Asphalt Is Replaced By Cheaper Gravel; ‘Back to Stone Age’

WSJ

Photo source: Paweł Kuźniar

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Go check the blog out, especially the series on her recent trip to Cuba

Groovy Green readers, any other good blog/website suggestions?

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Paper Mate sent me a few of their new pens and mechanical pencils to try out in honor of Earth Day.  Now while I don’t think that compostable pens are the solution to the world’s problems – I guess I have to give credit to companies for trying to reduce waste and come up with solutions to our overflowing landfills.

The pens work just as well as the normal Paper Mate varieties, I’m a blue ink kind of guy.  They’re also very comfortable, but that comes at the expense of a non-compostable grip.  The ink hasn’t run out yet, but when it does, I’ll throw it in the bottom of my composter and see what happens.  It’s supposed to take a year to break down, but with the generous heat from my food waste-leaves-grass combo, maybe it’ll take less time.

Just don’t forget to break the pen down before composting.  There are many non-compostable parts that still need to be removed (see below).

$1.5 billion in new pens and mechanical pencils were sold in 2000.  That’s a lot of waste!  These new pens are surely just a drop in the bucket, but hey they might just catch on.  If you have a business which hands out or goes through a number of pens, this is a good way to reduce your waste and let your customers know that you care even about the little things.

I’d give Paper Mate an “E” for effort.  Now, about those other hundred million pens and pencils…

Read more on Paper Mate’s Green Efforts below the fold!

The new Paper Mate Biodegradable* products are the latest step in Paper Mate’s ongoing commitment to the environment.  Paper Mate also offers an existing line of products made from recycled sources, and recently introduced an innovative new upcycling program to find new ways to repurpose otherwise throwaway writing instruments.

Upcycle with Paper Mate

Paper Mate and sister brands Sharpie® and EXPO®, three of the world’s most recognized writing and marking brands, have partnered with TerraCycle, the pioneering upcycling company that finds new ways to repurpose otherwise throwaway items, to create the world’s first program to collect and reuse pens, markers and other writing instruments while also helping raise funds for non-profit organizations, including schools and charities nationwide.

Participants sign up with TerraCycle to set up collection centers called “Writing Instrument Brigades,” the majority of which are located in large corporations and schools where writing instruments are used most.  For every writing instrument collected at a Writing Instrument Brigade collection center, two cents is paid to the non-profit organization of that Brigade’s choice. Overall, the collection efforts will reduce landfill proliferation, educate and inspire consumers to get involved, and provide much needed funding to schools and non-profit groups nationwide.

Full Circle with Recycled

Paper Mate’s new upcycling campaign and Biodegradable products join the brand’s existing green product portfolio, bringing the Paper Mate green offering full-circle. Paper Mate’s existing green products include:

Paper Mate® FlexGrip Ultra® Recycled Ball Point Pen

•             Classic trusted favorite now part of greener choices – made from 70% recycled material

•             Available in ball point pen and mechanical pencil

•             Grip rings near the tip for added control

•             Available in capped or retractable

Paper Mate® Earth Write® Recycled Pencil

•             Made from 100% recycled wood, no new trees are required to produce these environmentally sharp products.

•             100% recycled cedar wood from the USA

•             Sharpens to a fine point

•             Durable, smudge resistant eraser

Paper Mate® Write Bros.® Recycled Ball Point Pen

•             Made from 80% recycled material

•             Same great writing performance as the original

•             Perfect for situations where large pen quantities are needed

Liquid Paper® DryLine® Grip Recycled Correction Film

•             Made from 67% recycled material  Same great tape quality as the traditional DryLine® Grip product

•             Unique shape and grip provide comfort and control

•             Strong tear-proof tape

•             Great for correcting single or multiple lines of text before copying or faxing

•             Applies dry for instant corrections with no mess

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Even when production is pumping at full capacity, additional offshore drilling facilities would amount to about 200,000 barrels per day (bpd). The US currently uses 21 million bpd. This does not take into account the increase in oil consumption necessary to continue to grow our economy[during the time it would take to get the drills up and drilling]. The bottom line is that additional offshore drilling will provide 1.2% of the oil we use every day if we don’t increase consumption and we’re willing to wait 20 years.

So now Obama has opened up most of the east coast among other areas for oil exploration.

The Democrats are pretending to have been betrayed, the Republicans are saying he didn’t go far enough and the environmentalists are mad as hell.

The truth is that this was a beautiful political move. President Obama gave his Democratic base ammunition for the upcoming election and took steps towards soothing the sting of those opposed to “health care” reform on the right. Sure there are factions within the Democratic party who are oppose to more offshore drilling but fewer than five Democrats will actually vote against their Democratic candidates this November because the President opened up more offshore areas for oil exploration. Instead those candidates will be able to say, “Look, we’re trying to become more energy independent by opening up areas previously off limits and the Republicans aren’t going along with us. We’re willing to try what the Republicans have been asking us for years.” I’m not sure if those political bullets will hit their targets but hey, it’s something.

The real genius of this move lies in the fact that the Republicans have been saying for ever and ever that we could solve this energy problem if those wacky environmentally conservative Democrats would just open up more offshore areas for drilling. It’s total bullshit of course, as you’ll read below but they’ve gotten away with it because average Americans don’t know the facts. Obama has now taken that sound bite away from them. And as an added bonus if the Republicans do speak out against this they will be branded even more deeply as the Party of No.

I’m guessing the environmentalists who are upset about this don’t understand the facts. Little if any of the oil in these new areas will ever be pumped out of the seafloor. It’s too costly. We won’t be able to afford it. There is no real threat to the environment here because it’s highly unlikely that any substantial new drilling in these areas will ever take place.

This is political theater, nothing more. Grab a bag of popcorn and be amused.

Original post from September 2008…

I won’t go so far as to say I’m against lifting the ban on drilling for oil off the east coast of the United States of America. I say that because the only reason the idea is being bandied about is that the last two Republican presidents were oil tycoons and that party is desperate to reframe the rise in the price of gasoline as the fault of the Democrats. Perhaps Democrats should agree to lift the ban and when the price of gas doesn’t go down, Republicans will be left without that political punch to throw.

Having said that, I am not in favor of lifting the offshore drilling ban because drilling for oil off the east coast of the U.S. is stupid. Here’s why.

The USGS says there are 17.8 billion barrels of undiscovered recoverable resources(read Unproven Reserves) in waters currently off limits to exploration. The EIA says production couldn’t really get started until 2017 and wouldn’t be fully ramped up for another 15 years until about 2030. Remember the U.S. uses more than 7 billion barrels a year. Great, there might be two and a half more years worth of oil. Even if we could start pumping at full capacity today when my daughter is 2 ½, she’ll be 5 when all that oil is used up.

Even when production is pumping at full capacity, additional offshore drilling facilities would amount to about 200,000 barrels per day (bpd). The US currently uses 21 million bpd. This does not take into account the increase in oil consumption necessary to continue to grow our economy. The bottom line is that additional offshore drilling will provide 1.2% of the oil we use every day if we don’t increase consumption and we’re willing to wait 20 years.

Oh and if the oil companies don’t sell that oil to other countries. Remember, we currently export about 1.5 million barrels of oil from the US every day. There is no guarantee that big oil will even keep this measly 200,000 bpd in the US.

And don’t forget the hurricanes.

Notice I didn’t even mention the possible environmental catastrophes or the hit tourism might take if lounging at the beach starts to include a beautiful view of the flare from a drilling rig.

Offshore oil is politicians playing the blame game and that’s all it is. The sad part is that a majority of Americans are falling for it while their leaders, Republicans and Democrats alike, continue to refuse to act appropriately.

If you want a quick test of whether or not a politican understands energy issues ask her if she’d like to see the cost of gasoline go down. If she says yes, she doesn’t know what the hell she’s talking about.

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Gaea recently sent my family some samples of its extra-virgin olive oil to sample.  The premise of their operation is simple: grow great tasting olives, produce high quality olive oil, and offset their carbon emissions.

We’ve used the olive oil for a week or so, cooking with it (excellent flavor for meats and veggies) and using it in our recipes.  The verdict?  Delicious.  Whether you’re making a salad dressing, sauteing veggies or chicken – you can’t go wrong.

Gaea offers a variety of olive oils: Sitia-Crete, Kalamata, Organic, and several flavored versions.

There are also whole olives, tampenades, appetizers, roasted peppers, sundried tomatoes, grape leaves, and a line of sauces that I’d love to get my hands on.

Now, to the claim that Gaea is the “first extra virgin olive oil in the world to be certified carbon neutral”.  A google search turns up some smaller olive farms that have attempted to achieve similar carbon reductions and offsets.  I’m really not too worried who was the first to be certified, but I am interested in how Gaea achieves those claims:

Carbon or Greenhouse Gas offsetting is the funding of climate protection
projects by an individual or a company, such as GAEA, in order to
compensate for the carbon emissions it produces as a result from its
operations and/or products. GAEA calculated the amount of carbon
emissions produced per kg of olive oil and compensated it by funding
climate protection projects through the myclimate foundation.

Ok, so it’s through offsets, then.  Well what kind of offsets you ask?  Gaea provides the details in this brochure.

Let me get on my soapbox for a minute:  I am happy to see when companies are interested in reducing their environmental impact, though I wish that the website went into more detail about their carbon calculations.  I also wish that Gaea provided a description of the other methods that they are using to reduce their environmental impact.  Are they reducing fertilizers and pesticides?  Preventing soil erosion?  I have been and will continue to be skeptical about companies who pay for carbon offsets, do little to make real on-the-ground changes, and call their products climate neutral.  To be fair, I requested this information from the company and this is their response:

Gaea is leading the way in the international olive oil industry with their green ‘rev-oil-ution’ to reduce the environmental impact of their operations from cultivation to the shelves of the supermarket. Gaea is committed to preserving the Earth’s natural resources with our non-depletion policy on wild products, recycling policies, Integrated Crop Management and Organic Farming techniques. With a name that literally stands for ‘Mother Earth’, Gaea has been committed to environmental sustainability since its inception. Care and respect for the environment remains at the core of our company values.  This information can be found on the Gaea website at http://www.gaea.gr/1/gaeaStory2.html.

I’m not sure what “non-depletion policy on wild products” means, but it does sound like the company is attempting to minimize its environmental impact.  I do know that a more complete disclosure of their carbon emissions inventory and farming practices would go a long way for environmentally conscious consumers.

If you are in the market for some extra virgin olive oil, or Greek specialty products – Give Gaea a try!

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The Book of Rubbish Ideas is anything but rubbish. It is FULL of excellent tips to help eco-newbies and hard-core Greens see rubbish as a resource, cut down on waste, and save time, money and resources as a result.

Don’t be put off by the quirky cover; author, Tracey Smith, a contented downshifter, aims to take the freaky out of eco, and her book is accessible, practical and positive. There’s no holier-than-thou attitude to reusable nappies, washable sanpro and chicken-keeping; we are encouraged to ditch the guilt for what we are not doing and start feeling good about what we are doing.

Tracey takes you on a tour through the average family home, from bedroom and bathroom through to the kitchen and out into the garden, including the Usually Male Domain of shed and garage, which so often get missed out where decluttering’s concerned.

Tracey’s project boxes at the end of each chapter include creating an art/craft box for your very own Make Do And Mend moments, a luscious His & Hers body scrub for a sticky night in, and (back down to earth) how to clean all sorts of household items – from grubby grout to wooden chopping boards – without using chemicals. Her practical advice is backed up with case studies from every day folk who are making their personal contribution to waste reduction through their own downshifting initiatives, and there are contributions from several celebrity greens, such as Wayne Hemmingway and Kim Wilde.

But this is more than a book of eco tips. It also helps readers get politically active and involved in environmental issues, by providing templates for letters to supermarkets, local schools and political representatives. There’s even an invite to send to your friends when hosting a Clothes Swap Party. So not only can you make changes within your own home, you can take steps to affect the wider world. The resources section is thorough and will have you hooked to the internet for days – there are websites, organisations and eco-products galore and a bibliography that is bound to fill up your amazon wishlist. One person’s rubbish may be another person’s treasure, but The Book of Rubbish Ideas is a gem for everyone.

[ed note: also check out the Book of Rubbish Ideas blog]

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I’M GIVING UP MY CAR

I didn’t learn to drive until I was 30.  Up until that point, I hadn’t seen the point of having a car or even having the ability to drive, as public transport was convenient enough.  However, 2 months before my 30^th birthday, I moved to Plymouth for a new job and for the first time, I discovered how difficult it was to do my outreach work without a driving license – my job covered the whole of Devon and Cornwall.  Within 6 months, I passed my driving test and around 4 months later, I bought my first car – my beloved Fiat Tipo.  Yes, it was cheap and a bit of a banger and had all the quirks and faults that are found on most Italian cars (it’s a standing joke on Top Gear), but I loved it nonetheless!  And, my goodness, did I love the freedom that being a car owner gave me!  I was off to the beach at weekends and I drove back home to Yorkshire once a month to visit family and friends.  No more sharing my personal space on a 7 hour train journey, and trying to carry my own weight in luggage.  It was fantastic!  I even moved back to Yorkshire with my car full of my belongings, with a friend following behind, his car equally laden with my stuff.  I could not believe that I hadn’t learned to drive sooner and found that I needed my car for work more and more as I moved from job to job  When I had my son, 4 years ago, having a car was a bonus.  I remember a childhood of long bus journeys to shopping destinations with my mum, gran and my sister and it was so nice to be able to jump in the car with William in his baby seat and set off on day trips or to visit friends.

Now my son is almost 4 and I no longer need my car for my job.  I also only travel 1 mile to work now, instead of 24 each way that was my daily commute in a previous job.  Yes, the car is convenient for popping to the gym or supermarket, but it’s no longer a necessity and, with the cost of tax, insurance and increasing petrol prices, it’s no longer a commodity that I can afford.  And so I made the decision to get rid of the car.  My son’s school is 10 minutes walk from our house, we have a supermarket within a 20 minute walk, and the walk to work takes about 40 minutes, although there are plenty of buses from our village too.  Luckily, this has coincided with my parents’ need for a new car and, as my car is 8 years younger than theirs, so the decision was to ultimately benefit them too.

It’s scary though – I have to admit.  As lifestyle changes go, this is a biggy! How will I just pop to the rubbish tip to do my recycling, or drive to Aberdeen or Plymouth to visit friends for a break?  It’s daunting to think that my freedom will be limited and I will, once again, be reliant on buses and trains for all my transport needs.   However, I will lose weight and get fit from doing more walking, have more of my disposable income at my disposal and help the environment – what could be simpler?  I can’t ride a bike, as I never had a bike when I was young.  Perhaps, I’ll learn now, side by side with my son…….

[ed note: any other GG readers out there who've gone car-less?  I'm sure that Tammy isn't going it alone.  Great job Tammy!  I hope you keep us informed of your progress.]

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We’ve seen mega-turbines before — but never one with an output of 10MW, and certainly not one that floats!

When completed, the world’s largest turbine will stand at roughly 533 feet with a rotor diameter of 475 feet. At three times more powerful than current turbines, it will be able to power over 2,000 homes. From Treehugger,

It will be built by the Norwegian company Sway and tested first on land in Oeygarden, southwestern Norway. Unlike most offshore wind projects where turbines rest on the seafloor, Sway turbines float. This means further offshore development where winds are stronger and more consistent.

The floating tower is a pole filled with ballast beneath the water creating low center of gravity. Anchored to the seabed with a single pipe and a suction anchor, it can tilt 5-8°, and turn around with the wind.

It’s expected that the prototype will cost close to $70 million and be completed sometime in 2011.

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We’ve seen vertical gardens on the side of buildings before — but never one this, um, HUGE.

Architects and federal officials are planning a series of 250-foot-tall trellises designed to shade the west side of the remodeled Edith Green-Wendell Wyatt Federal Building. The added greenery is just part of a $135 million project that will also feature elevators that generate electricity on the way down, solar arrays on the roof, smart lighting systems that adjust to the daylight available, among other advances. From the article,

Eggleston’s firm, SERA Architects, is working on some questions that weekend gardeners never have to figure out: what plants will grow readily at more than 200 feet in the air and how to water, fertilize, weed and prune at that height. The pruning might be done in much the same way windows are washed, he said, with workers hoisted and lowered on platforms. Rainwater collected on the roof, supplemented by city water, will be piped for irrigating the green wall, he said.

Construction is expected to take 30 to 40 months.

This will truly be a stunning addition to the Portland cityscape if constructed as planned — and we’re thrilled to see other buildings adopt vertical gardens, as well as sustainable features. Check out the full article for more!

Photo credit: Scott Baumberge

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