, and hybrid street sweepers… this week’s green tech finds. Audi’s green history: You likely associate the phrase “green cars” with Toyota and Honda; Denis Duquet at The Car Guide thinks Audi should be on that list, also… More bang from your bike: Fandi Meng’s I-Green battery [...]

Polli-Bricks, the stuff of miracles

Perrin Drumm — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 20:39:21 +0000

I never thought I would get excited about a brick, but the Polli-Brick is a potentially life-changing building material that can't be talked up enough. The Polli-Brick is, essentially, a 6-liter plastic bottle made of 100% post-consumer PET. The bottles have a gear-like structure that allows them to lock together into light-weight but insanely strong panels that can withstand earthquakes and hurricanes. Stack enough of these panels and voilà, you have a building.

Green tech finds (11/18/10)

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 18:52:01 +0000

Gardening apps, high-speed rail, and electric vehicles made from electronic waste... this week's green tech finds.

Finnish culture meets green building: Traditional Finnish building involves a lot of wood, and the Luukku House design combines this tradition with solar energy, high-efficiency windows, and other "green" features. The design has won awards from both the Finnish Timber Council and Solar Decathlon Europe. (via Good News from Finland)
Onsite composting for restaurants: GaiaRecycle's new G-30H provides onsite composting for restaurants and schools... no need to have those food scraps hauled away (or -- shudders -- throw them in the trash).

Green tech finds (10/21/10)

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 19:43:03 +0000

Hybrid CFLs, more convenient e-waste recycling, and Steven Chu on Youtube... this week's green tech finds.

Floating wind turbines pay off: A new study from Energy Technologies Institute finds that floating offshore wind turbines are both technically and economically feasible because of stronger, more consistent winds. (via Cleantechnica)
Grades are out on electronics takeback...: And while no one'd doing a stellar job, Dell, Asus, and Samsung received the highest marks from the Electronic Takeback Coalition in their new Recycling Report Card. (via Mother Jones' Blue Marble)

Green tech finds (9/23/10)

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 20:20:26 +0000

Poop-powered lighting, a shipping container office building, and the trade-in possibilities for a Chevy Volt battery... your green tech finds for the week.

The affordable EV: Lots of green tech news coming out of this week's meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative, including GreenTech Automotive's announcement that it will sell the first 100,ooo of its MyCar neighborhood electric vehicles at a discounted price of $10,000. (via TMCnet)
Dog-powered lamps: Specifically, dog poop powered... part artistic statement, part green tech, the Park Spark Project gives Cambridge, MA, dog walkers the opportunity to power a outdoor lamp with their dog's "leftovers".... (via Green Upgrader)

Green tech finds (9/16/10)

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 21:07:42 +0000

Sell your e-waste, build your own e-bike, and get your Fritos from electric vehicles... your green tech finds for the week.

Green tech patent information goes online: The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) launched its IPC Green Inventory today, which consolidates information on patents and patent applications involving "environmentally sound technology" into one database. (via eGov Monitor)
Middle Eastern mud buildings: Arwa Aburawa at Green Prophet takes note of some of the phenomenal (and sustainable) mud buildings in the Middle East (like the one above).

Green tech finds (9/9/10)

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 20:15:06 +0000

A bee beard for David Cameron, subway energy harvesting, and using search technology to identify endangered species... this week's green tech finds.

The Wolverine solar cell: Researchers at MIT actually looked to plants, not the X-Men, when creating a solar cell that "heals" its own UV damage.
Tweet for the honey bees: British marketing firm LBi has created a "twittition" (Twitter petition) to support honey bee populations in the UK. Each tweet added to the petition adds a bee to a "bee beard" on a likeness of Prime Minister David Cameron (shown above).

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.

Orange County’s Project Playhouse features green building for kids

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 19:59:04 +0000

Playhouses have apparently come a long ways since I was a kid: the wooden posts and chicken wire structure my uncle built at my grandmother's house has given way to small cottages featuring "flat screen TVs, entertainment systems and video game players." Yep, sounds more like mini-mancaves as opposed to spaces for kids to exercise their imagination, but at least one group of architects and builders sees the luxury playhouse concept as an environmental education tool. The Ocean Adventure Lab, designed, built, and supported by LPA, Inc., Turner Construction, ProRepro, and Tangram Interiors, features "...a working wave tank, microscopes, oceanography books, a working projector featuring underwater sea creatures, and a Playstation 2."

New York’s first passive house

Perrin Drumm — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 20:19:56 +0000

For the last two years architect Dennis Wedlick has been redesigning the cave. A cave, Wedlick explains, is the perfect metaphor for building a passive house: "One continuous material provides super insulation with only one energy-leaking opening." Just over a month ago, Wedlick raised the frame of his cave-inspired design, a 3-bedroom house on the Hudson, which, when completed, will be New York's very first passive house. That's kind of a startling figure, but “there are only about 10 certified passive projects in the entire country,” Wedlick says, “but something like 10,000 in Germany. That really tells you how far behind we are on sustainability.”

Another hub for affordable green homes: Corning, Iowa

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 18:07:09 +0000

If cost is no object, you probably look to the coasts for the latest in green building design. But when affordability is figured into the equation, the Midwest seems to be leading the pack: from Greensburg, Kansas to Reynolds, Indiana, the region's turning into a laboratory of green building experimentation designed for the rest of us.

The state fair goes green

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 18:53:42 +0000

Rickety carnival rides. Animal and agricultural exhibits. And fried... well, just about anything. State fair season is coming up, and future farmers, midway operators, and bands past their prime are ready to roll. At a few fairs around the country, you can add renewable energy vendors, green builders, and organic foodies to the mix: the greening of the state fair is slowly but surely underway.

Green tech finds (7/2/10)

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 17:11:00 +0000

Summer's here, it's hot, and so, naturally, we've got lots of solar news in this week's green tech finds...

Fuel-efficient driving on your iPhone: Consumer Reports' new listing of smart phone apps for drivers includes Greenmeter, an iPhone app that "...monitors your driving and displays your car's mpg, fuel cost, and carbon emissions."
Is that a secret for more efficient solar cells in your pants...? No, not a really bad, geeky joke: researchers at Cornell have discovered a specific molecule "in blue jeans and some ink dyes" that could be used to build frameworks for cheaper solar cells. (via Treehugger)

Italy’s Greensburg, Kansas

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 20:40:05 +0000

While Greensburg, Kansas may have fallen off the media radar just a bit, the Midwestern town's determination to rebuild green after an EF5 tornado leveled it in 2007 still provides a lot of inspiration. While I can't say it for certain, I wouldn't be at all surprised to find out that Greensburg's vision provided a model for the tiny village of Pescomaggiore, Italy.

Pay as you save: British coalition government floats energy plan

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Wed, 26 May 2010 19:30:31 +0000

At the federal level, the US tends to rely on various forms of tax incentives to spur consumer demand for energy efficiency and renewable installations. States and cities have tended to be a bit more creative in providing forms of up-front cost support, such as property tax financing and loan programs. Perhaps the feds should take a look at approach the new British government floated in yesterday's Queen's Speech: a "pay-as-you-save" loan program.

Green tech finds (5/13/10)

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Thu, 13 May 2010 17:05:14 +0000

AbundantWater.org [An Open Source Approach to Clean Drinking Water] from AbundantWater.org on Vimeo.

Cajun-style oil spill clean-up, solar powered iPod speakers, and beer cans that convert to cups... your green tech finds for the week.

Low-tech oil clean-up: Louisiana shrimper Alex Pellegrin didn't wait for others to come up with ideas for cleaning up the massive Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Using shrimp netting and "blue roof" tarp, he designed a prototype for an oil skimmer.
Mayans were the OGBs: That's "Original Green Builders." Archaeologists, with help from NASA, "...have 'unearthed' a complete ancient Mayan city that employed a system of green urban architecture."

Solar-powered Mormons

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Wed, 05 May 2010 18:48:21 +0000

No doubt, you've heard stories about the evangelical "creation care" movement, and perhaps even efforts by Jewish and Islamic groups to incorporate environmental practices and teachings into the practice of their faiths. But the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (aka the Mormons)? Well, they do ride bicycles when knocking on doors... Turns out the Mormons have been thinking green in terms of their meetinghouses and buildings for quite some time... and a new pilot project involves putting solar panels on churches.

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?

How to measure a green building

Perrin Drumm — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 18:43:16 +0000

Omega Center for Sustainable Living, Rhinebeck, NY

Yesterday was Earth Day and the blogosphere was abuzz with all the handy, dandy and most often meaningless catchphrases that abound in our newly environmentally conscious world (see, I just dropped one myself). Keep in mind that however good Earth Day is at making more people more aware of their environment (I saw a homeless man use one of his own plastic bags at a deli counter), it was invented by an ad man, just like Valentine's Day and Secretary's Day (now Administrative Assistant's Day). So if you want to join in the fun of hyphenating your words with eco- and green- take a minute to learn what it really means.

Kroon Hall in Yale's School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, New Haven, CT

Lesson 1: Architecture. The AIA (American Institute of Architecture) recently announced the Top Ten Green Buildings of 2010. But before we take a look at the winners, let's go over the criteria:

Finally, a realistic use for recycled plastic

Perrin Drumm — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 17:15:23 +0000

If people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones, can people who live in plastic houses throw whatever they want? Actually, yes, if the house is made of polli-bricks, which hold seven world records in green construction. The polli-brick is a self-interlocking brick that can be used for a variety of purposes, from lighting design to the walls of actual, livable buildings. Its honeycomb-like structure provides thermal and sound retention and it's made from plastic recycled with a minimal carbon footprint through a "mature PET bottle recycling and manufacturing process." It's being hailed as "the world's lightest, movable, breathable environmental miracle," and it looks good too. Still skeptical? Check out the Fashion Pavilion at the Taipei International Expo later this year (or just look at these pictures).

Model Home: Certified LEED Silver

Perrin Drumm — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 16:48:43 +0000

Nestled at the foot of a low mountain range in Emigration Canyon at the edge of a 200-acre camp site in Salt Lake City, UT lies the first private residence in the state to achieve LEED Silver certification. The 2,500 square foot structure features an operable wall that can be moved to instantly transform the [...]

Green tech finds (4/8/10)

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 20:54:49 +0000

Ink-saving fonts, energy-producing homes, and pedal-powered prison television... here are your green tech finds.

No package? No pick up...: Sounds like a lead-up to dating advice, but it's actually the concept behind UPS' new Smart Pickup service for small and medium-sized businesses. Customers use a tracking service so that drivers only stop to pick up packages when there are some... (via SmartPlanet)
The font's the thing...: Want to save printer ink? Change your font.

Weird green building technology: recycling scraps into dog food

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 21:33:14 +0000

What do you do with food scraps? OK, some of them probably go into the trash can or garbage disposal, but you may also compost vegetable and fruit peelings and leftovers. If you're really die-hard, you may even use a bokashi system, which allows you to compost meat and dairy scraps.

Green tech finds (3/19/10)

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 18:18:08 +0000

Lots of solar and phone news this week in our green tech finds...

Solar for renters: Landlord won't put up solar panels? No problem... the "solar garden" concept is catching on from Sacramento to St. George, Utah (as well as points East). (via HuffPo Green)
Green wireless systems: Feel kind of silly when your sprinkler system starts running during a rain storm? That just one wasteful scenario People Power believes its new wireless application development platform could be harnessed to address. (via Green Technology at TMCNet)