Category Archives: Gift Guide

Indoor Composting Made Simple

By Bill Hobbs  
December 10, 2007 – 2:05 am

Composting is generally thought of as something done outdoors, using lots of dirt and worms to turn organic garbage into rich mulch, but now it’s something you can do in the kitchen - without the worms. San Francisco-based NatureMill has developed an indoor composter that doesn’t use worms, and also doesn’t smell or attract flies.

NatureMill’s indoor composting units are built small enough to fit in standard-sized kitchen cabinets and can can process up to 120 pounds of organic waste per month, using just 10 watts of energy - about 50 cents a month.

How does it work? Well, you plug it in, turn it on and toss the compostable stuff in. The composting process takes place in a sealed inner chamber. Air is drawn into the chamber by a small fan, and a mixbar and heater keep the process moving along at the correct temperature. A red light indicates when the compost is ready and needs to be emptied - the company says that’s about once every two weeks.

Prices start at $299. NatureMill says the unit can handle up to 5 lbs of food and paper waste per day, and generates no odors. And, says NatureMill, unlike backyard compost piles, the NatureMill indoor composter can handle meat, fish, chicken, dairy, because of the unit’s guaranteed high compost temperatures thanks to its insulated chamber and internal
heater.

The company also sells an outdoor version for $399 that can handle pet droppings.

Share This

Filed under Ecotality Life, Gift Guide, Green Living
Add Comment


Real Trees: The Difference Between Naughty or Nice Continued

The second part to our Eco-comparison of real and fake Christmas trees.

By Sharif Virani  
December 5, 2007 – 11:19 am

Our last article looked at the viability of real Christmas trees, in this one we will conversely take a brief look at some fake tree facts.

The first commercial sale and production of Christmas trees was by a toilet brush company during the 1930s, ironic? I think so.

Fake trees are generally attractive because they don’t dry out, die and you don’t have to cut them down. But like most artificial products these days, fake trees are generally made in China. and the fabrication of fake trees is a process that commonly incorporates the use of PVC and or polyethylene. For those of you that spent the majority of high school chemistry asleep, PVC is also known as the “Poison Plastic” and consumes reasonably high quantities of lead during its fabrication. Throughout its life cycle it also releases chemicals “such as mercury, dioxins, and phthalates, which” can “pose irreversible life-long health threats”.

If you are like me this probably conjures up images of a giant poison pine air freshener for your living room and I think it is safe to say that the winner of the more sustainable Christmas tradition rests with the one that just feels right, a real tree!

But wait!

We aren’t done yet, they are probably many of you out there thinking “What do we do with this giant thing after Christmas is done?”

Ignoring the most of obvious fact that a real Christmas tree is 100% biodegradable and can be turned into mulch and/or composted in your very own backyard, there are various companies around that are more than willing to take a real tree of your hands.

Biolyse Pharma Corp, is one of these such companies and use the needles of Christmas trees to manufacture flu prevention and treatment medication.

The following site by the CFTO, Christmas Tree Farms Of Ontario, has a ton of other ideas on how you can recycle your Christmas tree in your very own backyard.

If you are really opposed to having a tree cut down for the holiday season you can also by a live tree and either have it replanted in a nursery or replant it yourself, The Original Living Christmas Tree Company is just one of said companies that can help you do just that.

Happy Holidays Readers!

Share This

Filed under Climate Change, Ecotality Life, Ecotality Life Twitterstream, Gift Guide, Green Blog, Green Living
Add Comment

Sculpted Compact Fluorescents Will Light Up Your Life

Give the Old Swirley the Heave Ho!

By Lois Zendarski  
December 3, 2007 – 3:28 pm

Ya say ya don’t like the shape of those darned compact fluorescent light bulbs? Ya say they stick out of the fixtures and don’t look nice? Ya wanna give that swirly the heave ho?? Well, I think they are starting to fix that for ya!

The designers from Hulger ,the same place that brought you the wind up lamp design, are here to entice you to take a look at some artistically created bulbs that are sure to please even the most finicky decorator! The electronics boutique think tank based in London is looking for a manufacturer to produce these sculpture-like bulbs.

The prototype is a reaction to the lack of imgination, diversity and personality seen in the conventional CFL. The old types can be used in the house or outhouse, but lack the panache they so need. (especially in fancy fixtures for the home)

The Plumen… consisting of plume type forms can come in many varieties and for all personalities. It will put the regular CFLs right next to the Victrola!

via: ecogeek.org & dezeen.com

Share This

Filed under Gift Guide, Green Living
Add Comment

Water-Only Mopping

By Doris Lo  
December 1, 2007 – 1:15 pm

With home items especially I look for effective and long-lasting products that will save me trouble and time in necessary, tedious household chores. I’m particularly happy when I find one that will let me harbor one less chemical disinfectant under the sink.

Thus explains why I can’t resist the sultry allure of steam mops for cleaning hard floors and carpets. The idea behind one is intuitive - the mop works by converting ordinary tap water into steam rapidly to act as a natural disinfectant for surfaces and fabrics. Without the need of a chemical cleaner, the mops won’t leave behind harmful fumes or residues. Forget the smell of Pine-sol because there are several popular steam mops of various ergonomic designs available including Bissell’s, the H2O Mop, the Shark Steam Mop…You can find ratings for various mops here at NexTag. Prices range from $40-$120.

It’s tempting, but I advise not you don’t turn this into a birthday or anniversary gift item. This would, however, be ideal for a house warming, and you might like it so much you would want to keep it for yourself.

Share This

Filed under Gift Guide, Green Living
Add Comment

Making Sitting Even Easier!

Snap Together Sustainable Chair is Easy to Assemble

By Lois Zendarski  
November 29, 2007 – 1:25 pm

Four pieces, no hardware and birch plywood are the materials needed to put this funny but clever chair together! It snaps together, is suitable for outdoor use and is pretty easy to assemble. It has two shapes and four pieces total. Even I might be able to figure it out! (after putting the back on backwards only once!)

Made from sustainable material, the thoughtfully produced design is a treehugger’s delight!

My question: Is it comfortable? Let’s Martha Stewartize it a bit using some used bluejean fabric chair pads!

via: TreeHugger

Share This

Filed under Gift Guide, Green Living
Add Comment

A Smarter Bag?

By Bill Hobbs  
November 26, 2007 – 8:25 pm

A lot of grocery stores are now selling reusable shopping bags - emblazoned with their logos of course - so that environmentally-concerned shoppers can eschew the “paper or plastic” conundrum and use neither. But what if you - like we in my household - shop at three different grocery stores? Must we get separate bags for each store? Or would it be rude to carry our Whole Foods Market bag into Publix and Kroger, too? And if we have to get separate bags for each store, where do we keep them all? They take up a lot of room in the car - but if they’re not always in the car, we might not have them when we need them.

Enter Olive Smart LLC, which has created an environmentally-friendly alternative to plastic bags that also solves those problems.

The small company started by two moms living near San Francisco - which recently banned plastic grocery bags - markets a nylon pouch containing six reusable shopping bags - one each in burgundy, black, navy blue, tan and olive green. The Olive Smart pouch is sized to fit in a standard car cupholder, so it’s always there yet never in the way.

As the Palo Alto Daily News reports, Olive Smart bags make great environmental sense.

San Francisco has banned plastic bags, which are rarely recycled and a major contributor to an enormous mass of plastic floating in the Pacific Ocean about 1,000 miles west of San Francisco. Scientists estimate it weighs several tons and is roughly twice the size of Texas. Plastic dumped in Bay Area waters can drift to it.

The Olive Smart website has lots of info about plastic bags - none of it will make you happy to use them.

The Olive Smart bags are designed to fit on the wire holders that hold plastic bags at the grocery, so that the clerks can easily load your groceries into them. The bags sell for $39 and are sold online at www.olivesmart.com. Might make a good Christmas gift.

Share This

Filed under Ecotality Life, Gift Guide, Green Living
Add Comment

People Powered iPod

Crankin' the Tunes

By Lois Zendarski  
November 25, 2007 – 8:19 pm

Although the iPod has been duplicated and reinvented, a new version has hit the market, however, probably not for main stream America. The eco-iPod comes with all the enviro-bells & whistles that us greenies would love.

The eco prefix is applied because it does all of this without need of batteries. It is human-powered by winding the fold out handle located at the back of the product! You can, however, charge it via the USB cable of your computer.

From the article:

An on-board lithium ion battery has a maximum playtime of 20 hours. Audio will play back in mp3, wma, asf, wav, ogg formats (no mention of aac, the iPod default). The 1.8″ colour screen shows videos in asv (and wmv, avi, mpeg, after conversion) and photos as jpeg, bmp, gif images. With 2GB of built-in memory the media reader supports SD cards to increase this. Microsoft Windows seems to be the supported operated system when connected to computers with no indication of compatibility with Macs. Sells for £1media player unit is a video player, music player, fm radio, LED torch, photo viewer, hi-fi recorder, memo recorder, data storage device and a mobile phone charger.

Trevor Baylis is the British inventor that created the original wind-up radio, as a way of getting information on HIV/AIDS to remote villagers in Africa. The success of that project brought about the brand Freeplay, which has been dominating the human powered gadget market for about ten years.

via: TreeHugger

Share This

Filed under Alternative Energy, Gift Guide, Green Living
Add Comment

National Green Pages: Shop Green this Black Friday & Beyond

Green thumbs up to Patagonia & a big fat "F" to Wal-Mart

By Beth McKenna  
November 22, 2007 – 1:45 pm

Happy Thanksgiving to all our US readers!

It seems Thanksgiving Day (it’s T-giving Eve as I write, but this should be posted on T-giving Day) calls for a seasonal post.  

I came across this neat site — which might come in handy for your holiday shopping — that I thought I’d share:

“The National Green Pages™ is a directory listing nearly 3,000 businesses that have made firm commitments to sustainable, socially just principles, including the support of sweatshop-free labor, organic farms, fair trade, and cruelty-free products.

For every category of conventional consumer goods and services, there are green businesses that can meet your needs. The National Green Pages™ lists baby care products, organic, fair trade, flavored teas, and fuel-efficient cars for rent among the thousands of products. 

Green businesses listed in Co-op America’s National Green Pages™ have passed a screening process that qualifies them for membership in our Green Business Network™.”

Wal-Mart: The Green (& Human Rights) Equivalent to the Grinch or Scrooge

Wal-Mart gets a big fat “F” on the retailers’ scorecard, apparently due to its penchant for using sweatshops that treat their employees like slaves, pay them pitiful wages, and other nasty stuff.

Yes, I know Wal-Mart’s prices are low. But so are Target’s — and Target gets at least a tad better score, a D+.

Patagonia: The Green Equivalent to Santa in “Miracle on 34th Street”

Patagonia is an example of a ”big name” national retailer that’s a member of the Green Business Network. 

Cool outdoor gear to keep you and yours active and a top green (and remember “green” here includes human rights) score.  How can you beat that?

Black Friday 

For our non-US readers, “Black Friday” refers to the day after Thanksgiving. It has long been considered by retailers as the unofficial kick-off to the holiday shopping season.

Interestingly (to me, at least), the term “Black Friday” has green (well, anti-green) roots.

The term reportedly originated in Philadelphia around 1970. Cab and bus drivers reportedly coined the phrase to describe the traffic — specifically the black effects (exhaust) of the traffic.

Whether you will be shopping with — what retailers hope will be — the masses or can’t think of anything less enjoyable than doing so, enjoy your Friday if you have the day off from work. A day off from work surely isn’t ”black,” right?

Share This

Filed under Ecotality Life, Gift Guide, Green Living
Add Comment

Real Trees: The Difference Between Naughty or Nice?

The age old debate of a real versus fake Christmas tree.

By Sharif Virani  
November 21, 2007 – 5:06 pm

While Christmas without a real tree might seem crazy to some, you can’t help but stop and wonder as a “treehugger” how sustainable of a tradition is it?

Before revealing which practice is greener for wear, I am going to outline a few true tree facts.

For the most part Christmas trees are grown are specialized tree farms, these trees are generally allowed to grow for about 10-15 years before being cut and in that time provide a valuable service to outlying and nearby communities by providing oxygen and processing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

It is estimated that approximately one acre of Christmas trees provides enough oxygen for 18 people every day. If you consider how many acres of these trees there are in the United States alone, which is around 500 000 acres, they could probably supply enough oxygen for around 9-10 million people everyday!

Now back to the carbon dioxide, forests and oceans are two of our major carbon sinks in the world and pretty much critical to our existence. In the case of forests the growth rate of a tree is directly related to the amount of carbon dioxide in its surrounding atmosphere; the more a tree is pruned and cut, Christmas trees are trimmed quite frequently, the more it grows and consequently processes excess carbon in the atmosphere.

Now you if you’ll excuse me I have to go help with the decoration of our _______ Christmas tree and if you want to know what kind it is check back for part two of this series!

Share This

Filed under Climate Change, Ecotality Life, Ecotality Life Twitterstream, Gift Guide, Green Blog, Green Living
Add Comment

Deck the Halls with LED!

Green your holiday cheer with this energy-efficient, long-lasting alternative

By Daniel Gurvich  
November 21, 2007 – 12:25 pm

Strawberry LEDWell, my pants feel tighter every morning and every visit to a public space seems to be punctuated with the festive strains of Mannheim Steamroller.  Yes, my friends, that can only mean one thing - the holiday season is once again upon us.  Family, food and fun, to be sure, but also a veritable orgy of consumption and waste.  It casts a shadow to realize that our culture’s celebration habits are destroying the very things we’re celebrating.  Bummer.

Fortunately, the Nature conservancy has prepared an excellent guide to a “Green Christmas“.  Now let’s face it, not every one of us is going to run out to purchase carbon offsets against our holiday travel.  But #5 on the list seems simple and practical –

Though they cost a bit more than traditional holiday lights, LED lights last much longer and consume a fraction of the energy, which leads to greater savings for years to come.

The US Department of Energy reports that if all conventional incandescent Christmas lights in the country were replaced with LED lights this season, annual energy savings would total two billion kilowatt-hours—enough energy to power nearly 200,000 homes for an entire year.

 Holiday LEDs offers a particularly wide selection of LED holiday lighting.  According to their Web site, these lights come with a lifetime warrany, consume just 1/10th of the power of traditional lights, and last 50,000 hours.  That’s long enough for at least 30 holiday seasons!  In my opinion, they look pretty cool, too.

A growing list of cities, including D.C, Toronto, London, and Denver has jumped on the LED bandwagon for their holiday lighting to realize significant energy savings.
Here in upstate New York, where the world has gone greyscale for the next 6 months, we can use all the holiday cheer we can get.  I’m getting myself some LED holiday lights to put around our house.

Share This

Filed under Ecotality Life Twitterstream, Emerging Tech, Gift Guide, Green Living, Green Tech
Add Comment



Close
E-mail It