Houses of Straw
Time Magazine
As David Ward knows, it ain't easy
being green. But he's hoping that will change now that his
invention, one of some 4,300 submissions in a contest run by TIME,
the History Channel and the National Inventors Hall of Fame, was
named the 2006 Modern Marvel of the Year. Ward's Strawjet takes a
renewable and universally available resource — straw — and turns it
into low-cost building material that will provide farmers with extra
income and eliminate the need for deforestation. Another
eco-friendly detail: instead of using plastic resin, the
tractor-size farming implement binds straw together using paper
pulp, clay and cement...
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Biotechnology Will
Transform Sustainable Biofuel Production
Green Progress
Biotechnology Industry Organization
(BIO) Executive Vice President, Industrial & Environmental Section,
Brent Erickson released the following statement from the Washington
International Renewable Energy Conference 2008 (WIREC 2008).
“Industrial biotechnology companies are making rapid progress toward
bringing cost-competitive cellulosic ethanol to U.S. consumers. A
few U.S. companies are already deploying technology to produce
cellulosic ethanol, while others have announced research and
demonstration projects that will improve efficiency, further reduce
costs, and enhance the environmental benefits of biofuels. One
company has been producing cellulosic ethanol since 2004, and more
than 20 companies are constructing or operating biorefineries to
gather further data needed to increase commercial production.
“Industrial biotech companies are also researching and developing
technology for advanced biofuels – biobased alcohol and hydrocarbon
fuels that can directly substitute for petroleum. Companies have
used life-science techniques to discover, enhance, and develop novel
enzymes and microbes that convert biomass – crop residues, grasses,
and trees – into the building blocks of fuels and chemicals. This
research is moving forward at a tremendous pace, promising
next-generation biofuels that significantly reduce reliance on
petroleum...
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for the rest of the story.
A Leafy Retreat
Treehouses Provide
Communion with Nature
by Kevin LeShane, emagaizine
The deserted summertime nest of a New
Hampshire field mouse, a mound of woodchips and chewed cloth, once
plugged the stovepipe of a treehouse abode. It’s the happy
coexistence with the natural world that happens with treehouse
living. “Abundant natural resources allow us to build with onsite
wood, recycled windows and roofing and minimal impact,” explains
Josh Trought, executive director of D-Acres Organic Farm and
Educational Homestead. “Mine cost $125 in materials, and I’ve lived
in it for eight years…the mortgage is about 25 cents a month.”
Akin to this basic model are treehouses of vastly different
proportions and function. Organizations such as the nonprofit
Forever Young Treehouses and Out ’n’About Outfitters build public
and private structures that promote environmentalism as a way of
life.
Out ’n’ About operates the “Treesort” treetop hotel in the Siskiyou
Mountains outside of Cave Junction, Oregon, essentially a bed and
breakfast in the trees. Guests stay in suites as high as 37 feet in
the air, complete with swinging bridges, balconies and bathrooms.
Forever Young, based in Burlington, Vermont, builds
handicapped-accessible treehouses. “Most treehouses are
ultra-private, luxury structures that shut the rest of the world
out,” says cofounder Bill Allen. “Ours are intended to be open to
everyone. We want to provide access to people who would not normally
have the opportunity to spend time in a tree...”
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World’s First Wave
Powered Boat
ENN
TKen-ichi Horie, a 69 year old
Japanese sailor, is planning a solo 4,350 mile trip from Hawaii to
Japan using an innovative wave powered boat. If successful, the trip
would earn him a Guinness record while simultaneously proving the
viability of wave powered propulsion.
His boat, the Suntory Mermaid II, turns wave energy into thrust
using two fins mounted beneath the bow. These fins move up and down
with the waves and use them to generate “kicks”¯ that propel the
boat forward. Another green element of the journey: all of the
radios and electrical equipment are solar powered.
The fins will only garner a top speed of 5 knots, so his trip will
take about three months...
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Just GiGo It!
by Bryan A. McCarty, ENN
If you’re like me, you get sick
of hearing about how to go green. Everyday there’s companies pushing
messages at you about what you should and shouldn’t be doing to go
green. With 3000 messages hitting the average person a day and $620
billion spent each year in advertising”¦ that’s a lot of greenness
to take in.
Well, when you’re going through the closets and doing your
spring-cleaning, don’t toss it, GIGO it! Here’s a company that takes
a new approach to recycling - a practical, realistic and effective
way to reuse things you don’t need.
Gigo it (’gi-gO it) is a two-word phrase comprised of the words
“gigo”¯ and “it”¯. “Gigo”¯ is pronounced “Gi”¯ as in gift and “go”¯
as in the word go. Gigoit.org is a free online service designed to
help people get rid of reusable items by putting them in the hands
of people who want them. The catch? There is none. Anyone who post
on Gigoit.org is offering the item up for free. The end result keeps
usable items out of landfills and in the hands of people who need
your stuff. Essentially, it’s an online donation community. You can
search by distance from your location or view the most recently
added items...
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