SalvaEco

Imagine growing up, going to school, graduating, going to college for a couple years and then getting that magical phone call: "Son, it's time to change the light bulb." You rush home in flurry of excitement and anticipation as your parents show you how to change a light — something you yourself may not do until your own kids are in college. Those times are coming.

Well actually, they're here. But until prices coming down, most of us will simply rely on compact fluorescents to bridge the gap between changing a bulb one a year to once every couple decades. I spied a new entry into the LED fold over at MetaEfficient with a cool looking bulb called "The EcoLED". According to the stats, this long-lasting, efficient beast will last about 50,000 hours. In scale, that's about 11 years at 12 hours a day. Since I would never leave a light on for that long, you can expect this bulb to shine well into your midlife crisis.

The bulb mimics a 100-watt incandescent but only uses 10 watts of power. According to the site, that's good for $450 in savings and a reduction of more than 9,000lbs of CO2. You'll also want to use this bulb a little differently than the standard light,

"Remember: LED lights are directional (like a spotlight). This EcoLED light has a beam angle of 100 degrees, which is equivalent to a wide spotlight. It is not appropriate for use in lamps with lamp shades or other lighting applications where light needs to be emitted in all directions at once. (However, it can be aimed at a wall or ceiling to produce radiant ambient light that radiates through the entire room.)"

It should be noted that work is underway (especially by GE) to create LED lights that do in fact mimic the light radiance of incandescent and CFL bulbs. The color of LED lights (which is a brilliant, pure white light) is also different from the yellow glow of an incandescent. So far, that hasn't marred their label as "the bulb of the future".

You can pick up the EcoLED for $99 from BetterLifeGoods. While this may seem like ridiculous change for a light bulb, the experience of replacing it in the year 2027 will be simply priceless.

More info after the jump.

A little candle light can go a long way in creating a nice atmosphere for any occasion, but many candles are made with paraffin, a petroleum-based product. Brighten up your party with beeswax or vegetable oil based candles instead.

The main problem with paraffin and synthetic fragrances is the fact that they're made from oil (you know, that stuff we're addicted to.) It pollutes when burned, just like other fossil fuels. This candle soot can result in black marks on walls and ceilings, and can even be harmful to your health. A study by the Environmental Protection Agency found a random selection of petrol based candles contained twenty different chemicals, compounds and particulate matter.

The good news is there are a lot of alternatives to choose from. Beeswax and soy based candles abound in a variety of scented and unscented options.

Seattle-based Big Dipper Wax Works has a wide selection of hand-dipped beeswax candles in all shapes and sizes. Bluewick has decorativley (and responsibly) packaged, fragrant, soybased candles. Other candle makers include companies include Bluecorn Naturals and Vermont based Way Out Wax.

Of course this tip should include the obvious candle disclaimer: don't leave a burning flame unattended, and use caution if you're taking the flame outdoors, especially if it gets a little windy. (I line my backyard area with votives for summer gatherings.)

Amy says: Candles make great housewarming or thank you gifts, and they travel well. When presenting a soy or beeswax candle to my host I always make sure to explain the benefits of the paraffin alternative.

Here is an excerpt and link to my recent Earth Meanders piece:

The Earth is entering a new phase in its human caused decline. We are witnessing the advance edge of bioregional and continental scale ecological collapse — the final stage of environmental decline before global ecological collapse. For millennia human caused ecosystem loss and decline has destroyed plant communities and devastated landscapes, but generally the global matrix of terrestrial, oceanic, aquatic and atmospheric cycling of energy and nutrients continued relatively unabated. Until now, as the cumulative impact of poor land, water and ocean management, and a failing atmospheric system, is becoming widely evident. Humanity has become the dominant force of nature. We are witnessing the logical consequences of over-developing large regions and even continents without regards to ecology… we are witnessing the phenomena of environmental decline that is of unprecedented scale and intensity… As abrupt and run-away climate change, terrestrial ecosystem collapse, droughts, floods, lack of pollinators and a whole host of other environmental malignancies ripple through cosseted human civilizations; we are talking of widespread death and social disintegration… I believe we are talking of the end of being — either the complete loss of advanced life including humans, or humanity reverting to barbarity… As the magnitude of ecological dysfunction increases the only sufficient response is for conservation to think bigger and more ambitiously… We need to build the political movement to do what is necessary based upon global ecological science to save the Earth, ourselves, and species with who we share existence.

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Saturn

Battery supplier A123 Systems has unveiled two new batteries specifically optimized for automotive applications. One of the new cells is configured for high power applications in regular hybrid configurations while the other is biased toward higher energy capacity for plug-in hybrid vehicles. The latter cell is being used in the plug-in hybrid development program for the Saturn Vue.

The PHEV cell is designed to be discharged to a lower level than the power battery so that the plug-in hybrid can go farther on battery power alone. Both cells are designed to be more robust over the wider range of operating conditions that cars encounter in the real world while also lasting 150,000 miles and ten years.

[Source: A123Systems]

 

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

Filed under: MPG, Legislation and Policy

John Dingell has been in the House of Representatives for fifty-two years, seven years longer than Barak Obama has been alive. When the prospective Democratic presidential nominee came to Detroit recently and berated the domestic carmakers for not building more efficient cars, Dingell was not pleased.

Over the past half century Dingell has made a point of defending his home town industry at every turn. While it’s not totally unreasonable for a politician to promote policies that benefit business in their district, it’s time for Dingell to change his tune. I live in Dingell’s district and a lot of autoworkers have lost their jobs in the past decade. If the carmakers don’t start making some serious headway on fuel economy they will continue getting less and less competitive.

Instead of criticizing Obama, Dingell should be promoting policies to light a fire under the companies in his constituency. If the carmakers are forced to get more efficient, they will end up being in a more advantageous position in the market. Dingell should also be looking at ways to stimulate demand for more efficient cars.

[Source: Detroit Free Press]

 

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

Well, if you’re reading this, you probably are.

LOHAS stands for Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability. Representing an estimated 50 million American adults, the name LOHAS is now synonymous with the “Cultural Creatives” segment of the population originally identified in 1996 by sociologist, author, and market researcher Paul Ray, Ph.D. Ray, along with psychologist Sherry Ruth Anderson, described the segment in their 2000 book, The Cultural Creatives: How 50 Million People Are Changing the World.

So what’s so special about the LOHAS segment? Usually, market segments are identified using things like lifestyle, buying behavior, and demographics. But here’s where the LOHAS consumers diverge: they are distinguished solely by their values, as they care strongly about issues like the environment, social justice, sustainability, and health. Is this starting to sound familiar?

As the segment grows, more and more businesses have begun to take notice – the marketplace for LOHAS consumers is now valued at over $220 billion. This means that more products and services, meant to serve our needs, will be coming to the market. Good news for anyone tormented over having to buy a product that is no friend of the environment, due to the lack of an alternative.

I got to learn about and even sample some of these alternatives this week at the 11th annual LOHAS Forum, held in Marina del Rey, CA. Though some established brands, like Burt’s Bees, were in attendance in the exhibit hall, many were new to me. I especially liked Green & Black’s Organic Chocolate and VeeV, a spirit made from Brazil’s açai fruit and billed as “a better way to drink.” Count me in!

Of course, the Forum wasn’t all about food and drink. The program featured a variety of speakers and break-out sessions designed to educate and inform LOHAS companies. My favorite session, “Giving Sustainability More SIZZLE”, focused on the shift of the LOHAS segment from a small niche to the mainstream, and some of the keys to making that jump as a company. Not surprisingly, communicating with authenticity was at the top of the list. LOHAS consumers can see through greenwashing a mile away…even through a chocolate haze.

For those unable to attend the conference, session videos will be posted on the website: www.lohas.com

Earlier this week, an article in the local paper noted that a local school had been recognized as one of 18 "Green School certified" schools in the state of Michigan. I wasn't familiar with the program (in part because this is the first year of the program), but I quickly found that rather than a building program, it is instead an educational program for the students.

The Green School program requires a degree of involvement from the school's students in a variety of green projects in order to obtain the certification. A school is eligible for this certification if it completes at least 10 criteria from a list of programs including such obvious green steps as recycling paper, reusing magazines from the library, and holding an Earth Day event. But the list also includes more ambitious projects such as establishing a natural Michigan garden project with native plants, holding solar power presentations or experiments, such as a solar cookout, doing energy audits of their classrooms, and even making improvements to their classrooms as a result of the energy audits.

Participating in a printer cartridge recycling program or a cellular telephone recycling program (both of which can also help the school to earn money) are also suggestions on the list.

All of these programs help to bring environmental awareness to the classroom, and provide practical examples the students can learn from. Students take leadership in getting the programs adopted in their schools.

"With all the environmental stuff that has been going on, all the rising problems, I just wanted to chip in and do my part for the community,'' Pendleton said. Individual efforts, such as recycling plastic, can add up, he said. "It's all the small things that people could do but sometimes just don't take the time to do.''

For Donahue, global warming is the thing to worry about. "We need a big focus on global warming – anything that can help that,'' Donahue said.

The state webpage with information about the program (PDF) is less than two pages long but has a list of 20 programs for students to participate in. Teachers looking for ideas for introducing some green programs to their classes may find this a useful list to work from. There are also a list of resources attached. A number of them are specific to Michigan, though corresponding sites (such as state conservation districts, state endangered plants, etc.) for other states should be easy enough to find.

After the big hype made over the slave labor Nike used to produce its ever-famous sneakers, the source of footwear has gotten as much attention as the clothing we wear. With the weather warming quicker than ever before (you know, that global warming myth-thing), summer is right around the corner; time to break out the seasonal footwear! Hand-made in the Northern countryside of Thailand, Chabah makes very stylish sandals for men and women:

Chabah offers stylish, unique products for a surprisingly low price. We believe in making a fair profit, not exploiting consumers or our workers. Through such reasonable pricing, we encourage our customers to make multiple purchases – you receive more goods, and our workers receive more compensation for their efforts. The rustic fabrics such as hemp, woven grass, and sack cloth are locally made and have been used in daily life for centuries.

A number of special promotions are available on the company's website – if you are looking to update your shoe collection or buy gifts for friends, these are great deals. All shoes come in a small cotton bag, almost made under fair conditions in Northern Thailand, and all orders places in the US over $20 (over $40 for any other country) receive free shipping. The company's sizing guidelines are explained clearly as well, making it easy to order a comfortable fit in minutes. Yahoo! Shopping has over 80 reviews from customers, many with glowing testimonials.

Seven designs are available for women, but factoring in the heels, straps, and fabrics, over 40 unique choices are available. As with most brands, the options for men are fewer, but by no means less stylish. Each style is named after a character from Greek mythology, adding extra personality to these lightweight slides. All sandals are priced at an affordable rate of $20 per pair, making it all the more tempting to splurge on a few styles – at least you know your money is funding an honest business.