There was an entire row of exhibitors showing various incarnations of insulated concrete forms (ICFs) with their styrofoam walls and their plastic ties that are filled with concrete and then labelled green. Then there is Durisol, that has been around for half a century. it is made of wood chips and a bit of portland cement, 78% recycled materials, is noncombustible and is the original insulated concrete form. So why is it always ignored?...
Kevin Surace and his company, Serious Materials, have been on TreeHugger before; they invented and are producing EcoRock, a new drywall substitute that generates a fraction of the carbon dioxide released in the production of conventional board. They also make Quietrock, a soundproof drywall where one sheet is equivalent acoustically to eight sheets of regular stuff. They "aim for breakthroughs in product performance, without requiring changes in customer behavior or in how products are used – thus speeding market adoption."
It doesn't look like much, and my photography doesn't help, but for me, this simple product was perhaps the best thing I saw at Greenbuild. But then, I am biased; I like dumb products that just sit there and do their job while reducing our carbon footprints and saving fossil fuels. These are the kinds of innovations that scale, that are accessible and affordable.
Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) are usually known as a sandwich of OSB (oriented strand board) and styrofoam, all glued together to make a structural panel. While they make a very well-insulated, tight wall and are fast, I have worried about their longevity and would have preferred to use a less petroleum-int...
Here is an equation we like:
Waste by-product + modern technology + socially responsible labor = Engineered Timber Resources Products
A great example of what they do is with Mulberry. This tree has been cultivated for thousands of years for silk production, and needs pruning to flourish. the branches are then stripped of their bark for medicinal purposes. And the twigs, as much as 15 tons per hectare? garbage, usually burned for for heat. Enter ETR.
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Last month we kinda roused on END Footwear for making their stripped down eco-focused trail running footwear, and not telling anyone about it. With the launch of their new website last week they’ve cleared that obstacle on the path.
The Baltic Exchange Dry Index or "BDI" (plotted 2001 to present) is considered an economic indicator of future economic growth and production, world wide.
.…an assessment of the price of moving the major raw materials by sea. Taking in 26 shipping routes measured on a timecharter and voyage basis, the index covers Supramax, Panamax, and Capesize dry bulk carriers carrying a range of commodities including coal, iron ore and grain.
Via:Wikipedia, Baltic Dry Index ...
photo/A+R
With retail sales down and expected to continue plummeting, will buyers eschew green products in favor of less-expensive fare? Not if retailers expand their definition of “eco-friendly,” said Andy Griffith, one-half of the team behind the wildly popular A + R stores in Los Angeles, CA.
From an MP3 player from sustainable hardwood to vintage fabric stuffed animals: Find out more about the green gifts Griffith is betting on this season.
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Image source: Bamboosk8
Skateparks, street curbs, park benches and just about anything with a lip is no longer safe - safe from going green that is. Bamboosk8 has developed a shortboard skateboard desk out of 100% bamboo. Not a bit of maple in this deck. For those not familiar with skateboarding or shortboards, what does this mean for sustainable skating and how can you win one of these decks?...
Image source: KLTV
Warning! If you do not want to live in a straw bale house with a living roof and solar panels to power your satellite internet connectivity, DO NOT watch the video over the fold!
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Image: Japan Society
