SciFri: How To Make Biodiesel
By Erin Gallagher
Filed Under Green Living, eCo TV | Leave a Comment
Ever wondered how to beat the ever-rising cost of fuel? Many people over the past few years have pioneered the use of waste vegetable oil (WVO) to make biodiesel. Since it is a recycled material, biodiesel from WVO does not have wreak havoc on the environment or global food supply that ethanol and biodiesel from virgin oil often does. This fuel can be used in modern diesel engines like the Volkswagen Jetta, and older diesels like Mercedes-Benz, with just a few minimal adjustments. The truly amazing thing about biodiesel from WVO is that you can recycle the oil from a local restaurant and make the biodiesel yourself, right in your own garage. In this video, Science Friday features the special recipe for biodiesel. If you’re a nerd at heart, push play and pass the french fries, because you could be on your way to $1 per gallon!
Posted on July 30, 2008 |
Superfood News: Sea Vegetables
By Seth Braun
Filed Under Green Living | 2 Comments
Superfood
A superfood is anything that delivers the power of several foods in one package, such as goji berries, blueberries, bee pollen, maca and cacao. They contain significantly higher levels of vitamins, minerals and other beneficial substances than regular healthy food. Superfoods are much better at filling in the gaps in our diet than vitamin supplements. Whether it is for aiding detoxification, replenishing reserves, improving immune system, increasing sex drive, or generating energy, superfoods make up for the lack of quality, nutrients, and vitality in the commercial food supply.
Sea Vegetables
Also known as seaweed (a really lousy name for such a great array of foods), sea vegetables are medicine for modern people. They are a nutrient-dense, sustainable and abundant food supply that grows around the world. There are a dozen commonly eaten sea vegetables that are not only palatable, but quite tasty. When adding sea vegetables to the diet, remember that they vary greatly in nutrients. Arame, hijiki, dulse, wakame, sea palm, nori, kombu and have taken kelp and bladderwrack make great supplements to any diet.
Continue reading Superfood News: Sea Vegetables…
Posted on July 25, 2008 |
Skate Or Die
By Jenn Breckenridge
Filed Under Green Living, Sustainable Style | 3 Comments
Did you see Gleaming The Cube in ‘89 and wish it could have been you instead of Christian Slater? Do you still own all your back issues of Thrasher and Transworld? Do you see those kids tic-tacing past you on the sidewalk and think, “if only I knew how to skate, my morning commute would be so much cooler?” Regardless of why you may be interested in skating, if you don’t have a board and always wanted one, there’s no time like the present. With most vehicles releasing about 20 pounds of carbon dioxide per gallon of gas used, it’s time to start getting around in a carbon neutral way. In the words of so many skaters before you…skate or die.
Three major eco skateboard companies are out there sourcing sustainable-managed wood, low-impact glues, soy-based resins and more to produce rad boards that rip with the best of ‘em. eCo Times caught up with all three of them: Dan Gesmer of Seismic Skate Systems, Jason Salfi of Comet Skateboards, and Bob Carlson of Arbor.
SEISMIC SKATE SYSTEMS///COMET SKATEBOARDS///ARBOR SKATEBOARDS
Company Founded: 1993///1998///1995
Location of Headquarters: Boulder, CO///Oakland, CA and Ithaca, NY///Venice, CA
Location of Manufacturing: San Diego, Los Angeles, Boulder, CO, and China///Ithaca, NY///San Diego, CA
Product Lines: Wheels, Trucks, Decks and Completes///Skateboards And T-Shirts///Skateboards, Snowboards, and Apparel
Company practices that need improvement: Integrating more green materials in production ///Sourcing raw materials within a 300 mile radius, green commuting by staff, using 100% renewable energy,eliminating scrap instead of just composting it///Using even more eco-friendly glues
What makes your boards eco?
SEISMIC: All of our decks are manufactured using FSC-certified woods. And we’re committed to staying on the cutting edge as green materials and processes become viable for the production of performance-oriented wheels and trucks.
COMET: 100% soy protein based resin, FSC-certified hardwoods, water based paints and inks. They are biodegradable. If you could chew them you could eat them. We compost the scrap.
ARBOR: 100% of the bamboo and wood used in our skates, including the all maple plys, is sustainably sourced and has been since we started making skates 10 years ago. We also use only water-based sealers during production. Further, all risers are made from recycled plastic. Finally, we reclaim and recycle all the wood and bamboo by-product created during construction for use in other Arbor products or by outside companies.
Continue reading Skate Or Die…
Posted on July 21, 2008 |
Food Not Lawns
By Christy Rice
Filed Under Green Living, The Big Picture | 7 Comments
After months of purchasing the same bag of frozen organic strawberries, I recently read the label for the first time: Product of Turkey. Humbled as my presumably small carbon footprint doubled its size, I couldn’t escape this haunting realization, “I’ve never been to Turkey-why should my berries be so fortunate?”
In a nation where a mere 0.3% of land is cultivated for organic farming, petroleum-powered planes and trucks are a requirement in the delivery of my organic goods. After all, I live on a city plot just north of Seattle where most farmland is now cemented. When I heard about the concept of the “urban homestead” though, I realized that those berries could have grown much closer to home.
Take the Dervaes family of Pasadena. Modern society would say they are the exception to self-sustainability; my heart says they’re the rule. Practically having dubbed the term urban homestead, they produce three tons of produce a year from their one-tenth of an acre garden, handcraft their own honey and wine, and bicycle-power their blender. They have a biodiesel truck, solar oven, goats, chickens, and a driveway lined with strawberries. The Dervaes’ slowly began cultivating this property in the mid-80’s, and now own their home and live off of the $25,000 a year they make selling their goods. Certain variables, such as renting a home or apartment-dwelling, could dampen dreams of self-sustainability, but the Dervaes’ emphasize that there are degrees to this lifestyle. Each small step is a significant part of the journey toward urban self-sufficiency.
Continue reading Food Not Lawns…
Posted on July 17, 2008 |
Superfood News: Cacao
By Seth Braun
Filed Under Green Living | 2 Comments
Superfoods
A superfood is anything that delivers the power of several foods in one package. They contain significantly higher levels of vitamins, minerals and other beneficial substances than regular healthy food. Superfoods are much better at filling in the gaps in our diet than vitamin supplements. Whether it is for aiding detoxification, replenishing reserves, improving immune system, increasing sex drive, or generating energy, superfoods make up for the lack of quality, nutrients, and vitality in the commercial food supply.
Raw Cacao
Cacao has been consumed for over 4,000 years, it is also known as “cocoa” or theobroma cacao. This seed of a tropical fruit tree, often referred to as a “bean,” is the most nutrient dense seed in our food supply. Raw Cacao is the number one source of antioxidants in the world; it is higher in antioxidants than acai, goji, blueberry, aronia berry, and every berry drink on the market! Cacao is also the highest food source of magnesium and chromium, which happen to be the top mineral and trace mineral deficiencies. Cacao contains over 400 distinct chemical compounds, making it the most chemically complex food on the planet.
Benefits
- Mood Boosting
Cacao contains phenylethylamine, or PEA. PEA is the famous “love chemical” in chocolate. Basically, the body and mind get really happy from it. - Brain Boosting
Cacao contains flavanols. Flavanols increase blood flow in the brain, according to research by Dr. Ian Macdonald at the University of Nottingham. Add in some theobromine, a mild stimulant, and you have an inexpensive and very enjoyable brain tonic. - Heart Health
Compounds in cacao reduce blood pressure, increase flexibility in arteries, reduce bad cholesterol, and open up blood flow in all systems. Magnesium, which cacao has more of than any other food, is in highest concentration in the heart muscle. - Sexual health
Lots of things improve when you increase blood flow. Add “the love chemical,” phenylethylamine, a big shot of magnesium to relax muscles and nourish the heart, and cocoa butter, which happens to melt at the same temperature as the tongue, and you have the world’s best aphrodisiac. (Note: If you really want to know if cacao is an aphrodisiac, try eating 1 ounce of raw cacao or 70% or higher chocolate for two weeks. Yes, is what you will conclude!) - Blood Sugar
Cacao contains 10 times more chromium than whole wheat, which benefits blood sugar metabolism. - Immune System
Cacao contains potent immune system boosting substances called epicatechins, which means you can save those allotted sick days for something much more fun.
Continue reading Superfood News: Cacao…
Posted on July 11, 2008 |
Natural Sunscreen 101
By Jillian Polaski
Filed Under Green Living, News & Reviews | 7 Comments
If you’re one of the millions of Americans who are concerned with sunburns, skin cancer, or pre-mature aging, then you’re probably no stranger to sunscreen. Surprisingly, even with all the slathering on of sunscreen in this country, incidents of skin cancer have tripled in the US in recent years. There are even some studies that say your conventional, chemical-based sunscreen may actually be partly to blame. Many of these chemicals have been found to generate free radicals that can cause cancer while they’re supposedly protecting you from it.
Another unexpected danger from sunscreen use is that it may be harming coral reefs and fish. Sunscreen from beachgoers and snorkelers washes off into the ocean and causes UV ray interference to the corals, leading to viral infections and coral bleaching. Scientists have found fish off the coast of California that have had ovarian tissue growing in their testes. They believe that oxybenzone (a main ingredient in many conventional sunscreens) is responsible. Other dangerous chemicals to look out for include octinoxate, diethanolamine (DEA), and parabens The best choice is a sunscreen containing naturally occurring zinc oxide. Naturally occurring titanium dioxide is a close second, although there has been some controversy around titanium dioxide as well.
The safest and most eco-friendly way to prevent burns is to limit your time in the sun, and to wear a hat and cover up when you’re exposed to it. If you must use sunscreen, be sure to read the label; many sunscreens that claim to be all natural or eco-friendly contain those nasty little sea-creature-killing chemicals. Here’s a bit of insight into some of the major brands of “natural” and “organic” sunscreens you may find at your grocer or drugstore.
Alba Botanica Organic Lavender Sunscreen
Alba Botanica Organic Lavender Sunscreen is one of those sunscreens where you really have to be careful and read the label. Although this sunscreen does contain a few ingredients that are organic (like the lavender, aloe vera, chamomile, ginkgo biloba, and green tea), the active ingredients include 7.5% octinoxate and 6.0% oxybenzone, making the sunscreen as a whole far from certified organic. This sunscreen is neither organic nor completely natural, and not high on the list of recommended sunscreens for the safety of you or the environment.
MSRP: $9.95 for 4 oz ($2.48/oz)
Continue reading Natural Sunscreen 101…
Posted on July 8, 2008 |
Top 10 Coolest Ways To Kick Oil On Your Commute
By Jillian Polaski
Filed Under Green Living | 2 Comments
It’s Independence Day, and at eCo Times, we must of course celebrate our emerging independence from oil. The days of the dollar gallon of gas are long gone, and the pain at the pump increases each week. Let’s look at the logical alternatives-if you have a long commute, go electric. If you have a short commute, you can cancel your gym membership and get you workout at the same time as your commute. Check out our top ten coolest ways (for both climate and style) to increase your independence from oil. Happy 4th Of July!
10 Alternative Fuels
Biofuels are an alternative to gasoline that are becoming more readily available every day. Ethanol and biodiesel are examples of fuels that are not only more abundantly available, but also emit less harmful air pollutants and greenhouse gases. In addition, there are tax incentives for those purchasing alternative fuels. The most important thing with these fuels is checking the source. Biodiesel is the best choice when it’s made from locally collected Waste Vegetable Oil (WVO), not razed rainforests in South America. Ethanol is a great choice when it is made from agricultural and municipal waste, not valuable food crops.
9 Hybrid Vehicles
The best hybrids definitely give Big Oil a kick in the Swiss bank account. They run on an engine powered partially by petroleum and partially by electric battery. Many models boast 40+ MPG, like the Toyota Prius and Honda Civic Hybrid. One of the most exciting hybrids to hit the road recently is the Aptera 1, a 3-wheeled, 2 passenger vehicle which boasts over 200 mpg! Most states give a tax credit with the purchase of a hybrid vehicle. What’s more economical than getting paid for saving money on gas?
8 Electric Vehicles
Electric vehicles require no gas at all. They operate on rechargeable batteries which can be charged right at home and no greenhouse gases are emitted from the tailpipe. If you happen to run your home’s energy on solar, you could have an incredibly small ecological footprint when you drive. Even if you do get energy from coal-fired plants, running your car on electricity is still much more efficient than importing oil from the Middle East. Some great electric vehicles to check out are the smokin’ hot Tesla Roadster as well as the funky NmG and the adorable Xebra by Zap!.
7 Scooters and Mopeds
Many scooters and mopeds these days can be electrically charged right in the comfort of your own garage; some models even charge the battery while you’re driving. And as a bonus, you’ll look really cool riding one… Europeans and Asians are way ahead of the US in their adoption of this super efficient mode of transport, and the matching outfits that go along with them. Fuel for thought: The average car in the United States costs 32 times more to travel the same distance as the eGO Scooter pictured here.
6 Rollerskating
Whether you’re coasting through Venice on purple Puma skates or zipping through Manhattan traffic on your rollerblades, skating is definitely one of the most fun ways to get to work. (Though a change of clothes is definitely going to be necessary.) Blading will get you where you want to go quickly and efficiently and skating will get you there in riotously retro style. You choose.
5 Mass Transit
For every passenger mile traveled, public transportation uses about half the fuel of private transportation. Plus, you never know who you might strike up a conversation with, you could even fall in love. Not something that’s likely to happen in your car by yourself. (Hopefully.) Google maps has a great site that will give you station information, maps, and schedules for your area.
4 Walking
We have legs for a reason, right? Walking is not only fuel efficient (the only energy you’ll be burning are calories), it’s the best way to really the see the community you’re living in. Walking is absolutely the most relaxing way to get around town. Don’t have a walkable community? Get involved with America Walks.
3 Biking
If you live just a little too far from work to walk, bicycling is a great alternative-and your glutes will thank you for it also. Now there are solar powered bikes and even fold-up bikes that you can easily carry around with you. There’s also incredibly fun group rides you can do in your local community, like the internationally-known monthly Critical Mass ride or the annual World Naked Bike Ride
2 Telecommuting
More and more companies are allowing their employees to telecommute part time, if not full time. Thank goodness for that. Besides the perk of being able to work in your pajamas, you’ll save money and energy in gas, as well as all that wasted time getting there and back, and you won’t have to see your boss…well, except on video conferencing. When are the geeks going to realize that not all technological advances are a good idea?
1 Skateboarding
If you don’t like walking, try skateboarding. You’ll bring out your inner child while still getting some exercise and helping out the environment. And, many companies, are now making skateboards available in eco-friendly materials like bamboo and FSC-certified wood. Just think, you can fulfill your early dreams of Gleaming The Cube with Christian Slater…finally.
Posted on July 4, 2008 |
Greenify Your Fourth Of July
By Jillian Polaski
Filed Under Conscious Commerce, Green Living | 1 Comment
Fourth of July is upon us once again. Who doesn’t like getting together with friends and family, firing up the old grill, enjoying some BBQ, and watching the fireworks after the sun goes down? Picnics, parties, beer to drink, games to be played…good times.
Maybe you’d even like the Fourth Of July reverie, along with that three-day weekend, to last forever. Well, sadly much of the plastic dishware and decorations from the July 4th will do just that…in a landfill. Bummer. Since foregoing your annual patriotic grillfest is simply not an option, here are some easy things that you can do this Fourth of July to lessen your impact on America The Beautiful. Continue reading Greenify Your Fourth Of July…
Posted on July 1, 2008 |
Superfood News: Goji Berries
By Seth Braun
Filed Under Green Living | 2 Comments
Superfoods
A superfood is anything that delivers the power of several foods in one package. They contain significantly higher levels of vitamins, minerals and other beneficial substances than regular healthy food. We all need a little kick once in a while and superfoods are much better at filling in the gaps in our diet than vitamin supplements. Whether it is for aiding detoxification, replenishing reserves, improving immune system, increasing sex drive or generating energy, superfoods make up for the loss of quality (nutrients and vitality) in the commercial food supply.
Goji Berries
Also known as Lycium Barbarum, Chinese wolfberry, or go qui zi, are reknowned as a “supertonic” herb in the Chinese medicinal system. As a supertonic, there are few people that would not benefit from wolfberry as it benefits all of the following systems…
- Eyesight
Goji contain zeaxanthin, which the inner eye absorbs readily, helping prevent degenerative disease of the eye. - Longevity
Goji has long been considered a longevity food in Chinese herbal medicine. It appears that polysaccharides are the cause. Poly-what? Goji berries are sweet in part because of unique types of carbohydrates (polysaccharides) that boost the body’s anti-aging and stress management ability. - Energy Levels
Goji nourish the blood and build reserve strength. From an eastern perspective, it tonifies the liver and kidney and replenishes vital essence. From the western perspective, goji contain all 8 essential amino acids and a total of 18 amino acids, making them a rare complete protein fruit. Goji contain up to 21 minerals, high concentrations of vitamin C, B vitamins, vitamin E, and antioxidants (mostly red-pigment caratenoids) as well as essential fatty acids. - Immune System
The presence of 5 distinct polysaccharides has been shown to improve immune function, strengthening the thymus while increasing “killer T cells.” - Healthy Skin
Beautiful skin is sustained by goji. In January 2005, Phytomedicine Magazine stated that goji “display an interesting array of antioxidant and anti-apoptotic (anti cell death) properties, which may be beneficial for human skin.” - Blood Sugar Levels
People with blood sugar issues such as Type II Diabetes and Syndrome X can benefit greatly from goji as well. Continue reading Superfood News: Goji Berries…
Posted on June 27, 2008 |
Ready, Get Set, To-Go Ware
By Jenn Breckenridge
Filed Under Green Living | Leave a Comment
Stephanie Bernstein went to get some ice cream with her sister. They went to a little ice cream shop in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It was 1997. They both ordered scoops in a bowl, no cone, and when they were served Stephanie got confused. Did they ask for the ice cream to go? Um, no. Why was the ice cream in a plastic bowl with a plastic spoon? To her deep disappointment, her local ice cream shop, along with so many other ice cream shops, coffee shops, and small restaurants around the country were starting to replace reusable dishware with paper and plastic single use containers. That day an idea was born.
A lot of university students carried their coffee mugs everywhere, mainly for the discount they received from the coffee shops around town, but also for the positive environmental impact. Stephanie wondered, what if we all just carried everything around that we’d need in a day-what would that look like?Seven years later, in Northern California, Stephanie sold her first set of utensils in their own handwoven carrying case. They were a hit. Her first generation To-Go Ware sets feature bamboo utensils in cloth carriers woven by a women’s cooperative of Burmese refugees called WEAVE. The women of WEAVE are able to care for their children and their homes, while also creating income for themselves and their families.
The second generation of To-Go Ware was launched earlier this month. These sleek sets have a firmer case made of recycled compressed plastic bags. The bags are collected by ragpickers in India and formed into the colorful polymer by CONSERVE, a recycling and waste management organization. CONSERVE’s collection efforts help to clean the polluted streets of New Delhi while employing hundreds of people in need of work. Continue reading Ready, Get Set, To-Go Ware…
Posted on June 20, 2008 |
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