Adapted from Josh's next book The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget: Save Money. Save Time. Save the Planet.

Those of us determined to green our jeans will find that most eco-aware denim is priced at or above $150 a pair. But there are exceptions. Good Society delivers high-style, fair-trade certified organic cotton jeans for about $100. Not only is the styling clean and sharp, but every pair purchased also helps provide fair wages for the workers who produce them in India. When we think about “going green,” we typically focus on reducing our environmental impact. But fair-trade certification also ensures that the people making the products we use are not exploited in the process. This helps to create a web of positive change — a good society, if you will. And for Aiden Dingh, Good Society’s co-founder, it’s not enough to sell clothing that respects both the people who make it and the environment we live in, it’s also essential to make those items affordable. While Sling and Stones, Dingh’s original organic cotton denim line, carries designer prices, Good Society makes eco-chic clothing accessible to a broader audience. You can find the collection at big national retailers like Urban Outfitters and at smaller boutiques across the country. Good Society keeps the good going by giving 10 percent of its profits to environmental causes. They're available here in women's and men's styles.

Other Affordable, Eco-Friendly Denim Options:

Arizona Jeans
Arizona’s new eco-collection is available at J.C. Penney. Instead of tossing the cotton that’s left over from the cotton mill in a landfill, Arizona Jeans recycles it into jeans that retail for around $40 per pair. The company does the same thing with T-shirts, incorporating 60 percent recycled cotton.

Levis
Levis keeps it green with its 100 percent organic cotton Levis Eco denim collection featuring boot cut, straight, and slim cuts for men and women with prices that hover around $68 per pair.

Quiksilver
Guys and girls will dig the vibrant, fresh designs that are increasingly made of organic cotton by Quiksilver. From stylish tees to denim jeans, Quiksilver is rapidly introducing eco-friendly products that are sure to be a hit in dorms rooms everywhere.

Adapted from Josh's next book The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget: Save Money. Save Time. Save the Planet.

L to R: Sundance Channel and IFCtv President Evan Shapiro, Host of Eco Trip David De Rothschild, Executive Producer of Eco Trip Colleen Halpin, Executive Producer of The Lazy Environmentalist Dave Metzler, Creator and Star of Green Porno Isabella Rossellini, Host of The Lazy Environmentalist Josh Dorfman and Sundance Channel EVP and GM Laura Michalchyshyn (courtesy of Ecorazzi.com)

I’m currently in Los Angeles to film my new tv show – The Lazy Environmentalist – for Sundance Channel. One thing I’ll say about television crews is that they definitely are not lazy. Mornings begin early and days go long. On the show we put lazy green solutions to the test with professionals, organizations, companies and individuals from all walks of life. The results are frequently surprising and often in one way or another transformative. We’ve also been walking our own talk by finding lazy solutions for greening our roving set. Crew members have all received FilterForGood reusable water bottles and a cooler of water is on site so the crew can stay conveniently hydrated. Plates and utensils are made of corn-based, biodegradable materials. When and where possible vanpooling is encouraged. Though there are few vegetarians on set, we’ve also been eating healthy during lunch and pretty low on the food chain with lots of vegetable dishes available.

The series will begin airing on Sundance Channel on June 16th at 9pm. I think what differentiates this green television show is that some degree of failure is always a possibility in our segments. We really want to see whether green solutions will realistically work for everyday Americans based on the demands and criteria for success that they outline. If cost-effective environmental solutions are what they want, I have to deliver. If it’s style they want, then style is what I have to find a green way to give them. I’m not going to give away the plots. You’ll have to tune in for that but I’m enjoying filming because I believe we’re making a really entertaining television show that is also environmentally informative.

KLV Ledverlichting presents a led tube light of 120 cm long that emits warm white light (product code: KLV-T8-121-WA).

This article shows the measurement results. Many parameters are also found in the Eulumdat file.

See this overview for a comparison with other light bulbs.

Summary measurement data

parameter	meas. result	remark
Color temperature	3747 K	Warm white / neutral white
Luminous intensity Iv	501 Cd	Measured straight underneath the lamp
Illumination modulation index	12 %	Measured straight underneath the lamp. Is a measure for the amount of flickering.
Beam angle	118 deg	118º for the C0-C180 plane (crossing length direction of the tube) and 114º for the C90-C270 plane (length direction). This is virtually the same value.
Power P	17.4 W
Power Factor	0.95	For every 1 kWh net power consumed, there has been 0.3 kVAhr for reactive power.
THD	17 %	Total Harmonic Distortion
Luminous flux	1476 Lm
Luminous efficacy	85 Lm/W
CRI_Ra	75	Color Rendering Index.
Coordinates chromaticity diagram	x=0.3922 and y=0.3857
Fitting	FL-tube	This Tube Light is connected directly to the grid voltage of 230 V AC.
PAR-value	4.3 μMol/s/m2	The number of photons seen by an average plant when it is lit by the light of this light bulb. Value valid at 1 m distance from light bulb.
PAR-photon efficacy	0.7 μMol/s/We	The toal emitted number of photons by this light, divided by its consumption in W. It indicates a kind of efficacy in generating photons.
S/P ratio	1.5	This factor indicates the amount of times more efficient the light of this light bulb is perceived under scotopic circumstances (ow environmental light level).
L x D external dimensions	1198 x 29 mm	External dimensions of the lamp (L = length, without the pins).
L x W luminous area	1134 x 18 mm	Dimensions of the luminous area (used in Eulumdat file). This is equal to the surface on which leds are mounted.
General remarks		The ambient temperature during the whole set of measurements was 23.5-25.5 deg C. The temperature of the lamp gets about 22 degrees hotter than ambient. Warm up effect: during the warm up time the illuminance decreased with 7 % and the consumed power with 3 %. Voltage dependency: the power consumption and illuminance do not vary significantly when the voltage is varied from 200 - 250 V. At the end of this article there is an additional photo of the lamp.
Measurement report (PDF)
Eulumdat file		Right click on icon and save the file.

Overview table

The overview table is explained on the OliNo website. Please note that this overview table makes use of calculations, use this data with care as explained on the OliNo site. E (lux) values are not accurate, when within 5 x 1134 mm ≈ 5700 mm. Within this distance from the lamp, the measured lux values willl be less than the computed values in this overview as the measurements are then within the near field of the lamp.

Eulumdat light diagram

This light diagram below comes from the program Qlumedit, that extracts these diagrams from an Eulumdat file. It is explained on the OliNo site.

The light diagram giving the radiation pattern.

It indicates the luminous intensity around the light bulb. The directions or planes C90-C270 and C0-C180 give the same result.

Illuminance Ev at 1 m distance, or luminous intensity Iv

Herewith the plot of the averaged luminous intensity Iv as a function of the inclination angle with the light bulb.

The radiation pattern of the light bulb.

This radiation pattern is the average of the light output of the light diagram given earlier. Also, in this graph the luminous intensity is given in Cd. These averaged values are used (later) to compute the lumen output.

Intensity data of every measured turn angle at each inclination angle.

This plot shows per inclination angle the intensity measurement results for each turn angle at that inclination angle. There normally are differences in illuminance values for different turn angles. However for further calculations the averaged values will be used. When using the average values per inclination angle, the beam angle can be computed, being 118º-114º depending on the plane looked at (resp. the C0-C180 plane and the C90-C270 plane).

Luminous flux

With the averaged illuminance data at 1 m distance, taken from the graph showing the averaged radiation pattern, it is possible to compute the luminous flux. The result of this computation for this light spot is a luminous flux of 1476 Lm.

Luminous efficacy

The luminous flux being 1476 Lm, and the power of the light bulb being 17.4 W, yields a luminous efficacy of 85 Lm/W.

Electrical properties

A power factor of 0.95 means that for every 1 kWh net power consumed, a reactive component of 0.3 kVAr was needed.

Lamp voltage	230 VAC
Lamp current	79 mA
Power P	14.7 W
Apparent power S	18.2 VA
Power factor	0.95

Of this light bulb the voltage across ad the resulting current through it are measured and graphed.See the OliNo site how this is obtained.

Voltage across and current through the lightbulb

This waveforms have been checked on requirements posed by the norm IEC 61000-3-2:2006 (including up to A2:2009). See also the explanation on the OliNo website.

Harmonics in in the current waveform and checked against IEC61000-3-2:2006

There are no limits for the harmonics for led lighting equipment <= 25 W. The Total Harmonic Distortion of the current is computed as 17 %.

Temperature measurements lamp

Temperature image (overview) of the light bulb.

Hottest spot on the heat sink, measured on masking tape

status lamp	> 2 hours on
ambient temperature	24 deg C
reflected background temperature	24 deg C
camera	Flir BCAM
emissivity	0.95(1)
measurement distance	0.10 m (zoomed image)
IFOVgeometric	0.4 mm
NETD (thermal sensitivity)	100 mK

⁽¹⁾ The emissivity is set at 0.95 which is close to the value of the masking tape that was used. The hottest temperature on the heatsink part of the tube is a bit hotter than warm-to-the-touch.

Color temperature and Spectral power distribution

The spectral power distribution of this light bulb, energies on y-axis valid at 1 m distance.

The measured color temperature is about 3750 K which is warm/neutral white. This color temperature is measured straight underneath the light bulb. Below a graph showing the color temperature for different inclination angles.

Color temperature as a function of inclination angle.

The measurement of CCT is measured for inclination angles up to 70º as beyond that angle the illuminance values are very low (< 5 lux). The beam angle is maximally 118º, meaning a 59º inclination angle. In this area most of the light is present. The variation in correlated color temperature in this area is about 6 %.

PAR value and PAR spectrum

To make a statement how well the light of this light bulb is for growing plants, the PAR-area needs to be determined. See the OliNo website how this all is determined and the explanation of the graph.

The photon spectrum, then the sensitivity curve and as result the final PAR spectrum of the light of this light bulb

parameter	value	unit
PAR-number	4.3	μMol/s/m²
PAR-photon current	12.7	μMol/s
PAR-photon efficacy	0.7	μMol/s/W

The PAR efficiency is 63 % (valid for the PAR wave length range of 400 - 700 nm). So maximally 63 % of the total of photons in the light is effectively used by the average plant (since the plant might not take 100 % of the photons at the frequency where its relative sensitivity is 100 %).

S/P ratio

The S/P ratio and measurement is explained on the OliNo website. Here the results are given.

The power spectrum, sensitivity curves and resulting scotopic and photopic spectra (spectra energy content defined at 1 m distance).

The S/P ratio is 1.5. More info on S/P ratio can be found on the OliNo website

Chromaticity diagram

The chromaticity space and the position of the lamp’s color coordinates in it.

The light coming from this lamp is inside the area designated with class A. This Class A is an area that is defined for signal lamps, see also the OliNo website.

Its coordinates are x=0.3922 and y=0.3857.

Color Rendering Index (CRI) or also Ra

Herewith the image showing the CRI as well as how well different colors are represented (rendered). The higher the number, the better the resemblance with the color when a black body radiator would have been used (the sun, or an incandescent lamp). Practical information and also some critics about the CRI can be found on the OliNo website.

Each color has an index Rx, and the first 8 indexes (R1 .. R8) are averaged to compute the Ra which is equivalent to the CRI.

CRI of the light of this lightbulb.

The value of 75 is (a bit) lower than 80 which is considered a minimum value for indoor usage. Note: the chromaticity difference is 0.001 indicates the distance to the Planckian Locus. There is no norm yet that states what the max deviation from white light is allowed to be. A reference with signal lights as a reference is given in the chromaticity diagram.

Voltage dependency

The dependency of a number of lamp parameters on the lamp voltage is determined. For this, the lamp voltage has been varied and its effect on the following light bulb parameters measured: illuminance E_v [lx], the lamppower P [W] and the luminous efficacy [Lm/W].

Lamp voltage dependencies of certain light bulb parameters, where the value at 230 V is taken as 100 %.

The illuminance and consumed power do not vary significantly when the voltage is varied. When the voltage at 230 V varies with + and - 5 V, then the illuminance varies < 0.1 %, so when abrupt voltage changes occur this effect is not visible in the illuminance output.

Warm up effects

After switch on of a cold lamp, the effect of heating up of the lamp is measured on illuminance E_v [lx], the lamppower P [W] and the luminous efficacy [lm/W].

Effect of warming up on different light bulb parameters. At top the 100 % level is put at begin, and at bottom at the end.

The warm up time is about 30 minutes. During that time the illuminance decreases with 7 % and the consumed power with 3 %.

Measure of flickering

An analysis is done on the measure of flickering of the light output by this light bulb.

The measure of fast illuminance variartion of the light of the light bulb

parameter	waarde	eenheid
Flicker frequency	100.0	Hz
Illumination modulation index	12	%

The illumination modulation index is computed as: (max_Ev - min_Ev) / (max_Ev + min_Ev).

Additional photo

Back side of the tube which is the heat sink

KLV Ledverlichting presents a led tube light of 150 cm long that emits cold white light (product code: KLV-T8-151-A).

This article shows the measurement results. Many parameters are also found in the Eulumdat file.

See this overview for a comparison with other light bulbs.

Summary measurement data

parameter	meas. result	remark
Color temperature	6146 K	Cold white
Luminous intensity Iv	625 Cd	Measured straight underneath the lamp
Illumination modulation index	17 %	Measured straight underneath the lamp. Is a measure for the amount of flickering.
Beam angle	118 deg	118º for the C0-C180 plane (crossing length direction of the tube) and 116º for the C90-C270 plane (length direction). This is virtually the same value.
Power P	22.6 W
Power Factor	0.96	For every 1 kWh net power consumed, there has been 0.3 kVAhr for reactive power.
THD	16 %	Total Harmonic Distortion
Luminous flux	1869 Lm
Luminous efficacy	83 Lm/W
CRI_Ra	76	Color Rendering Index.
Coordinates chromaticity diagram	x=0.3188 and y=0.3353
Fitting	FL-tube	This Tube Light is connected directly to the grid voltage of 230 V AC.
PAR-value	5.7 μMol/s/m2	The number of photons seen by an average plant when it is lit by the light of this light bulb. Value valid at 1 m distance from light bulb.
PAR-photon efficacy	0.8 μMol/s/We	The toal emitted number of photons by this light, divided by its consumption in W. It indicates a kind of efficacy in generating photons.
S/P ratio	2.1	This factor indicates the amount of times more efficient the light of this light bulb is perceived under scotopic circumstances (ow environmental light level).
L x D external dimensions	1500 x 29 mm	External dimensions of the lamp (L = length, without the pins).
L x W luminous area	1435 x 25 mm	Dimensions of the luminous area (used in Eulumdat file). This is equal to the surface on which leds are mounted.
General remarks		The ambient temperature during the whole set of measurements was 23-25 deg C. The temperature of the lamp gets about 22 degrees hotter than ambient. Warm up effect: during the warm up time the illuminance decreased with 9 % and the consumed power with 4 %. Voltage dependency: the power consumption and illuminance do not vary significantly when the voltage is varied from 200 - 250 V. At the end of this article there is an additional photo of the lamp.
Measurement report (PDF)
Eulumdat file		Right click on icon and save the file.

Overview table

The overview table is explained on the OliNo website. Please note that this overview table makes use of calculations, use this data with care as explained on the OliNo site. E (lux) values are not accurate, when within 5 x 1435 mm ≈ 7200 mm. Within this distance from the lamp, the measured lux values willl be less than the computed values in this overview as the measurements are then within the near field of the lamp.

Eulumdat light diagram

This light diagram below comes from the program Qlumedit, that extracts these diagrams from an Eulumdat file. It is explained on the OliNo site.

The light diagram giving the radiation pattern.

It indicates the luminous intensity around the light bulb. The directions or planes C90-C270 and C0-C180 give the same result.

Illuminance Ev at 1 m distance, or luminous intensity Iv

Herewith the plot of the averaged luminous intensity Iv as a function of the inclination angle with the light bulb.

The radiation pattern of the light bulb.

This radiation pattern is the average of the light output of the light diagram given earlier. Also, in this graph the luminous intensity is given in Cd.

These averaged values are used (later) to compute the lumen output.

Intensity data of every measured turn angle at each inclination angle.

This plot shows per inclination angle the intensity measurement results for each turn angle at that inclination angle. There normally are differences in illuminance values for different turn angles. However for further calculations the averaged values will be used.

When using the average values per inclination angle, the beam angle can be computed, being 118º-116º depending on the plane looked at (resp. the C0-C180 plane and the C90-C270 plane).

Luminous flux

With the averaged illuminance data at 1 m distance, taken from the graph showing the averaged radiation pattern, it is possible to compute the luminous flux.

The result of this computation for this light spot is a luminous flux of 1869 Lm.

Luminous efficacy

The luminous flux being 1869 Lm, and the power of the light bulb being 22.6 W, yields a luminous efficacy of 83 Lm/W.

Electrical properties

A power factor of 0.96 means that for every 1 kWh net power consumed, a reactive component of 0.3 kVAr was needed.

Lamp voltage	230 VAC
Lamp current	102 mA
Power P	22.6 W
Apparent power S	23.4 VA
Power factor	0.96

Of this light bulb the voltage across ad the resulting current through it are measured and graphed. See the OliNo site how this is obtained.

Voltage across and current through the lightbulb

This waveforms have been checked on requirements posed by the norm IEC 61000-3-2:2006 (including up to A2:2009). See also the explanation on the OliNo website.

Harmonics in in the current waveform and checked against IEC61000-3-2:2006

There are no limits for the harmonics for led lighting equipment <= 25 W.

The Total Harmonic Distortion of the current is computed as 16 %.

Temperature measurements lamp

Temperature image (overview) of the light bulb. One end is hotter

Hottest spot on the heat sink, measured on masking tape

status lamp	> 2 hours on
ambient temperature	24 deg C
reflected background temperature	24 deg C
camera	Flir BCAM
emissivity	0.95(1)
measurement distance	0.10 m (zoomed image)
IFOVgeometric	0.4 mm
NETD (thermal sensitivity)	100 mK

⁽¹⁾ The emissivity is set at 0.95 which is close to the value of the masking tape that was used.

The hottest temperature on the heatsink part of the tube is a bit hotter than warm-to-the-touch.

Color temperature and Spectral power distribution

The spectral power distribution of this light bulb, energies on y-axis valid at 1 m distance.

The measured color temperature is about 6150 K which is cold white.

This color temperature is measured straight underneath the light bulb. Below a graph showing the color temperature for different inclination angles.

Color temperature as a function of inclination angle.

The measurement of CCT is measured for inclination angles up to 70º as beyond that angle the illuminance values are very low (< 5 lux).

The beam angle is maximally 118º, meaning a 59º inclination angle. In this area most of the light is present. The variation in correlated color temperature in this area is about 7 %.

PAR value and PAR spectrum

To make a statement how well the light of this light bulb is for growing plants, the PAR-area needs to be determined. See the OliNo website how this all is determined and the explanation of the graph.

The photon spectrum, then the sensitivity curve and as result the final PAR spectrum of the light of this light bulb

parameter	value	unit
PAR-number	5.7	μMol/s/m²
PAR-photon current	17.0	μMol/s
PAR-photon efficacy	0.8	μMol/s/W

The PAR efficiency is 65 % (valid for the PAR wave length range of 400 - 700 nm). So maximally 65 % of the total of photons in the light is effectively used by the average plant (since the plant might not take 100 % of the photons at the frequency where its relative sensitivity is 100 %).

S/P ratio

The S/P ratio and measurement is explained on the OliNo website. Here the results are given.

The power spectrum, sensitivity curves and resulting scotopic and photopic spectra (spectra energy content defined at 1 m distance).

The S/P ratio is 2.1.

More info on S/P ratio can be found on the OliNo website.

Chromaticity diagram

The chromaticity space and the position of the lamp’s color coordinates in it.

The light coming from this lamp is inside the area designated with class A. This Class A is an area that is defined for signal lamps, see also the OliNo website.

Its coordinates are x=0.3188 and y=0.3353.

Color Rendering Index (CRI) or also Ra

Herewith the image showing the CRI as well as how well different colors are represented (rendered). The higher the number, the better the resemblance with the color when a black body radiator would have been used (the sun, or an incandescent lamp). Practical information and also some critics about the CRI can be found on the OliNo website.

Each color has an index Rx, and the first 8 indexes (R1 .. R8) are averaged to compute the Ra which is equivalent to the CRI.

CRI of the light of this lightbulb.

The value of 76 is (a bit) lower than 80 which is considered a minimum value for indoor usage.

Note: the chromaticity difference is 0.0004 indicates the distance to the Planckian Locus. There is no norm yet that states what the max deviation from white light is allowed to be. A reference with signal lights as a reference is given in the chromaticity diagram.

Voltage dependency

The dependency of a number of lamp parameters on the lamp voltage is determined. For this, the lamp voltage has been varied and its effect on the following light bulb parameters measured: illuminance E_v [lx], the lamppower P [W] and the luminous efficacy [Lm/W].

Lamp voltage dependencies of certain light bulb parameters, where the value at 230 V is taken as 100 %.

The illuminance and consumed power do not vary significantly when the voltage is varied.

When the voltage at 230 V varies with + and - 5 V, then the illuminance varies < 0.1 %, so when abrupt voltage changes occur this effect is not visible in the illuminance output.

Warm up effects

After switch on of a cold lamp, the effect of heating up of the lamp is measured on illuminance E_v [lx], the lamppower P [W] and the luminous efficacy [lm/W].

Effect of warming up on different light bulb parameters. At top the 100 % level is put at begin, and at bottom at the end.

The warm up time is about 30 minutes. During that time the illuminance decreases with 9 % and the consumed power with 4%.

Measure of flickering

An analysis is done on the measure of flickering of the light output by this light bulb.

The measure of fast illuminance variartion of the light of the light bulb

parameter	waarde	eenheid
Flicker frequency	100.0	Hz
Illumination modulation index	17	%

The illumination modulation index is computed as: (max_Ev - min_Ev) / (max_Ev + min_Ev).

Additional photo

Closeup of the leds

Filed under: Transportation Alternatives, USA

Amtrak has long been the red-headed step-child of the American transportation system and has been an almost continuous money loser since its inception in the early-1970s. 2010, though, has so far been a very good year for Amtrak. Over the first six months of the fiscal year (which started in October), 4.3 percent more people have ridden the rails in America than in the previous year.

During March 2010, traffic was up by 13.5 percent compared to the same month in 2009. Ridership on the high-speed Acela train in the northeast corridor has been up by 14.3 percent. If the current trend continues through September, Amtrak will set an all-time ridership record. All of these numbers are good news for Amtrak, since the passenger rail company is currently pitching Congress for $446 million in additional funding to help modernize its fleet of locomotives with more efficient units. More riders and cleaner engines? Sounds like a win-win.

[Source: Amtrak]

Continue reading Amtrak could set ridership record in 2010

Amtrak could set ridership record in 2010 originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 09 Apr 2010 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Lightweight

Carbon fiber has long been heralded as a wonder material for the automotive industry due to its inherent strength and light weight. Despite this favorable strength-to-weight ratio and the fact that it's now been around for decades in one form or another, the composite has yet to see widespread use in our cars and trucks. There are a number of reasons for this, including the well-known duo of cost and manufacturing difficulties.

With the backing of BMW, though, it seems that the time may finally have come for carbon fiber to come to the fore of automotive technologies. Now, another German company, automotive supplier ZF, is looking to get in on the front line of composite technology with a new carbon fiber MacPherson strut assembly.

According to the manufacturer, this new suspension component cuts up to nine pounds at each corner through the use of an integrated wheel carrier, a piston rod of carbon fiber, a fiberglass spring (seen on cars such as the Corvette for years) and a plastic top mounting plate. While this unit is initially designed for the upcoming wave of small cars, ZF says the technology can be applied to larger offerings as well.

[Source: Automobile Magazine]

ZF designs carbon fiber MacPherson strut assembly, could cut 36 pounds from each car originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 09 Apr 2010 10:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rotterdam , 2 April 2010 – Greenpeace activists have chained themselves to the mooring ropes of a ship carrying an illicit cargo of whale meat to prevent it leaving the port of Rotterdam bound for Japan . The meat, from 13 endangered fin whales, is being stored in seven containers onboard the container ship NYK ORION, and is in transit from Iceland . Greenpeace is calling on the authorities to seize the containers.

“The Netherlands has to be clear about its position. Does it want to have a hand in the transit of illicit whale meat?” asks Pavel Klinckhamers, Greenpeace oceans campaigner. “We want to send a clear message. If the Netherlands is involved in whale trade, it is jointly responsible for the unacceptable downfall of this endangered species.”

The fin whale can grow to 27 meters in length and is the second largest whale, less than 50.000 are estimated to remain in the North Atlantic . The international trade in fin whales and other whales is banned under CITES - the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna. The Netherlands is one of the 175 signatories to this treaty. Japan and Iceland refuse to comply with CITES and continue to trade in whale meat.

This June, nations gathering at the International Whaling Committee (IWC) will decide the future of the whales. Instead of guaranteeing the fin and other whales long-term protection, the IWC may overturn its moratorium on commercial whaling, legitimizing whaling nations’ hunts. “The Netherlands must confiscate this shipment and set an example to other countries who want to protect the whales and not the whalers,” continued Klinckhamers. “Action speaks louder than words.”

On Monday, the Icelandic government released the findings of a study[1] into the economic viability of whaling, which supports ongoing whaling based on logic that less whales will mean higher quotas for commercial fisheries. In doing so, the Icelandic government is undermining its credibility as a nation with relatively responsible fisheries management. The report does recommend reassessing the decision to continue whaling should it have negative impacts on the nation's image. Greenpeace is working to stop Iceland ’s illicit whale trade and change the Icelandic government's position.

Two Greenpeace activists are currently on trial in Japan for acting to expose major corruption in the Japanese government funded whaling programme. Greenpeace believes that Japan should not be rewarded for decades of reprehensible behaviour at the IWC and in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. Instead, the Commission should demand that the Japanese government reopen the official investigation into the Greenpeace allegations.[2]

For more information, contact:

Arja Helmig, Greenpeace Netherlands Communications +31 6 2503 1012 Pavel Klinckhamers, Greenpeace Oceans Campaigner, +31 6 2900 1153

Steve Smith, Greenpeace International Communications, +31 6 4378 7359

NOTES:

1.) The Icelandic government report can be found here: http://www.sjavarutvegsraduneyti.is/frettir/frettatilkynningar/nr/10007 and an English translation is available upon request.

2.) For more information about Greenpeace’s efforts to expose the corruption behind Japanese whaling and the resulting legal case in Japan , visit http://www.greenpeace.org/tokyo-two

Election time is here again © CC Rodrigo Ono

And we're off! The election campaign is officially underway, although in practice it's been rumbling away for months. Listening to the news over the past few days, the political commentators seem certain that it's currently anyone's guess as to who will form the next government: Labour, the Tories or (whisper it) a coalition.

This uncertainty is no bad thing. For a start, it makes the process much more interesting, but it also means that with no party certain of victory, constituents have a chance to influence their parliamentary candidates' stances on various issues, particularly if they're in one of the key marginal constituencies which will decide the election. It's not a fair system but for the time being, we have to work with what we've got.

Greenpeace briefing:
Balancing the books: we've found £32bn in immediate public spending cuts that would do us all a favour

This is where you come in, as this is the perfect opportunity to get climate change high up on the agenda. Contact your parliamentary candidates and ask them what they're stance on climate change is and, if they haven't already, if they'll make a public statement outlining their commitments on the issue. We've made it really easy to find your candidates - find yours now.

All three main party leaders have pledged to tackle rising emissions so it shouldn't be hard for your candidates to do likewise. The economy is what everyone's talking about so will the next government work on recovery which is rich with investment in green technologies and the accompanying jobs? Britain’s energy, transport and housing stock needs huge investment for a low carbon overhaul. Cuts need to be made in wasteful projects such as replacing Trident nuclear weapons - £97bn is earmarked for that so imagine what could be achieved if that was diverted into renewable energy development?

We're working together with many other organisations including RSPB, WWF, Oxfam and Christian Aid as Ask The Climate Question to make climate change a key election issue, so you'll be one of thousands of people contacting your candidates. In the most contested constituencies, we're mobilising voters to ask their candidates climate questions on their doorstep and organising local Question Time events with local candidates. Find out if you're in one of those areas and get involved!

We’ll be looking out for commitments in party manifestos, TV party leaders debates and we’ll keep you up to date on progress made. We also want to hear about any public commitments made by candidates in your area so when you see their election leaflets, let us know what they’re saying on climate change.

And don't forget to write to your candidates. With your help we'll keep the pressure on up to election day.

Ask your candidates the climate question »

Ask them if they think it's a good idea to spend £97bn on new nuclear weapons »

Visit the Ask The Climate Question website for lots more information »

A fin whale from the air © CC Sabine's Sunbird

If you’ve been able to dig your way out of mountains of (Nestle-free, naturally) Easter chocolate you may just have noticed this rather fine piece of direct action in Rotterdam. Our activists intercepted a shipment of whale meat – endangered fin whale meat, to be precise – en route from Iceland to Japan.

This shipment is 'technically not illegal', because Iceland and Japan have taken out reservations to the international agreement banning the trade in this species. A bit like having an opt-out clause on which laws you don’t recognise or which taxes you don’t agree with paying, really. (It’s the same sort of loophole that lets Japan kill whales in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.)

It’s an interesting parallel to the interception of a whale meat shipment by Junichi & Toru, the Tokyo Two, in Japan. Junichi and Toru were held for 26 days, and now face possible imprisonment for their actions exposing the scandal. In Rotterdam the endangered whale meat has been taken off the container ship, and our activists have all been released.

What makes these stories all the more scandalous is that anti-whaling countries are increasingly being shown to be complicit in ongoing whaling. For years we have said that pro-conservation governments like Australia, and the UK are simply not doing enough to fight the vast amount of resources and energy that the pro-whalers are investing in keeping the whaling industry alive. Now we are seeing that in a whole new light.

Last month DNA testing showed whale meat was being served up as sushi in a US restaurant. This weekend we have seen that the Netherlands is a pit-stop for the trade in endangered whale meat. And whilst the governments of Japan, Iceland and their allies are standing firm, arguing for expansions in their whaling operations, we see countries like the US and New Zealand apparently keen to compromise to end the ongoing impasse on the whaling issue internationally. The compromise they seem to prefer is giving the pro-whalers some concessions, which would allow whaling to continue.

Whilst it’s true that for many of us the ongoing political whaling saga is a tiresome one, is it right to just let such a major conservation victory be frittered away? Are things a bit better now? I mean all the whalers bandy the word ‘sustainable’ around at every opportunity…?

The truth is that international measures to protect species are few and weak. The moratorium on whaling was a milestone, and for many of the species concerned, an urgent necessity. There are many, many other marine species in dire peril at the hands of humanity too – and we are being very slow and ineffectual at adding them to any protected lists. A quick look at last month’s CITES debacle will show you what I mean.

Since commercial whaling was banned our understanding of many things has increased, not least being better understanding through DNA evidence about the likely former abundance of whales. We also know much more about the other impacts we are having on whales and the marine world: climate change, ship strikes, net entanglement, food depletion, military sonar and many others.

The International Whaling Commission has also presided over the extinction of a species – the Baiji.

Meanwhile, there’s still no doubt that the commercial exploitation of wild animals can, and does, lead to disaster for the animals themselves. Something as true of bluefin tuna as it is of blue whales.

And that’s without even touching on the fact that there is simply no humane way to kill a fast-moving marine mammal.

There’s one thing we can, and should do immediately*, to help ensure whale populations survive and thrive. And that, quite simply, is to stop hunting them. Our governments need to fight fire with fire, not complicity and complacency.

Take Action! Join the whale trial pledge »

(*I argue this at greater length here, if you want to check it out.)

Geothermal heating process is widely used from Roman times as it is way of heating buildings. By utilizing sources of hot water and hot steams which exist near the earth's surface. Where such resources of geothermal are available, it is possible to distributes hot water or steam to multiple buildings. This technique is used throughout the world in location such as Reykjavik, Iceland and Boise, Idaho, USA which is known as District Heating.

Now days the term Geothermal heating has frequently been used to refer to the heating and cooling that can be achieved through the use of Geothermal Heat Pump.

Closed Loop System in which the fluid circulates through the loops fields' pipes. There is no correct interaction between the fluid and the earth. There is heat transfer only across the pipe. There are different kind of closed loop such as vertical, horizontal, slinky and Pond.

Vertical Closed Loop Field: This loop is composed of pipes that run vertically in the ground. Where hole is bored in the ground, normally 150 to 250 feet deep in to the ground with a U shaped loop placed inside the hole. A vertical loop being used when there is a limited square footage of land available.

Horizontal Closed Loop: This loop is composed of pipes that run horizontally in the ground. A long trench being dug which is deeper than the frost line, where dug and U shaped coils are placed horizontally inside the same trench. A trench which is made for horizontal loop is similar to slinky loop field. The width of loop strictly depends on the how many loops installed. Horizontal loop fields are very common. Horizontal loop are economical if there is adequate land available.

Slinky Closed Loop: This loop field is also in Horizontal orientation, in this pipes are overlay each other. Very easy way of picturing Slinky fields is to imagine holding a slinky on the top and bottom with your hand and then move your hands in opposite directions. Slinky Closed Loop being used when there is not sufficient space to install horizontal system.

Closed pond loop: Closed Looping has been becoming increasingly popular. It is achieved by placing coils of pipe at the bottom of an appropriately sized pond or water source. Closed Loops system has been promoted by the DNR (Department of Natural Resources); who support geothermal systems and the use of ponds for geothermal systems. Closed Loop field is for a 12-ton system, it is unusually large for most residential applications. A pond loop is extremely similar to a slinky loop, except that it is attached to a frame and located in a body of water versus soil.

Related posts:

1. Horizontal Installed Loop Field
2. Horizontal Closed Loop
3. 18 10slinky Closed Loop Field

Research is constantly being done on global warming. The research is being done by studying statistics and by going directly to the source. Various scientists are coming up with different answers to the most basic questions about global warming.

Some scientists studying global warming in the Arctic have discovered thinning sea ice near the northern reaches of Alaska. The summer of 2007 showed the least sea ice since sea ice was first tracked in 1979. Scientists participating in the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's Gyre Exploration Project cruised aboard the Canadian Coast Guard's ship, the Icebreaker, to see the effects of global warming for themselves.

When they reached the area where ice would usually be the thickest and heaviest, the ship sailed right through. When they did see ice, it was in a state of disintegration because of global warming. Most of the ice remaining was young ice, which is more vulnerable to thaw. The scientists took their data home to analyze during the colder months.

Another group, with the Arctic Modeling Group and the IJIS Research Group, set sail along the Alaskan coast in the Chukchi Sea. Their mission was to study different variables of the ocean water that might affect phytoplankton. They found that the water was warmer than the satellite statistics. The satellite showed 10 degrees Celsius, while their measurements showed 14 degrees Celsius. This is an example of global warming.

One study was done linking the Russian peat bogs with global warming. The bogs produce a large amount of methane gas. According to carbon dating that was done, this has been the case since the last ice age. Since methane is one of the greenhouse gases, this impacts global warming.

However, the studies also show that the peat bogs absorb carbon dioxide at an impressive rate. They contain the largest carbon stores on the planet. If the peat bogs dry up due to global warming, they would release this carbon dioxide into the air. The trade-off of carbon dioxide for methane would not be a good one, since methane stays in the atmosphere a shorter time.

Researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography have been busy proving that humans bear some culpability for the climate change in the oceans. They have done this both by observing and noting evidence, and by constructing computer models.

The computer models are based on the evidence that they do have, so they are thought to be quite accurate. With all the data in place, the evidence seems to point to definite global warming events. It also makes it clear that humans have played a part in causing this phenomenon.

An MIT professor has studied the effects of warming waters on hurricanes over the last fifty years. He studied statistics from past storms and generated computer models to test his theory. His specialty is meteorology, so his take on global warming is of interest. He found that the hurricanes have indeed been getting stronger since 1970.

Research is important to the field of global warming studies. It is only by knowing the problem in precise detail that people can adequately confront it.

Related posts:

1. How And Why You Should Research Global Warming
2. The History Of The Movement To Stop Global Warming
3. The Ipcc Reports On Global Warming

There’s just three weeks left before we finalise the deed of trust for Airplot; the names of all Airplotters will be included, and everyone will be issued with a certificate of beneficial ownership. If you're not signed up yet, now's the time. If you are, then please ask your friends and family to join the plot, along with Greenpeace, Emma Thompson, Alistair McGowan and Zac Goldsmith and 77,500 other people!

By the time the deeds are finalised on May 1st, we aim to have 100,000 airplotters. We need your help to achieve this, so that the next UK government gets the message: that it's answerable to a huge body of people that oppose Heathrow's third runway.

In case you don't know, Airplot is our small piece of land in the village of Sipson, on the edge of Heathrow Airport. If Heathrow expands, Sipson and the surrounding area would be destroyed, and the airport would become the single biggest source of climate pollution in the country. If a new government supports this plan, we will challenge the proposals through the planning system and are prepared to take peaceful direct action to stop the runway.

The campaign has gone from strength to strength in recent months thanks to the support of thousands of supporters and airplotters, and a wide range of organisations and local community groups. Last month we won a major victory for the campaign, with the government dealt a huge blow by the High Court over its decision to support a third runway at Heathrow. This is great news, but there's still work to be done. We won't rest until the government permanently and categorically rules out construction of a third runway.

Please help us grow the Airplot community and overturn the runway plans for good.  Once the Airplot deeds have been signed, that's it – they can't be reopened. So not only make sure you're part of the plot – but bring along everyone you know too. Together we can defend the Airplot and the climate!

What can you do? Here are some ideas:

Get all your family to sign up!

Invite your friends to www.airplot.org.uk

Post it on Facebook, or repost from our Facebook page.

Tweet it, or retweet our Airplot posts from @greenpeaceuk

Filed under: Emerging Technologies

Australian develops new type of continuously variable transmission originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 09 Apr 2010 08:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Luminesense presents 2×120cm led tube lights in a built in luminary.

This article shows the measurement results. Many parameters are also found in the Eulumdat file.

See this overview for a comparison with other light bulbs.

Summary measurement data

parameter	meas. result	remark
Color temperature	4217 K	Neutral white
Luminous intensity Iv	1097 Cd	Measured straight underneath the lamp
Illumination modulation index	20 %	Measured straight underneath the lamp. Is a measure for the amount of flickering.
Beam angle	101 deg	101º for the C0-C180 plane (crossing length direction of the tube) and 100º for the C90-C270 plane (length direction). This is virtually the same value.
Power P	49.1 W
Power Factor	0.95	For every 1 kWh net power consumed, there has been 0.3 kVAhr for reactive power.
THD	10 %	Total Harmonic Distortion
Luminous flux	3140 Lm
Luminous efficacy	64 Lm/W
CRI_Ra	72	Color Rendering Index.
Coordinates chromaticity diagram	x=0.3721 and y=0.3751
Fitting	FL-tube	This Tube Light is connected directly to the grid voltage of 230 V AC.
PAR-value	9.6 μMol/s/m2	The number of photons seen by an average plant when it is lit by the light of this light bulb. Value valid at 1 m distance from light bulb.
PAR-photon efficacy	0.6 μMol/s/We	The toal emitted number of photons by this light, divided by its consumption in W. It indicates a kind of efficacy in generating photons.
S/P ratio	1.6	This factor indicates the amount of times more efficient the light of this light bulb is perceived under scotopic circumstances (ow environmental light level).
L x W x H external dimensions	1195 x 295 x 97 mm	External dimensions of the lamp.
L x W luminous area	1150 x 250 mm	Dimensions of the luminous area (used in Eulumdat file). This is equal to the total of openings of the reflector at the front behind which the two led tubes are situated.
General remarks		The ambient temperature during the whole set of measurements was 24.5 deg C. The temperature of the lamp gets about 14 degrees hotter than ambient. Warm up effect: during the warm up time the illuminance decreased with 7 % and the consumed power with 4 %. Voltage dependency: the power consumption and illuminance do not vary significantly when the voltage is varied from 200 - 250 V.
Measurement report (PDF)
Eulumdat file		Right click on icon and save the file.
IES file		Right click on icon and save the file.

Overview table

The overview table is explained on the OliNo website.

Please note that this overview table makes use of calculations, use this data with care as explained on the OliNo site. E (lux) values are not accurate, when within 5 x 1150 mm ≈ 5800 mm. Within this distance from the lamp, the measured lux values willl be less than the computed values in this overview as the measurements are then within the near field of the lamp.

Eulumdat light diagram

This light diagram below comes from the program Qlumedit, that extracts these diagrams from an Eulumdat file. It is explained on the OliNo site.

The light diagram giving the radiation pattern.

It indicates the luminous intensity around the light bulb. The direction or plane C90-C270 (along the length direction of the tube) emits a lot less light to the sides than does the C0-C180 (crossing the length direction of the tube).

Illuminance Ev at 1 m distance, or luminous intensity Iv

Herewith the plot of the averaged luminous intensity Iv as a function of the inclination angle with the light bulb.

The radiation pattern of the light bulb.

This radiation pattern is the average of the light output of the light diagram given earlier. Also, in this graph the luminous intensity is given in Cd. These averaged values are used (later) to compute the lumen output.

Intensity data of every measured turn angle at each inclination angle.

This plot shows per inclination angle the intensity measurement results for each turn angle at that inclination angle. There normally are differences in illuminance values for different turn angles. However for further calculations the averaged values will be used. When using the average values per inclination angle, the beam angle can be computed, being 100-101º depending on the plane looked at (resp. the C90-C270 plane and the C0-C180 plane).

Luminous flux

With the averaged illuminance data at 1 m distance, taken from the graph showing the averaged radiation pattern, it is possible to compute the luminous flux. The result of this computation for this light spot is a luminous flux of 3140 Lm.

Luminous efficacy

The luminous flux being 3140 Lm, and the power of the light bulb being 49.1 W, yields a luminous efficacy of 64 Lm/W.

Electrical properties

A power factor of 0.95 means that for every 1 kWh net power consumed, a reactive component of 0.3 kVAr was needed.

Lamp voltage	230 VAC
Lamp current	224 mA
Power P	49.1 W
Apparent power S	51.6 VA
Power factor	0.95

Of this light bulb the voltage across ad the resulting current through it are measured and graphed. See the OliNo site how this is obtained.

Voltage across and current through the lightbulb

This waveforms have been checked on requirements posed by the norm IEC 61000-3-2:2006 (including up to A2:2009). See also the explanation on the OliNo website.

Harmonics in in the current waveform and checked against IEC61000-3-2:2006

There are limits for the harmonics for lighting equipment > 25 W. This result shows that for one frequency it is beyond the limit. However this can be because the used voltage was not according to IEC norm but has too many harmonics.

Harmonics in the used lamp voltage

As the lamp unit has only slightly more harmonics than the norm prescribes, and as the used voltage is not fulfilling the norm’s limits on harmonics but goes beyond, it is assumed that the lamp unit might very well stay within the IEC harmonic content limits if a clean enough voltage was used. Therefore the result shown should be considered as an indicator.

The Total Harmonic Distortion of the current is computed as 10 %.

Temperature measurements lamp

Temperature image of the reflector, measured on masking tape

Hottest spot on the tube itself, measured on masking tape

status lamp	> 2 hours on
ambient temperature	24 deg C
reflected background temperature	24 deg C
camera	Flir BCAM
emissivity	0.95(1)
measurement distance	0.20 m
IFOVgeometric	0.7 mm
NETD (thermal sensitivity)	100 mK

⁽¹⁾ The emissivity is set at 0.95 which is close to the value of the masking tape that was used.

The hottest temperature on the tube is warm-to-the-touch.

Back side the power supply unit is well visible, leaving hot marks

Color temperature and Spectral power distribution

The spectral power distribution of this light bulb, energies on y-axis valid at 1 m distance.

The measured color temperature is about 4225 K which is neutral white.

This color temperature is measured straight underneath the light bulb. Below a graph showing the color temperature for different inclination angles.

Color temperature as a function of inclination angle.

The measurement of CCT is measured for inclination angles up to 55º as beyond that angle the illuminance values are very low (< 5 lux).

The beam angle is maximally 101º, meaning a 50.5º inclination angle. In this area most of the light is present. The variation in correlated color temperature in this area is about 1 %.

PAR value and PAR spectrum

To make a statement how well the light of this light bulb is for growing plants, the PAR-area needs to be determined. See the OliNo website how this all is determined and the explanation of the graph.

The photon spectrum, then the sensitivity curve and as result the final PAR spectrum of the light of this light bulb

parameter	value	unit
PAR-number	9.6	μMol/s/m²
PAR-photon current	27.5	μMol/s
PAR-photon efficacy	0.6	μMol/s/W

The PAR efficiency is 64 % (valid for the PAR wave length range of 400 - 700 nm). So maximally 64 % of the total of photons in the light is effectively used by the average plant (since the plant might not take 100 % of the photons at the frequency where its relative sensitivity is 100 %).

S/P ratio

The S/P ratio and measurement is explained on the OliNo website. Here the results are given.

The power spectrum, sensitivity curves and resulting scotopic and photopic spectra (spectra energy content defined at 1 m distance).

The S/P ratio is 1.6.

More info on S/P ratio can be found on the OliNo website.

Chromaticity diagram

The chromaticity space and the position of the lamp’s color coordinates in it.

The light coming from this lamp is inside the area designated with class A. This Class A is an area that is defined for signal lamps, see also the OliNo website.

Its coordinates are x=0.3721 and y=0.3751.

Color Rendering Index (CRI) or also Ra

Herewith the image showing the CRI as well as how well different colors are represented (rendered). The higher the number, the better the resemblance with the color when a black body radiator would have been used (the sun, or an incandescent lamp). Practical information and also some critics about the CRI can be found on the OliNo website. Each color has an index Rx, and the first 8 indexes (R1 .. R8) are averaged to compute the Ra which is equivalent to the CRI.

CRI of the light of this lightbulb.

The value of 78 is (a bit) lower than 80 which is considered a minimum value for indoor usage.

Note: the chromaticity difference is 0.0018 indicates the distance to the Planckian Locus. There is no norm yet that states what the max deviation from white light is allowed to be. A reference with signal lights as a reference is given in the chromaticity diagram.

Voltage dependency

The dependency of a number of lamp parameters on the lamp voltage is determined. For this, the lamp voltage has been varied and its effect on the following light bulb parameters measured: illuminance E_v [lx], the lamppower P [W] and the luminous efficacy [Lm/W].

Lamp voltage dependencies of certain light bulb parameters, where the value at 230 V is taken as 100 %.

The illuminance and consumed power do not vary significantly when the voltage is varied.

When the voltage at 230 V varies with + and - 5 V, then the illuminance varies < 0.1 %, so when abrupt voltage changes occur this effect is not visible in the illuminance output.

Warm up effects

After switch on of a cold lamp, the effect of heating up of the lamp is measured on illuminance E_v [lx], the lamppower P [W] and the luminous efficacy [lm/W].

Effect of warming up on different light bulb parameters. At top the 100 % level is put at begin, and at bottom at the end.

The warm up time is about 20 minutes. During that time the the illuminance decreases with 7 % and the consumed power with 4 %.

Measure of flickering

An analysis is done on the measure of flickering of the light output by this light bulb.

The measure of fast illuminance variartion of the light of the light bulb

parameter	waarde	eenheid
Flicker frequency	100.1	Hz
Illumination modulation index	20	%

The illumination modulation index is computed as: (max_Ev - min_Ev) / (max_Ev + min_Ev).

Images via Demarco Architecture Outdoor art galleries can do more than just house beautiful creations. They can also be a way to promote sustainability and renewable power. DeMarco Architecture came up with the Solar Blossom, a proposal for a pop up art gallery that is powered by solar and is inspired by the Bluebonnet flower. With a subtle curve that creates a lovely space for visitors to view art, as well as a surface area that collec...Read the full story on TreeHugger

Anything that encourages public transit is welcome, and these bus stops rounded up on Toxel certainly look inviting. There is something about fruit-shaped stations in Japan; they come in a wide variety of flavours; ...Read the full story on TreeHugger

Engine idling is a significant factor in gasoline engine inefficiency, making up as much as 17% of the fuel consumed in urban driving. To address this, some manufacturers are looking at incorporating hybrid-style technology such as start-stop systems as a way of gathering some of the "low-hanging fruit" of hybrid efficiency for the non-hybrid vehicles in their fleet.

Start-stop (turning off the engine instead of idling at red lights and other times when the car isn't moving) is already a staple of hybrid vehicles. But start-stop technology only costs $300-400 per vehicle, as opposed to the thousands of dollars a full-hybrid version of a vehicle represents.

European and Asian markets have taken to this more readily, while in the US, Mazda has encountered EPA testing regulations that offer no fuel-efficiency credit for their i-stop system. BMW, Smart, Mercedes-Benz, and Mini are also working on adopting this technology to vehicles in their fleets.

via: bnet

image: Mazda 3 i-stop

Japanese company Teijin Ltd has designed an ultra-light concept EV that barely tips the scales at 963 pounds, showcasing technologies and manufacturing methods that shed weight, but, unfortunately, also make the car unsafe to drive.

The PU_PA EV is a two-seater that weighs about half of a normal EV and almost 60 percent less than a smart fortwo, which weighs in at 1,600 pounds.  The designers used techniques like integral molding to reduce the amount of parts to 100, compared to 20,000 parts for a normal EV.  The core structure was made of feather-weight carbon composite material and the interior fabrics were made from biodegradable PET.

The car does run -- it's capable of reaching 35 mph and has a range of about 60 miles -- but it would be illegal to take it on the road.  The polycarbonate resin windshield is half the density of glass, making it weigh less, but also making it unsafe.  Other problems include the headlights not having enough light density and the lack of airbags.

But the point of the car is less about putting it on the road now than inspiring new ways to shed weight in our cars and therefore increase fuel efficiency (electricity or gas).  The designers think that a road-safe version of the PU_PA EV (hopefully with another name) could be ready in five to 10 years.

via TechOn

If you visited EarthFirst last week, you probably noticed something was amiss.

No longer. Today, EarthFirst is introducing a brand new look: brighter, greener, easier to use than before. Our eco future looks better than ever, and we wanted a community to match. Thanks to the WordPress wizardry of fellow green publisher Chris Baskind and his web team, EarthFirst is now as fresh and dynamic as its readers.

If you’re reading this via one of our feeds — in Google Reader, on iGoogle, or some other RSS client — click over to the main site and take a peek.

Faster, simpler, better

The first thing you’ll see is a cleaner, more open look. We’ve simplified the home page to make finding what’s new much easier. There’s a big, colorful features section right up top with the latest articles. Below that, you’ll see what’s still fresh and green. There’s always a cool video and cartoon in the sidebar, and quick links at the bottom to help you find what you need.

One of the biggest changes is in site performance. The old EarthFirst had gotten pretty sluggish. It’s no fun waiting for a page to load — we’re in a hurry, too — so we’ve done some things to make browsing a lot zippier. Hope you notice the difference. We’ll keep an eye on this in the future.

New ways to comment

We’ve never required you register to add your opinions to an EarthFirst article. After all, it’s a hassle to keep up with all the passwords we already have. Why add another?

Along those lines, we’ve adopted the DISQUS (it’s pronounced “discuss”) commenting system. You’ve probably already seen DISQUS-equipped sites around the web. DISQUS allows you to log into EarthFirst, and display your avatar, using many popular online identities. We currently support:

Facebook
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If you don’t have one of these, you can also create a DISQUS ID by registering here. This will also allow you to effortlessly comment at thousands of other blogs and websites — and keep track of those conversations, all in one easy place.

Not interested? That’s fine, too. You’ll find the usual blanks for your name, email address, and website. Comment away, no registration necessary. We will, however, permit authenticated users (people who have logged in through one of the services above) to post their comments to the EarthFirst without waiting for someone to approve their comment. Authenticated comments containing links may still be held for moderation.

Depending on your settings, DISQUS may ask if you’d like to share your comment and our article on Twitter or Facebook. We’d really appreciate this — it helps grow EarthFirst, and gets the word out about green news and causes.

What do you think?

EarthFirst is still a work in progress, and we’ll be adding more content and features to the site through the coming weeks. What would you like to see? A forum, perhaps? Maybe a marketplace, with EarthFirst-reviewed goods worthy of greening your life? Maybe there’s a topic you’d like us to cover in more details.

We want your feedback. Try out the new comment system and sound-off below!

Judging from its launch press release, the Bloom Box “energy server” is the greatest thing since sliced bread.

And perhaps it is. After months of media speculation, Bloom Energy finally took the wraps off its fuel cell technology last week at a press conference featuring such luminaries as California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and former United States Secretary of State Colin Powell. Heavy hitters, to be sure, trotted out to add credence to company’s claim that their new Bloom Box centers will soon provide “clean, reliable, and affordable power 24/7.” Who wouldn’t want that?

What the Bloom Box does

Bloom says its fuel cells convert a number of fuel sources — natural gas or biogas, for instance — into energy through an electrochemical process. This sounds a lot cleaner and sexier than combustion methods of power generation, and Bloom promises to deliver compact 100 kilowatt units in a footprint not much bigger than an automobile parking spot.

The idea is to build decentralized networks of Bloom Boxes, each powering small groups of buildings. Since power transmission is inherently inefficient, the concept moves us one step closer to the nirvana of an “energy internet,” where nodes share and generate energy, not just consume it.

But wait a minute …

With claims like this (and an optimistic launch report by CBS’ 60 Minutes), it’s no surprise that mainstream media reports have been little short of gushing. But not so fast, says Hank Green of the popular CleanTech blog EcoGeek. Despite Bloom Energy’s rosy press release (linked PDF download), there remain some nagging inconsistencies:

The Bloom cell really only runs on one kind of fuel: methane. Where it’s sourced is irrelevant.
The first Bloom energy servers will be ferociously expensive. Claims of quick returns on investment seem unlikely.
Bloom says its cells are even cleaner than renewable sources, such as wind and solar energy. This is patently false.

Hank is still a big fan of Bloom Energy, and we’re looking forward to seeing how this technology develops, too. Read the rest of his comments at EcoGeek. You can see the 60 Minutes Bloom Box report below.

By Ed Mass, President and Founder of Yes It's Organic

We'll look at some numbers in a second but first some personal experience. Yes It's Organic is an online store for organic, fair labor, and eco friendly goods including clothing, organic cotton and organic wool bedding, and other organic and eco textiles. During the fall holiday season of 2008 several of my suppliers actually ran out of stock.

Okay, you may be thinking they didn't do a good job of calculating how much they'd need. Here's the rub. They ordered 100% to 150% more than they did the previous year. That's in a very down economy. Prices of these goods aren't at the very low end of the scale either. I'd say that's great growth.

Remember, this isn't organic food which has gotten a lot of notice. I'm talking about organic and eco friendly textiles including certified organic cotton, certified organic wool, hemp, and bamboo.

It shows an increasing number of people are becoming conscious of the impact on the environment of their everyday purchases. And their willing to make changes.

Now for some interesting numbers. Be patient. You'll be amazed by the conclusion (but don't peak). The amount of organic cotton farmers grew worldwide in 2007/2008 increased 152 percent. This is according to a report by Organic Exchange, title "Organic Cotton Farm and Fiber Report 2008." The report included organic cotton production in 22 countries.

The top ten organic cotton producing countries in order by rank were India, Syria, Turkey, China, Tanzania, USA, Uganda, Peru, Egypt and Burkina Faso. India took over the number one position which Turkey had held for quite some time. The majority of the increased organic cotton production took place in India.

That was the foundation for this next amazing statistic. Organic cotton production has grown to an estimated 0.55 percent of global cotton production. That's all. Even with the above seemingly large increase, and the number of countries growing organic cotton, it's still a tiny fraction of all cotton. That means we've got a very long road, or vast opportunity, to make significant inroads into reducing the huge environmental harm from non-organic cotton farming.

And where does the U.S. stand in regard to its organic cotton production as a percentage of worldwide organic cotton production? According to the Organic Trade Association, it's only 2.1%. That's one reason that U.S. grown organic cotton is sometimes hard to find.

Organic production is based on a system of farming that maintains and replenishes soil fertility without the use of toxic and persistent pesticides and fertilizers or genetically modified seeds.

Announcing Baby Clothing from OBLI Organics

Adorable, Must-See Organic Baby Apparel Just Added To Our Growing Selection

Animal-themed and yoga-inspired, these new baby bodysuits, rompers and sleepwear snuggies in 100% pure, Certified Organic cotton are the latest additions to the baby department.

Intrigued by the surf? Loving hybrids? We've got great new baby and children's apparel to spark your interest from the OBLI Organics Baby Clothing Collection.



Baby bodysuits, children's t-shirts, kimonos, yoga pants, dresses and more! All eco friendly screen-printed on 100% pure, Certified Organic cotton with designs to satisfy your humor and your passions.

Announcing New Organic Women's and Baby Clothes from IDEO - All the Way from France!

Be the first to experience this hot, new, Organic clothing collection from France for women, men and children.

Printed t-shirts and tops in sustainable colors add French flair to your eco wardrobe.

Don't just take it from us, check out the witty new looks in women's clothing and baby apparel, available in the IDEO collection. Just because you want Organic apparel for your family doesn't mean you have to compromise style. These new clothing choices make you smile while promising a cleaner earth.

Regular mopping is a big waste of water because of the constant dirt you’re slinging into the bucket (chagning out the water). It’s also not very efficient because you simply can’t keep a bucket of mop water hot enough to be a super efficient cleaner. With this in mind, folks tend to add chemical cleaners to their bucket of mop water.

In many cases a greener option (beyond a typical mop) is a steam cleaning mop which will get super hot and does save water. However, there are pros and cons.

Pros of steam cleaning mops:

• Use less water than traditional mops.
• Very hot steamy water cleans well so you won’t feel the urge to use chemical cleaners.
• Less work for you – i.e. no changing buckets of water and no wringing out gross mops.
• Can be used to safely clean all types of floors; tiles, wood, marble, slate, and more.

Cons of steam cleaning mops:

• Traditional mops are smaller and take fer materials and resources to manufacture.
• Very few steam mops are made with recycled materials.
• Unlike regular old fashioned mops, there can be ongoing costs – such as the replaceable pads that go on the mop’s end or replaceable water filters.

Choose a greener steam mop:

• Look for the lightest steam mop model you can – lighter = fewer materials.
• A good typical model should heat water in 60 seconds or less and have a good warranty.
• There are a few companies making steam mop with eco-friendly or recycled materials so search around before you buy.
• If your steam mop needs a specific brand of mop pad, try using a reusable, washable microfiber cloth or other washable towel as the mop top instead. This will save money and resources.

One good brand is the HAAN SI-35 Upright Slim Steam Mop (shown above) which cleans sans chemicals and comes with reusable pads vs. non-reusable.

Post from: Blisstree

Steam Mops Save Water & Cut Chemical Use

Green your toilet: Older toilets are considered a major water waster. In recent years toilets have become more water efficient, but if you have an older (not remodeled) home you may want to consider a toilet upgrade. The EPA notes that a good WaterSense labeled toilet can save you $90 per year in reduced water utility bills and $2,000 over the lifetime of the toilet. Also, you may even be able to score a tax credit or rebate for your new toilet which of course allows you to save even more.

Green your cleaning: Most conventional bathroom cleaners are anything but green. Conventional cleaners can be full of chemicals and other icky stuff you shouldn’t be breathing in. You can make homemade green cleaners that work just as well as conventional or choose the best store bought green cleaners you can.

Green your body care products: Switch from chemical body care to natural and organic body care products and cosmetics. It’s not that tough if you make small changes and ease your way into a healthier bathroom. Non-green body products have toxins, chemicals, and weird fragrances and additives that you don’t need. Most green bath and body products have perks like responsible packaging and recycling programs as well. You can save some money and make your own body care products or learn how to choose greener body products.

Green your toilet paper: Aim to find a good recycled brand of toilet paper. You may have a hard time because many brands of recycled toilet paper suck, but the trees you’ll save makes the search worth it. Thus far the best recycled toilet paper I’ve used is the Trader Joe’s brand.

[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Blisstree

4 Ways to Green Your Bathroom

Eventually, Congress will get around to “Immigration Reform.”  The process will be all too predictable.  There will be a lot of huffing and puffing from angry old white men trying to conflate the issue with “National Security” and using “invasion” imagery and thinly veiled racism.  There will be lots of posturing about “getting control of our borders.”  Anyone who puts forward reasonable ideas will be subject to attack from the Right and Left. What will probably be missing from the discussion will be the perspective that in the not too distant future, we will need to be actively competing for immigrants.  We will need to shift from talking about how to limit immigration to how finding ways to encourage it.

Read more of this story »

Part 1 in a series where Krates Ng (co-founder of Mokugift environmental rewards) interviews fellow ecopreneurs.  Today, Krates interviews Brendan Gill of PlentyWays.

1) Why did you start PlentyWays?

We’ve always wanted to create an environmentally focused organization and its really our first opportunity to do that.  At school and college we learned about the climate change issue and it became obvious that this issue is going to form a backdrop to our entire lives.  Its already a crucial matter, but it is only going to grow more and more important over the coming decades.  We wanted to be involved with this issue and to do our bit to help.

2) Is there a story about the name ‘PlentyWays’?

These days its very hard to come up with a name.  Finding something short, simple and with an available web address is difficult so when we finally came up with PlentyWays, we were really satisfied.  The idea behind it is that there are plenty of ways to make a difference.  That’s really our guiding philosophy: through the products we make available, the tips we provide, the services we review, we are trying to show people all the ways in which they can do their bit.

3) What was the toughest challenge in getting your company started and how you got over that?

There was a combination of challenges at the beginning.  It took us a long time to come up with our name, we even tried crowd sourcing it and put up a bounty of $200 we were so stumped, but even that proved fruitless.  The second big challenge was picking out the right products to offer our customers.  There are a lot of green products out there now and the number is increasing by the day.  We had to do a lot of research into what we thought were the most popular ones and would be most useful to our users.  Its a lot of work to then build relationships with the companies that make these products as well, which we are still working on.

4) If you had to pick one company in your lineup, which one would you showcase and why?

When people ask me what they can do to go green, the very first thing I ask them is if they have switched from incandescent bulbs to CFLs.  This is the most simple straightforward thing someone can do which is guaranteed to save both energy and money.  Sometimes it can be a challenge to convince people of a more expensive option that is more ecological, but using CFL bulbs is a complete no brainier.  Also people who are waiting for their current incandescent supply to run out before switching to CFLs - a quick calculation will show you that in almost all situations you should switch straight away.

5) How is PlentyWays going to grow in 2010? And how can other ecopreneurs help?

PlentyWays has huge plans!… We are working extremely hard on our blog, which we are going to focus on helping people to go green.  We will keep our ears to the ground on all the latest environmental apps, services and products and review them on our blog making it easy for budding ecopreneurs to take advantage of them.  We also want to provide some apps of our own.  The first we made was a very simple tool to stay on top of the latest green news, which pulls in news from some of the most popular green-focused websites out there e.g. TreeHugger and NY Times Environment.  We also want to work on a system that can monitor the energy and monetary savings people can make with various green goods.  For example, if someone purchases a few CFL bulbs from us, we would like to use the date they purchased to automatically calculate how much energy savings that has resulted in and the effect on their wallet.  It will probably use an average energy cost and an average figure for daily light usage as default, but would allow people to customize the calculation to their situation by entering their cost per KWHr and average light usage.  Stay tuned to our blog for details on all new features.

SSF Contributor Deborah Barnes reports on her visit to The Fashioning the Future Summit that took place at the Centre For Sustainable Fashion at the London College of Fashion...

The Fashion show last night with student designs was amazing with good tunes and gracious hosts. The show was very professional and a delight with a good soundtrack; we've come a long way from the beige hemp canvas that started it all.

This morning, I caught the underground and navigated to the 'circus' of Oxford Circus. The day started with speakers and then we broke into one of 3 groups. I was in the luxury group and discussed topics like: what is luxury and how do we design it, how it has been appropriated by the likes of Gucci and Louis Vuitton who have democratized it with a fast fashion business model, and how now all that needs further debate....thinker's stuff. I have met and will connect back with some great people and a woman from a college in Scotland...who wants to know more of what we do in Seattle and more about fashionRIP! Yahoo! This has been one of the most exciting sustainable related events I have ever been involved with or even attended as a spectator.

The Sustainable Fashion Centre Summit stimulated a slew of lively discussions on fashion as an ethical economic, socially just and environmentally concerned industry while maintaining fabulous design. The three main topics were divided further into 3 groups per topic and lucky me I was in the lively group. It was a joy to be with so many intelligent, talented, caring and responsibly minded people that I am determined to start this kind of support network here in Seattle. Lucky me, I was in the radical group with Orsula de Castro ("From Somewhere") and Kerry Seagen (Junky Skyline") who coined luxserious - the new luxury...where the technique (craftsmanship ousted as a word formerly abused by media!), quality and personality of the designer outrule the license BS and the rest of the evils of the fast fashion curse. My work in recyCouture goes happily along this line as a matter of course! I feel so validated and "hugged" after this expressive, optimistic, mindful, international event!

Here are 5 reasons to get excited about Wheatware guitar picks and drumsticks:
• They reduce our reliance on foreign oil.
• They’re renewable. We have an abundant surplus of American wheat every year.
• They reduce our need for wood and trees, saving our forests, which help to cool the planet.
• They’re completely natural and non-allergenic.
• They’re biodegradable. If you bury them in the ground, they turn to compost in 90 days.

Wheatware drumsticks deliver all the performance advantages of wood, yet are made of a sustainable material. The Wheatware compostable guitar picks offer an alternative to the millions of plastic picks manufactured each year -- without sacrificing performance. Far from being fragile, Wheatware music products can withstand a musicians' beating. And both products are ultra-functional: the picks come in an easy-to-grip design and the drumsticks are slightly textured to resist slippage.

Here's what Violent Femmes drummer Guy Hoffman has to say: "I checked out Wheatware 5A drumsticks. Love those 5A's. That cored out handle, love it. I think they're incredible. The cored out handle makes obvious the difference in weight between that of the handle and that of the shoulder to the tip of the stick. I like the result in that the stick carries more weight toward the tip. Remarkably, they are biodegradable."

Wheatware™ guitar picks won "Best in Show" in the accessory category at the NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) Show in Austin, Texas on July 29th, and the drum sticks won "Trendsetter Award" at the NAMM show in Nashville, summer 2008. The company donated 272 pairs of Wheatware Compostable drumsticks, 3,240 Wheatware Compostable guitar picks, and 4,100 Wheatware Compostable clothes hangers to Live Earth musicians last year.

Affordably priced, Wheatware Bio-Compostable drumsticks are available in two sizes: 5A and 5B. Wheatware Compostable guitar picks come in three varieties: wedged-light, medium, and heavy. Other Wheatware products include Bio-Compostable hangers, multi-use dishes, drink coasters and golf supplies, as well as reusable Wheatware™ Biomass-75 chopsticks, wasabi dishes and disposable flatware. For more information on Wheatware music products, or any of the products distributed by Wheatware.com, check out:

Adapted from Josh's next book The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget: Save Money. Save Time. Save the Planet.

Today, you can enjoy the freedom of being in the driver’s seat while eliminating all of the expense of owning — or leasing — and maintaining a car by joining a car-share service. Zipcar is leading the way. Available in more than 40 U.S. cities, Zipcar lets members locate cars conveniently parked at designated spots around the city and reserve them for an hourly fee (typically between $10.50 and $16.50). Members arrive at the parking spot, swipe their membership card over the windshield sensor to unlock the door, hop in, and go. There’s no need to pay for gasoline or insurance; Zipcar has got you covered. You won’t sacrifice your ride either; Zipcar lets you choose from models like the BMW 325, Mini Cooper, Honda Fit, Volkswagen Jetta, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic Hybrid, Volvo S40, Mazda 3, and Subaru Outback. According to the company’s surveys, over time Zipcar members reduce their car usage by as much as 50 percent. They always have access to cars, but also become more inclined to walk, bike, take public transit, or hop in a taxi (it’s okay, you won’t go to hell for taking a taxi). As for the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and traffic congestion, Zipcar estimates that each of its cars removes the equivalent of about 15 privately owned vehicles from the road.

Other car-sharing services are popping up across the country. Check out CommunityCar.com when you’re in Madison, Wisconsin; HourCar.org when visiting Minneapolis, Minnesota; and PhillyCarShare.org when hanging in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Car-sharing is proving so popular with people who appreciate the convenience of having a car constantly accessible — without having to ask Mom or Dad for permission to use it — that Enterprise Rent-A-Car, the largest rental car company in the world, has started WeCar, a car-share service currently available in St. Louis, Missouri. Not to be outdone, Hertz recently announced its own car-share program called Connect by Hertz. Car-sharing not only reduces vehicle carbon emissions, but also overall consumption. And since cars typically weigh thousands of pounds and require loads of natural resources to manufacture, eliminating the demand for so many cars without sacrificing your ride puts you in the environmental driver’s seat.

Over the past 20 years, the name “Bono” has become synonymous with charity and social action. Whether it’s campaigning for third-world debt relief or helping to raise awareness about the Aids epidemic, Bono is never afraid to roll up his sleeves and get involved.

In a recent interview at the Pan African Media Conference, Bono explained how he first got involved in Africa. He says:

“My work with Africa started in Dublin in the seventies with the anti-apartheid movement…And then in the eighties we got even more deeply involved when we made a record called, “I Ain’t Gonna Play Sun City.” And we were all campaigning — it was very ‘right on’. That’s where we got to meet my current boss, as I call him, Archbishop Tutu and Nelson Mandela, who really then re-entered my life with the call to debt forgiveness.”

We love it!

If you wanna know more about what Bono is up to in Africa, check out the video below. There’s about 20 minutes of interview awesomeness. Enjoy!