G.E. Unveils Credit Card Aimed at Relieving Carbon Footprints - New York Times

Feel guilty about fueling up that gas guzzler or buying that box of incandescent bulbs? Would you feel better if, instead of frequent flier miles or cash, your credit card’s rewards program allowed you to offset your role in global warming?
Skip to next paragraph
Enlarge This ImageFor every $100 spent on an Earth Rewards Platinum MasterCard, G.E. offers $1 in carbon offsets.

General Electric is betting you will. Today, G.E. will introduce the GE Money Earth Rewards Platinum MasterCard, which allows cardholders to forgo a 1 percent cash rebate on purchases and earmark that amount for projects that reduce greenhouse gases. In months when they feel short of money, cardholders can opt to contribute half and take half in cash.

Now all we need to do is figure out how to buy oil futures and start bidding them up. That’ll be sweet. Anyhoo:

     Here’s the idea:

For the rest of 2007, DON’T purchase ANY gasoline from the two
biggest companies (which now are one), EXXON and MOBIL. If they are
not selling any gas, they will be inclined to reduce their prices. If
they reduce their prices, the other companies will have to follow
suit.

But to have an impact, we need to reach literally millions of Exxon
and Mobil gas buyers. It’s really simple to do! Now, don’t wimp out
at this point…. keep reading and I’ll explain how simple it is to
reach millions of people.

I am sending this note to 30 people. If each of us sends it to at
least ten more (30 x 10 =3D 300) … and those 300 send it to at
least ten more (300 x 10 =3D 3,000)…and so on, by the time the
message reaches the sixth group of people, we will have reached over
THREE MILLION consumers. If those three million get excited and pass
this on to ten friends each, then 30 million people will have been
contacted! If it goes one level further, you guessed it….. THREE
HUNDRED MILLION PEOPLE!!!

A nice looking new green magazine site from the Washington Post.

PingMag - The Tokyo-based magazine about “Design and Making Things” » Archive » Vertical Garden: The art of organic architecture
Patrick Blanc overgrows the vertical surfaces of buildings in the most beautiful way. What he creates is far away from any fancy horticultural show, his Vertical Garden could rather be called eco-art, or greener architecture consisting of a variety of plants trailing gently up any interior or outside wall. Imagine the Hanging Gardens of ancient Babylon but this time on modern concrete buildings. But Patrick is not just simpy putting green on the walls which last for a day or two: set up with a highly scientific background he studies the many ways plants adapt to extreme situations at the CNRS, the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique in Paris since 1982. Let’s have a closer look at these organic wallpapers of botanist Patrick Blanc today.

I’ve recently been playing pick-up soccer, with the Windy City Wanderers, a great group of football enthusiasts in Chicago. Thus far they play on Sunday afternoons up at Foster Fields. The group will be adding Wednesday and Friday games in the city, and I am working with the organizer to get a regular Thursday night game going in Oak Park.

There are people of all skill levels from all around the world. The folks in the group are great and have an awesome sense of comradery. I’m having a really fun time playing. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to play some soccer without all the over-competitiveness of the Chicago soccer leagues!

This group is for anyone and everyone who wants to play soccer with a great, friendly group of people. We have everyone from total beginners to very advanced, and everyone gets to play with people of their own skill level. We also have social events happening every week, ranging from beer and food at the pub, to post game BBQs!

We’re now into our second season, and have experienced massive growth. With over 100 members turning up to our first game, it’s only going to get bigger. Our female membership has grown three fold! If you enjoy soccer in any capacity, you should come and check us out. No one every regrets it!

I’m looking for folks in the Oak Park and Forest Park area to play some pick-up soccer over the summer and into the fall. I myself am an intermediate player, and I’ve lined up a few beginners, and a few long time players. If you are interested in playing some soccer, feel free to shoot me an email at mattie@urbanecoinc.com. I only have a few people this week, but we’ll be kicking around at Rehm Park at 6P on Wednesday.

The New Jersey Barrier

How many speeding cars does it take to power a lightbulb? For Mark Oberholzer, a runner-up in the 2006 Metropolis Next Generation Design Competition, this might not be such an absurd question. His project proposed integrating ­turbines into the barriers between highway lanes that would harness the wind generated by passing cars to create energy. “Opposing streams of traffic create really incredible potential in terms of a guaranteed wind source,” Oberholzer says.His research is aptly timed—wind is rapidly gaining attention as a sustainable power source with serious potential to feed America’s insatiable appetite for energy. General Electric, a leader in the industry, is experiencing unprecedented demand for its turbines, and although North America has been slower to adopt the technology than Europe, its wind industry is growing at an average rate of about 17 percent each year. “The United States is catching up very quickly,” GE Energy’s Robert Gleitz says. “I think if the country continues to install around the rate of three or three-and-a-half gigawatts per year, it will become one of the leading countries in wind.” In response to the corresponding need for trained professionals, the School of Engineering Techno­logy and Applied Science in Toronto’s Centennial College launched the Centennial Energy Institute last October to educate students in developing and maintaining systems for power generation using the resources of the landscape.

Clearly, group two are pure evil and will someday find themselves in the same circle of hell with spammers, telemarketers and direct mailers.

But, I’m just going to think about first group. These are the folks that I’ve decided to be happy about. Why? Because whether these companies are making green products out of a genuine concern for the environment or not, they are still doing some good.

Is “Green” the New Organic? (more…)

GroovyGreen.com - Start Today :: Save Tomorrow : Blog Archive : Summer Groove: Solar Pool Fence and Solar Garden Shower

First up is a “Professional Solar Garden Shower System” called the Solar Fizz. This portable showering unit uses reflector tubes to capture solar energy and heat water to 70 degrees Celsius. Each tube can hold 15 liters — with a complete system capable of providing hot water for an entire family. Each of the units displayed on the website is claimed to be portable; but even the 15 liter version might be a little unwieldy if you plan on roughing it somewhere. The only problem is that the technology is limited to a few countries in Europe and Asia. They’re looking for distributors in North America; no any of you eco-entrepreneurs out there — have a look! Outdoor showers are the bomb-diggity — especially pollution-free, hot showers.

Photos: The Asus EcoBook bamboo laptop - Crave at CNET.co.uk

We’ve just spent the morning fondling an Asus EcoBook — the first laptop to feature real bamboo panelling. Yes, bamboo — the stuff that’s gobbled up by pandas and used to construct beach houses in the Maldives.Making a laptop out of wood doesn’t sound all that sane a project, but we should probably get accustomed to this sort of thing — Asus has already delivered the first leather-bound laptops, and Tulip does a range of crazy laptop skins for its Ego range.

The EcoBook, due to launch next year, is designed to communicate Asus’ eco-friendly message. Like it or loathe it, you should check out the world exclusive pictures over the next few pages. -RR

[tags]urbaneco, laptop, ecobook, asus, green, eco-friendly[/tags]

GroovyGreen.com - Start Today :: Save Tomorrow : Blog Archive : Savinar and Sundance Deliver On Documentary “A Crude Awakening”

A friend to Groovy and always ready with an interesting comment or two, Matt Savinar is reaching out through your television in The Sundance Channel’s THE GREEN. This new three-hour block of television premiering this Tuesday features a wide range of high-quality programming covering issues of sustainability and green ideas. I received a few screeners a couple weeks back and have been pouring over the shows with great interest; after all, this is a guy without television and I was happy not to miss out on the series.I launched into a full review over at the green entertainment site, Ecorazzi, but I wanted to put a little more emphasis on this week’s 90 minute documentary, A Crude Awakening. Obviously, this piece covers the issue of Peak Oil and does a masterful job of slowly easing into the topic in such a way that makes the dire consequences that much easier to grasp. We’re given phenomenal access to historical video footage of oil boom towns that now look like derelict theme parks and even Marion Hubbert (the father of the theory of Peak Oil) presenting his concept on television in the early 50s mid-70s. Commentary from several notable geologists, politicians, and energy experts adds impressive information (as well as warnings) to the visuals.

[tags]urban eco, green, sundance[/tags]

Laura and I appreciate any opportunity for ec0-friendly-ish-ness when we travel. Mostly the best we get is hotels that let us say no to fresh towels and linens, but for our honeymoon a few years back, we went whole hog and stayed at the awesome Black Rock Lodge in Belize which had no A/C and was powered by hydro and solar. It was beautiful and going to bed with the sun was no problem since we were exhausted from hiking in the rainforest heat all day long. Mmmm….Belize. After the extended remix of winter Chicago has brought us this year, I find myself longing for 104 degrees with 1000% humidity and giant spiders.

Tourists Want Environmentally-Friendly Hotels, Destinations | Ecotality Blog

American travelers are reassessing how they travel, where they stay and the impact they leave behind when on vacation, and putting a priority on eco-friendliness according to a new survey commissioned by Orbitz.com and conducted by MarketTool’s Zoomerang polling service. Among the findings:

• More than half (65%) state it would somewhat impact their decision to stay at a hotel if they knew the hotel was using solar or wind energy to supplement the powering of the building.
• A strong majority (63%) state they would pay a little more to rent a hybrid vehicle or stay at a “green” hotel.
• More than half (52%) of Americans state they would be willing to donate a small portion of their vacation budget to help save the environment when booking a trip.
• More than half (51%) of Americans surveyed feel the tourism industry in the United States is not environmentally friendly.

[tags]ecotality, urbaneco,travel, eco-friendly[/tags]

What is Openecosource.org?
Openecosource.org is a web site dedicated to projects that aim to stop the devastation of life on the Earth. The current format of this web site (the list of suggestions by Chicago architects for the New Chicago Green Policy) is only the first of a number of projects this site will launch.Join the Conversation
You are invited, by AIA Chicago’s CotE subcommittee, to put forward your suggestions for new green policies to the Sadhu Johnston of Chicago Department of Environment and Mayor Daley. A 50 for 50 list was to be created to enlist 50 things architects could do to reduce the carbon footprint of buildings by 50%. This list was to be created in response to Ed Mazria’s 2030 Challenge www.architecture2030.org to reduce carbon production of building in US by 60% by the year 2010 and reduce to 0% or carbon neutral by the year 2030. Mayor Daley accepted this challenge at the US Conference of Mayors. Please help create list of 50 things architects can do to reduce carbon footprint of their buildings by 50%.

Your suggestions will influence the new City policies, and changes to building codes and zoning ordinances.

At the same time, your suggestions will be part of the forum of ideas about City, state and federal legislations and policies connected with construction of environment.

Please forward this web link to people you expect to have constructive ideas.

[tags]urbaneco, openecosource, chicago[/tags]

You think produce expensive now? Just wait til cherries and melons have to be hand-pollinated.

This should also be an eye opener to those who feel the need to argue against the notion of global climate change. Our economy, in particular, our food suppy, is a vastly complex system in which the smallest participants can drastically effect the shape of things. Some bees dying off here. Some insects able to migrate out of their natural habitat as a result of changing temperatures there. No big deal right. Until you look at the big picture and see that this little stuff is happening all over.

Are mobile phones wiping out our bees? - Independent Online Edition > Wildlife

It seems like the plot of a particularly far-fetched horror film. But some scientists suggest that our love of the mobile phone could cause massive food shortages, as the world’s harvests fail.They are putting forward the theory that radiation given off by mobile phones and other hi-tech gadgets is a possible answer to one of the more bizarre mysteries ever to happen in the natural world - the abrupt disappearance of the bees that pollinate crops. Late last week, some bee-keepers claimed that the phenomenon - which started in the US, then spread to continental Europe - was beginning to hit Britain as well.

The theory is that radiation from mobile phones interferes with bees’ navigation systems, preventing the famously homeloving species from finding their way back to their hives. Improbable as it may seem, there is now evidence to back this up.

[tags]urbaneco, bees[/tags]

Suitable Transport

Suitable Transport is a simple project to demonstrate the benefits of electric bicycles by exaggeration. While we love conventional bicycles and all of the fantastic benefits they offer, we want to show that electric bicycles might be the way to bring these great benefits to the rest of us - the non athletes, people who get hangovers, and people that just want to get to work.

Stephen Gale, a practical guy (who last rode a bike the day before he gained his drivers licence), will ride from Melbourne to Sydney over eight days while wearing a business suit. He doesn’t plan to break any records, in fact he wants to show just how easy it is.

To make it more fun he has convinced a large number of people to join him - scientists, salesmen, machanics, a lawyer - in fact just about someone from every walk of life - there is even a hair extension facilitator! All will be riding their electric bikes, in their work outfits, from Melbourne to Sydney!

Okay. The situation so far. I decided to take a look at electrifying a bike. Initially, I was looking at electric scooters, but they are really expensive and the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I really want to bike. I’ve tried commuting from my home in Oak Park to my job in the South Loop many times. Before Maxie was born, I was regularly commuting on my bike, until I heard that someone got knocked off their bike by some of the nice young men that have nothing better to do at 9AM on a weekday morning. That kinda freaked me out.

The neighborhoods between my home and work aren’t totally horrible. There is actually a lot of development happening between Oak Park and downtown Chicago. There are some sketchy stretches though, and there is rampant double parking in the bike lanes, clueless drivers and aggressive drivers, glass pretty much everywhere (but hey that’s what teflon tires are for right?), etc, etc. In short, all the little annoyances that can make urban cycling unpleasant are very well represented in West Chicago.

So, my thought was, “what if I can zip through the bad stuff at 25 mph and take the more scenic areas at my leisure?” I think having an electric bike would go along way toward mitigating some of these factors and give me a little more confidence in commuting in. (more…)

How to Make a Rotating Barrel Composter
Composting: Rotating Barrel Composter

If your composting operation is small and you neither relish nor have the time for turning garbage, then you’ll find this composter suited to your needs. The barrel is rotated several times whenever new materials are added. It is constructed with a minimum of hand-powered tools, and is not difficult or time-consuming to build. It will cost about $60 to build providing you use second-hand materials.

[tags]urbaneco, composting, composter, compost[/tags]

I wonder how long we’ll continue to see magazines featuring “green” issues as something that’s new and exciting and easily brought into the mainstream. Will it mean that we’re all doing something right when these special segments no longer appear, instead replaced with the same old boring bamboo furniture and organic evening gowns? I hope so. In the meantime, I still miss Organic Style.

Monbiot.com » A Lethal Solution

Since the beginning of last year, the price of maize has doubled(6). The price of wheat has also reached a 10-year high, while global stockpiles of both grains have reached 25-year lows(7). Already there have been food riots in Mexico and reports that the poor are feeling the strain all over the world. The US department of agriculture warns that “if we have a drought or a very poor harvest, we could see the sort of volatility we saw in the 1970s, and if it does not happen this year, we are also forecasting lower stockpiles next year.”(8) According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, the main reason is the demand for ethanol: the alcohol used for motor fuel, which can be made from both maize and wheat(9).Farmers will respond to better prices by planting more, but it is not clear that they can overtake the booming demand for biofuel. Even if they do, they will catch up only by ploughing virgin habitat.

[tags]biofuel, peak energy, urbaneco[/tags]