Archive for April, 2008
April 11th, 2008
Knoend: Ecodesign for Everyone
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San Francisco based product design and manufacturing firm, Knoend, is the very definition of sustainable business with a significant sub text on style. They created the remarkable lite2go, which re-purposes its own biodegradable, adhesive-free packaging into a stylish, pendant lamp that comes with a compact florescent bulb.
Knoend’s goal is to design products that are eco-friendly, economical and original – in their words “Econnovate”. Thinking beyond the point of sale, they aim to reduce manufacturing and shipping waste, run an environmentally friendly office. Knoend endorses the Designer’s Accord and gives a percentage of sales back to worthy environmental causes. I recently discovered that they also post a really thoughtful blog, rich with environmentally conscious content.
Low Impact Living is thrilled to be presenting Knoend’s upcoming line of bean rockers in our product directory this April. True to their principles of econnovation, the bean rocker is made with FSC certified maple plywood, natural latex and hemp cushions, and it is a low to the ground seat unlike any other. This comfortable and ergonomic chair brings a whole world of function to low tables and it is much easier to store than a standard size chair.
The bean rocker is priced between $152-$250 and will come in four styles: Original, Lima for small people, Sprout with handles for pregnant women and Fava with a back rest. It is a great living room accessory for those who like to eat and work at a coffee table or hang-out down low with small children.
Knoend will be officially debuting the bean rockers at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) in New York City, May 17th through 20th, 2008. They are also available for pre-order at select locations and on their website.
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April 10th, 2008
Al Gore Presentation from TED: A Must-Watch
Al Gore is a frequent contributor to the TED conference. In case you’re not familiar with TED, it stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from those three worlds. Since then its scope has become ever broader. The annual conference now brings together the world’s most fascinating thinkers and doers, who are challenged to give the talk of their lives. You can learn more about TED here.
Al Gore spoke at this year’s TED in Monterrey and debuted a new slide show on global warming and what we all need to do to stop the march of environmental destruction. The images on the shrinking of the polar ice cap is truly shocking. But Gore is an optimist and wants to inspire us all to action:
“As important as it is to change the light bulbs, it’s more important to change the laws. We have to become incredibly active in our democracy. In order to change the climate crisis, we have to change the democracy crisis.”
We highly recommend you watch the video. (if it doesn’t work, you can view it directly on TED’s website by clicking here)
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April 9th, 2008
Green Apartment Resources
Many people write to us asking for help on how to make an apartment green. It’s a good question because you often can’t make many of the structural changes you would make to a home when you live in an apartment. But renters, do not despair! There are more and better resources for green apartment dwellers coming out every day.
First, we wrote a piece a while back with lots of meaty tips on how to green your apartment. You can cut your energy & water use, get rid of your junk mail, embrace composting, and much more. Please give it a read.
Another great resource is one of our favorite sites– Apartment Therapy. And they have recently launched a sister site called Re-Nest, which focuses on “Abundant design for green homes.” The latter site does not focus only on apartments, but there are lots of great green ideas in there you can use. If you’re a renter, you’ll want to spend some good quality time on both sites. And if you’re student, be sure to check out the AT feature on How To Green Your Dorm Room!
Treehugger also did a very good feature on How To Green Your Rental.
Natural Home Magazine has also covered some excellent green apartment features. One is on a green remodel of a New York apartment. The also covered the conversion of a single-man’s pad into a green lover’s nest in San Francisco.
You might also want to check out the adventures of No Impact Man. Colin Beavan and his family have worked for the past year to make no net impact on the environment– all while living in a 750 square foot apartment in New York City. It’s an amazing undertaking and we all have a lot to learn from Colin’s efforts.
Another fairly new blog we’re watching and hope you will visit is Green Your Apartment.
And if you thought you couldn’t compost in your apartment, here is an excellent video on Apartment Composting 101!
Have other resources we should know about? Please post a comment!
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April 8th, 2008
Carbon Blob Eats US!
Chances are that when you see a picture related to global warming in the US, you see one of two images: a traffic jam in California or a large coal-fired power plant in the Midwest. These are big sources of carbon dioxide to be sure, but our work in putting our Environmental Impact Calculator together suggested that this wasn’t all fair. On average, Californians drive fewer miles per year than many other parts of the country (but at much slower speeds unfortunately), while there are dirty power plants and industries all over the place, not just in the Midwest. Without resorting to lots of charts and graphs, though, it’s tough to see all of this … until now.
A just-released study produced by the Vulcan Project at Purdue University shows US carbon emissions trends in a truly compelling (and scarily beautiful) way. The team has built some amazing graphical simulations that literally show the US “exhaling” carbon dioxide each hour of each day of the year. Huge clouds of CO2 are emitted each day, and much smaller amounts each night. The carbon cloud hovering over the US looks like a living, breathing organism that covers the map like a huge blob when energy use is the highest (make sure you watch the video beginning at the 2:30 mark to see this effect).
What’s it all say? Well, for one, certain areas stand out. California and the West have a few hotspots, but the map is dominated by the emissions coming from the Southeast, Midwest and Northeast. This makes sense, since the density of development (and thus population) in the eastern US is much higher, the use of dirty fuels such as heating oil and coal is greater, and the number of petrochemical and manufacturing plants is higher.
Two, it really brings home the point that we all have a role to play in cutting carbon emissions - regardless of where you live, we’re all contributing in a pretty significant way. So, have a few minutes of fun (and learning) watching the carbon blob eat the US, and then try our Environmental Impact Calculator to figure out what you can do. It happens to take many of these same factors into account, so you get a truly regional estimate of your carbon footprint.
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April 8th, 2008
Spring Haiku Contest: We Have a Winner!
Back in mid-February we launched a call for green haiku celebrating Mother Earth’s renewal in this season of spring. We were over-whelmed with excellent poetic responses. It seems many of you in the Low Impact Living community are creative wizards!
We also offered some outstanding prizes to our esteemed haiku winner.
+ A non-toxic spring cleaning for your home courtesy of Maid Brigade
+ Healthy home cleaning products from J.R. Watkins
+ A Fresh Squeezed personal care gift basket from Lula Organics
+ Biodegradable sponges from Twist
Our panel of semi-professional judges has deliberated and the winner is:
Spring is a rebirth
but Earth cannot regenerate
think green for future
— Kristin
Congratulations Kristin, and we certainly agree with the sentiment of your poem!
There were so many wonderful entries that we cannot publish them all here, but here is a selection for your enjoyment. Thank you everyone!
spring sun warms my bones
turns my brain to butter melt
best to feel, not think
– Sonia
spring lives in all things
a greener life is blooming
becoming the new
– Kristy
tract home from ‘65
remodeled completely
our green home for life
– Jan
The earth is melting.
Red birds chirp, and the cat lurks.
Darkness grows shorter.
– Pam
In springtime my dark
cynicism gives way
to light cynicism
– Erin
Spring is the Earth’s love
I crave her warmth on my face
Her arms around me
– Cathie
Winter has chilled me
But its hold is lost to Spring.
Green gives her Power
Green gives her Power
Urging the earth to give bloom
In ways intended.
In ways intended
Nature gives back to Nature.
Spring is truly Green.
– Gerald
I adore this earth
Pollution and wastefulness
Damage my beauty
– Amber
Recycle my world
And clean up my earthly home
My part counts so much
– Linda
Flowers popping bright
Sunshine warming their faces
Such colors abound
– Lulu
Tiny buds appear
A reminder of new life
Each and every year
–Amanda
Heard for years by All,
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Time is NOW to act
– Kris
Striving to be green
Spring’s rebirth affects all souls
Man and nature collide
– Kristin
All the LEEDs are green
And the sky is blue, not gray.
I went for a walk…
–Jennifer
The promise of Spring
Hides in the swollen tree buds
Waiting to appear
– Joan
Shimmering dewdrop
Quivers on a lone bare branch
Refracting the sun
– Renee
As my own heart melts
So doth melt the frozen lake
With love, embrace life.
– Victoria
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