Blogs & Ecology

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WebUrbanist, a great site dedicated to architecture, design, travel and culture, has just announced the launch of their sister site, WebEcoist.

Based on the premise that the natural environment is, not only fundamentally important in practical terms, but also amazingly intriguing in ways many rarely consider, WebEcoist plans to cover a broad range of green issues, but with a twist.

The new environmentally-orientated site commented:

The Organic Food Guide is a short book by the Sproutman, also known as Steve Meyerowitz. Meyerowitz simply writes about the technical and legal aspects of being organic. He also discusses green practices such as all natural, biodynamic and free-range. He gives suggestions about being more locally and globally green. All the green buzzwords that are being tossed around are mentioned in this small book. This book is important for you newbies or old green veterans to read.

New York regulars at Silver Tips Tearoom and buyers of Eco-Prima Tea are from now on purchasing products that are fully carbon neutral. Silver Tips, which sells over 150 kinds of teas online and runs a Tearoom in Tarrytown, signed a partnership with Carbonfund.org recently which completed its process of reducing its carbon footprint to zero.

The tea company is a brilliantly transparent example of how a regular business turns carbon neutral. The company, which runs a wholesale operation -Eco Prima Tea- since 1995 and opened a gourmet tea store four years later, has long been actively trying to reduce its carbon footprint.

Mmmmmmm, hops and then nothing. The flavor seems to disappear after a few sips. At first, you can taste the fruity and hoppy bite. The Tripel is a Belgium style beer, but some may call it Strong Ale. It’s a decent beer, but the flavors seem to just vanish after a few sips. It’s not too summery, however, it is not meant to be. The high alcohol by volume content (ABV) is warming, but may be more suited for a chilly night with your significant other.

European researchers say they have begun to develop fridges that are powered by a 100% alloy which will reduce their energy usage by 50%. In the last 15 years, fridge technology developers have had to consider what option would be the lesser of two evils. Environmentalists alerted them to the harmful side effects of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), the refrigerant chemical, but alternative refrigerants require a lot more energy.

Walking through some trendy shopping district, with seasonal banners/flags above, do you ever wonder where they go after they've been switched out? In most cases, they get disposed of, adding to the waste stream. While it could be argued that these districts could find other creative, less resource intensive ways to promote themselves, one area, Commercial Drive in Vancouver, has taken another path:

Timbuk2 has made amazing bags for years and this year they decided to step up the game and use some green materials. Now, I’m not going to lie, I have been a fan of Timbuk2 for many years. I actually own a laptop messenger and a gadget case (for my iPod) but when I saw they offer PET and hemp bags, I was more than excited!

Timbuk2 always has fun and unique bags, but they have a few distinctive features. Notably is the three-panel design on their messenger bags and their spiral logo.

When the cold weather turns into sunny, warm days, there is really nothing better than sitting down on the balcony sipping an ice cold beer from an ice cold glass. Not all glasses need to be made of glass, however. From the makers of The Chillster, Stop Global Beer Warming created a Chillster pint glass made from PET (recycled plastic) that actually contains the same proprietary ice crystals that The Chillster does but inside the base of the pint glass.

National Geographic looks at human consumption and our impact on earth. There is a look at Milk and the dairy industry.

Part One - Introduction
Part Two - Milk and the Daily Industry

EcoTuesday is a forum for sustainable business leaders to come together to network, collaborate, and engage with one another in a structured environment. Here's how it works: Participants arrive and settle in, taking a few minutes to get a beverage and see old friends and meet new ones. We start the evening with a speaker from one of the many areas of sustainability, who will share news, tips, and information about their area of expertise. The topic is different each month. After the speaker is done, participants have the opportunity to ask questions to gain more information.

It may be putting the cart in front of the horse to figure out how to turn commercial shipping into a green industry when it’s so thoroughly dedicated to moving goods that harm the environment.

Image from jgrantmac on Flickr

Cars, oil and tennis shoes - these are but some of the kinds of cargo exported. Necessary, but nonetheless damaging to the environment - especially when things go wrong. Despite this, there have been some serious innovations in recent years by our seafaring friends.

5. Shark Skins on Freighters

Redefining Progress was one of the first organizations to promote the idea of an "ecological footprint" via a test of sorts that could provide a tangible measurement of one's impact on the globe. The test has now been revised and is a fair bit more sophisticated. In their words:

Wheeling Island Racetrack and Casino has taken the plunge, deciding that in this time of 4.00 gasoline and an economic recession, it would have better luck offering a jackpot of gasoline than cash.

Image from lush.i.ous on Flickr

Of course, this is a casino–so it’s not going to be anything reasonable. The gas comes in a tanker truck, all 9,000 gallons of it.