After the Gulf Coast hurricanes, plenty of people (most of them a safe distance outside the disaster zone) suggested that the architectural destruction presented an unprecedented opportunity to rebuild sustainably. Lots of designs and competitions have emerged in the 22 months since the storms, proposing various strategies for addressing survivability, efficiency, and environmentally-sound construction. Today a small group of architects, community activists and scientists gathered at Tulane University in New Orleans to talk about these issues in the context of a proposed rebuilding plan for the Lower Ninth Ward’s Holy Cross neighborhood that they say will produce the nation’s first and only climate neutral community. The presentation streamed as a live webcast (which should be viewable here but isn’t up as of this writing), so I had a chance to attend virtually from my desk in Seattle. The members of Zero Carbon Nola call the circumstances in the Lower Ninth a “perfect storm” — but not in the way you might think. They consider it a perfect storm of sustainability, due to the fortuitous collision of public attention, celebrity support, and throngs of willing volunteers. Bob Berkebile, an architect from Kansas City Missouri, began today’s talk on an optimistic note… (more)

(Posted by Sarah Rich in Green Building at 5:10 PM)

I've been a doubter of fuel cell technology for a very long time. Commercialization has always seemed just "over the next hill" with promises of "we're almost there"…

Researchers at Rice University claim they've discovered a way to make ethanol from the waste glycerol (syn: glycerin) produced in biodiesel manufacturing. If true, it could be the biggest…

OBI President Bill Horan demonstrates a solar ovenMost of us in the developed world don't think a lot about the source of fuel we use for cooking: unless there's a power outage, we can turn a…

Today’s guest is Ryan Chao, Executive Director of Satellite Housing, a San Francisco Bay Area not-for-profit corporation, providing affordable housing for low-income seniors, families and individuals…

Dear EcoGeek,

Is it possible to recycle old CD's or DVD's?

Thanks,
Rob

The perpetual scourge of EcoGeekiness is obsolescence. We pay good money for what we see as a good product, and then…

Editor’s Note: Sightline Institute just released their third annual Cascadia Scorecard, a publication reporting on the state of human and environmental health in the Pacific Northwest. Through seven key indicators, they examine present concerns, and offer practical vision for a prosperous future. Last year, we published an excerpt from their Sprawl & Health chapter, and one year later we’re returning to the topic to see what this year’s findings can tell us about the evolution of health and the environment, regionally and beyond. The following is an excerpt from the Introduction and Health chapters of Cascadia Scorecard 2007. ———————————————- contributed by Sightline Institute What if your bathroom scale has been wrong all along? Day after day, you step on, and take comfort—or sigh with disappointment—at the reading. But what if it’s been telling you the poundage of some other person? Or, perhaps, the average of 30 strangers, picked seemingly at random? You might try to exchange your scale for one that works; or you might just toss it in the trash. Regardless, you’d certainly stop consulting it. Now consider the Dow Jones industrial average. The Dow is the king of stock indicators—the bathroom scale of the global economy. Yet the… (more)

(Posted by WorldChanging Team in Worldchanging Guests at 9:13 AM)

One of the easiest (and cheapest) ways you can impact the greenness of your community is to volunteer. Wikipedia defines a volunteer as "someone who serves in a community or for the benefit of…

At last week’s Sustainable Business Council event here in LA, the topic was health and wellness. As a cool bonus at the event, the organization brought in Green Bliss, a mobile eco-spa, to provide…

Parents want the best for their kids, so buying items with organic cotton is the minimum for most. As environmentalists of all different shades of green, being proud and outspoken about what you…