Posts Tagged ‘reduce’

When you first think of “eco-friendly building,” you think of recycled / recyclable building materials: recycled plastic pallets; recycled stageboard; recycled skate ramp materials etc. etc. etc. — everything you’d want to build a sustainable city infrastructure with, right?

But, beyond the eco-friendly building methodologies and sustainable design blueprints are the companies who pay to use these “Green buildings.”

Most likely, these eco-friendly buildings turn into offices; housing computers; thus, foreshadowing the rise of a future tech junk problem.

Tech junk. Where does it go? How much energy does it waste? How much energy could we save if we all shut down our computers rather than conveniently choosing, “sleep mode”?

According to iamgreen, today 1-billion computers are active. The accumulative energy wasted by these computers, which on average are left on between 9:00am – 5pm is equivalent to the amount of power it takes to light the entire New York Yankee stadium for every home game from today to the 2596-2597 season.

But, don’t get too excited. There’s more info below!

Scroll down, dive into the rest of the amazing Computing Vs. Environment infographic head first, and let us know what you think in the comments box or on our Facebook fan page.

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Source: iamgreen

Tags: Technology, new york yankee stadium, sleep mode, amazing computing, Wireless, Building material <BR/>

Green Marketing Should Focus on The People

The latest report from ecoAmerica is titled “up start with people.” The report states that the environmental community has not been successful at wining the hearts and minds because they have focused mostly on government regulation and intervention. The non-profit sees more success being had by those in the movement who are focused on social solutions that are built around people.

Read more here

Originally posted on Green Economy Post

Crowdfunded windmill will generate energy for members’ own use

We’ve seen numerous creative approaches to supplying sustainable energy for home users, but recently one caught our eye that seemed a little different. Targeting consumers unwilling or unable to outfit their own homes with wind or solar energy collectors, Dutch Windcentrale offers a chance to own a portion of a local windmill and enjoy a proportionate amount of the green energy it produces.

A brainchild of the Dutch Energy Cooperative with support from the Doen Foundation, Windcentrale gives Dutch households a way to secure their own energy supply for years to come. Toward that end, it has divided up a single windmill’s output into units with an expected wind output of 500 kilowatt hours (kWh) each per year. Interested parties can purchase one or more of those units so as to supply their own household consumption, which averages about 3500 kWh. Power is delivered through the local utility, and during wind-free days it’s supplemented with the utility’s own, traditional supply. When members move, meanwhile, they can simply take their shares with them.

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Originally posted on Springwise

5 Green Products Designed for Greener Highways

Sustainable technology development is the need of the hour. With fast depleting natural resources, threat to survival has become evident. The scientists and designers are on a constant look out for designs that solve survival needs of tomorrow. It is true that highways, with its ever growing vehicular traffic, has to be blamed for creating environmental pollution. But many modern industrial designers vouch to transform this traffic lifeline into green power generation hub for future. Highways extended on vast stretch of land, have potential for developing many sustainable means of generating power. Electric cars, e turbine, solar and wind energy lighting and solar powered air purifiers are few of the futuristic designs to curb the pollution levels and build self- reliant system through highways.

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Originally posted on Ecofriend

Vertical Farms For London Are Lovely Green Eye Candy

Vertical farms may be pie in the sky, but they are a lot of fun for architects with time on their hands. AWR recently organized a competition to design a vertical farm with a residential use called LOFT 2011.

I am particularly fond of the Second Honorable Mention, the Breathing Vertical Farm. There isn’t a lot of growing area, but it would make a beautiful place to live.

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Originally posted on Treehugger

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Tags: solar energy collectors, reduce, reuse <BR/>

Eco-friendly Stageboard…Coming to a theatre Near You!

Mainstream pop music, movies, television, theatre; all of it can easily be judged from an armchair.

The entertainment industry — in the eyes of the environmentalist — exists for two reasons: 1) to entertain us while wasting materials 2) to try to “entertain” us even more by wasting even more materials. But, that’s just an opinion from an armchair.

Nonetheless, recent innovations in eco-friendly building have helped ease this age-old problem. More engineeers, tradesmen, artchitects and hobbyists are choosing to use “recycled materials” over natural wood.

Renew Resources has listed the top three reasons why businesses — including the entertainment industry — are investing in eco-friendly stageboard.

GOVERNMENT CERTIFIED

Eco-friendly stageboard is certified by the Canadian Government and U.S. Pentagon. Stageboard has also received the most-coveted “Eco-Mark” in the world by the Japanese Government EPA.

When businesses use government certified eco-friendly stageboard, businesses benefit from a new unique sales point (USP); carrying more market water and marketing themselves as an organization who uses the highest grade of eco-friendly material in the market today.

MAXIMIZED INCOME

Unlike real wood, eco-friendly stageboard doesn’t crack, splinter or break. It doesn’t require high-maintenance chemicals that damage the environment; renowned for lasting longer than regular wood. Ultimately, the more durable your building materials are the less materials you use.

BETTER THAN WOOD

Unlike real wood, stageboard is immune to weather damage. It doesn’t decay or warp or splinter. Stageboard is built from recycled materials as well; preventing abrasion while also serving you excellent acoustics and sound deadening. Builders have also found stageboard takes nails or screws equivalent to or better than real wood with zero pre-drilling required.

SUMMARY

With the green movement seeping more and more into the mainstream year after year, businesses are becoming more inclined to use eco-friendly building materials for its market appeal, sustainability and eco-mark.

In stageboard, users receive a government certified eco-mark and offer a unique sales point; staying above the competition while maximizing material minimization.

Companies like Renew Resources offer eco-friendly building materials all year around to help you save as many trees and money as possible.

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Tags: eco mark, Eco-friendly Stageboard, high maintenance, building materials, recycled materials, japanese government <BR/>

This Man has the Most Oil in the World

Rafael Ramírez should be ranked as one of the most powerful men in the world. As the Venezuelan minister for energy, he is also head of the country’s state oil company – and, therefore, now controls the world’s biggest proven oil reserves. In a little-reported development, Opec recently certified that the South American nation was number one in national reserves, after a vast field of what was previously classified as tar was redefined as extra heavy crude. La Faja, as the heavy oil belt along the Orinoco river is referred to, contains nearly 220bn barrels. That takes Venezuela’s reserves to 297bn – close to 20% of the world’s oil – and leapfrogs it over Saudi Arabia on 265bn.

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Originally posted on Guardian

Crack Planter Art by Sean Martindale

My concept for these Grass Spills was the original one which grew into the larger Outside the Planter Boxes project (please see ABOUT section for more information). In total, four spilling planters were created on the project launch day along the West side of University Avenue, just North of Queen Street West. Thank you again to James David Morgan and Holy Blue for their assistance in the early morning when I installed these interventions.

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Originally posted PlanterArt

Renewables Give Us More Power Than Nuclear

For the first time in a while, our portfolio of renewable power sources has surpassed power production from nuclear generation. According to the latest Monthly Energy Review from the Energy Information Administration, the most sustainable forms of energy now produce more for us than the most hazardous, largely due to rises in wind, solar and hydro production.

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Originally poster on Green Economy Post

10 Things That You Never Knew Were Recyclable

Nope, you didn’t read that wrong. Human hair is compostable and recyclable. Hair from your hairbrush or fur from your pet are full of useful nitrogen that can be thrown in the compost pile. Donating your hair could help clean up future oil spills. San Francisco nonprofit Matter of Trust collects human and pet hair to create booms that soak up oil. Currently, warehouses are full, but you can be placed on the email alert list when the need arrives again.

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Originally posted on earth911

Infographic: Backyard Vs. Food Supply

It’s time to get self-sufficient…

With food prices ranked at an all-time high and the consecutive bursts of social upheaval surfacing across the globe — all cancers formed by the same food Uncle Sam feeds you and I — relying on affordable and accessible food from your local supermarket in the future isn’t going to be as easy as it is today. Starting your own garden and growing your own food in your backyard is risk-free, inexpensive, and empowering; allowing you to save money and steer clear from the stresses of finding food for your family tomorrow or in case of emergency.

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Originally posted on Renew Resources

Solar Roadways Set to Build First Solar Parking Lot

Solar Roadways, the company behind a technology that could transform the nation’s roads into a network of shatter-proof, energy-generating solar panels, has just a received a new $750,000 grant from the federal government. With that money, the team will get to work at developing a prototype solar parking lot that will fully put their technology to the test.

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Originally posted on Ecofriend

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Tags: planter boxes, reduce, orinoco river, david morgan, proven oil reserves, Gardening, recycle <BR/>

When you know that the water and sanitation crisis claims more lives through disease than any war has killed people through guns you start to act like Rip: the inner water conservationist in you who makes water wasting just plain weird; especially around your friends.

How weird? Well, scroll down below, watch all three thirty-second videos, and find out what I’m talking about.

Enjoy!

Wasting Water Is Weird: Dishwasher

Wasting Water Is Weird: Bathroom

Wasting Water Is Weird: Carwash

Summary

Cutting just one minute of your shower is equivalent to a whole week of drinking water for someone else. Learn from Rip and turn off your water while you brush your teeth to save 45 gallons of water a month; install a water-efficient shower head to save 750 gallons of water a month; fix a leaky toilet to save over 1000 gallons of water a month. When you discover how much water you waste; wasting water just gets plain weird!

Author
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Tags: reuse, Water Management, reduce, leaky toilet, water conservationist, recycle <BR/>

Eco-Friendly Floating Villages

Called The Pearl of West Indies, Haiti was during a long time the most visited country of the Greater Antilles representing the occidental third of Hispaniola Island. Devastated in 2010 by an earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale, the country has now to be rebuilt from new innovative architectural and town-planning concepts.

The Coral Reef project plans a matrix to build a three dimensional and energy self-sufficient village from one and only standardised and prefabricated module in order to rehouse the refugees from such humanitarian catastrophes. This basic module is simply made of two passive houses (with metallic structure and tropical wood facades) interlocked in duplex around a transversal horizontal circulation linking every unit.

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Originally posted on Vincent Callebaut

Sustainable ‘Farm Tower’ in London Offers a Solution to Food Crisis

The “London Farm Tower” is an amazing concept by Brandon Martella and is situated on the southern bank of the river Thames, facing Potter’s Field. This sustainable building is a solution to the present day crisis where population is growing by millions, urbanization is eating up all the agricultural land and therefore the increasing demand for food cannot be met.

The Farm Tower is a compact skyscraper that contains all the main ingredients for a self-sufficient city, including agricultural space, albeit in a vertical format. This sustainable building is actually developed much like a tree that depends upon the sun and water for growth and survival.

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Originally posted on Design Buzz

Canadian Government Fires Environment Ministry Scientists and Meteorologists, Hires Oil Lobbyists

I just love the juxtaposition of these two stories in today’s newspapers; in The Star, we learn that the Environment Ministry is cutting 700 Meteorologists, scientists, chemists and engineers, or about 11% of the workforce. “I think it speaks volumes about this government’s priority as it relates to the environment,” says Bill Pynn of the Union of Environment Workers. According to the Star:

The job losses will badly hurt the ability of the science-based department to do its job on issues such as climate change, monitoring water and air quality and wildlife species. “. [says another union leader:] I just don’t think the department can continue to do its science with that magnitude of cuts.”

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Originally posted on Treehugger

Solar Powered Tour Buses With Bikes

This should be a green solution for promoting places and guiding people towards a more eco-friendly way of appreciating places they may end up visiting. Buses are the best way to aid tourists and travellers and since we are all lined up for a greener tomorrow, this Solar Powered Bus concept should be interesting.

That is not all. The bus also comes with bikes inside so that in case it makes a stop, tourists can use them to get go around the tour spot rather than walk. And after the bike ride is over, the bikes are simply returned and hooked up until a next stop (if any) for tours is reached.

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Originally posted on Keetsa

Global Warming Or Global Population Control

While its commendable and, I believe, the job of every person living on planet earth to take care of the common ground we all share; sadly, it appears that environmental conservation has become more of a radical religion than anything else. In reading posts on blogs and news organization sites, its obvious that folks are worried about literally every last ounce of carbon emissions that enter into the atmosphere.

But here is something most of you probably didn’t know: GASP! CO2 is actually GOOD for our environment. According to the online encyclopedia, Wikipedia, “carbon dioxide is essential to photosynthesis in plants and other photoautotrophs, and is also a prominent greenhouse gas.

Read more here

Originally posted on Renewable-Energy News

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Tags: agricultural land, hispaniola island, food crisis, green, coral reef project <BR/>

I don’t know if you’ve noticed before.

But there has a been a trend that has always existed in the minds of Man where new ideas first seem impossible; then probable; then inevitable.

This trend rings true in what we’ve come to witness in the passed decade with the phenomena known as: Green / Sustainable Home Building.

And to pay homage to green living, Renew Resources  has posted a new infographic below highlighting the top Green Home Improvement trends of 2011 for you to adopt and discover.

Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author

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Source: Infographic Showcase

Tags: environment, Waste management, renew resources <BR/>

On average, every new construction project produces 3.9 pounds of waste per square foot of building area.  With mainstream media focusing on lowering CO2 levels for the passed 5 years, it’s easy to get caught up in the mass media hype; forgetting about the other alternative ways to reach a healthly environment; such as, alternative construction-waste management solutions.

This is not to say that everyone who builds a new office or new home plays a “dirty role” in deforestation, or our drinking water crisis, or our “dangerously high CO2 levels.”

Don’t get me wrong,  there are trendsetting companies, cultural influencers, and individuals out there who have discovered innovative ways to help both  the environment  while reducing living expenses.

How?

Easy.

1. Minimise Your Materials.  Go Standard Size:  Make sure your architect and construction manager commit to your Green building agenda from day one. Let them know exactly which materials you want to minimise and discuss how both parties can prevent wasteful building habits.  In other words, you don’t want to build a mansion when all you need is the average-sized Canadian home of 1,800 square feet.

A good idea is to suggest dimensional planning and design rooms based  on 4-foot multiples that conform to standard-sized wallboard and plywood sheets.  You also want to recycle demolition materials so you can use to build a base for your driveway or sidewalk.

2.  Use Recycled Materials to Build Your Home:   It takes 400-board-feet of lumber to build a three-bedroom home of 1,500 square feet.   A great way to save trees is to simply implement recycled building materials to maximize your Green agenda.  So when pieces around your home eventually fall a part or break, you’ll be able to recycle them. Baleboard, Polyboard and  Eco-friendly lumber are excellent examples of Green building materials that do an equal–if not  better–job than  regular wood/lumber.

3.  Water Conservation: The drinking water crisis is a story many people simply ignore, and water conservation is bigger of a deal than “high CO2” levels.

Preserve water by installing 3-G or more water pressure limiting devices. I’m sure you’ve heard of  9-year old Mason Perez, who saved his community thousands of gallons of water and money through his science project by simply reducing water pressure.  If a nine-year-old can do it, so you.

4.  Passive Solar design: Build high windows and invest time and research on passive solar design. Passive solar design helps your home customize to your local climate and naturally heats your home in  the winter and cools it during the summer. You’ll also want to position your home where it maximizes natural breezes, shading, and you can even build skylights on your roof to help you reduce  heating and air conditioning bills.

5.  Safe Floors:  Try to limit the amount of stairs in your home. Many houses build stairs for aesthetics alone.  By eliminating unnecessary stairs, you’ll invest in safe floors where you can  minimise the amount of materials you use.  Also, it helps you plan for your future; making it easier for you to get from point A to point B in your home as you age.

Summary

It’s a fact. Construction waste makes up for approximately 40 percent of our landfill. Luckily enough building environmentally conscious abodes isn’t as inconvenient as it was a few decades ago.

With basic online research you and your architect can find Green companies that provide eco-friendly building materials/services.  Ultimately, you’ll improve your overall energy efficiency, save  a ton of money, and a lot trees.

• -Minimize materials Go Standard or lower than standard size.
• -Use Recycled Materials to Build Your Home
• -Conserve Water
• -Passive Solar design
• -Safe Floors
• Author

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Tags: environment, construction manager, reuse, board feet, renewable resources, media hype <BR/>

 

This is for you. The busy eco-body who just doesn’t have enough time to keep up with Renew Resources’ daily Twitter feed.  So to save you the hassle of sifting through all of our glorious Eco-friendly tweets, we have narrowed and highlighted this week’s best “Sustainable Building” posts. They’re current, relevant and definitely worth knowing about!  Here we go in no particular order!

 

 

Beton Hala Waterfront Proposal by Architecktur Studios

Introducing the Beton Hala Waterfront proposal by Egyptian architects Andreas Eckmann and Stefanie Hesse of Architecktur studios.  Here we have an eco-friendly structure that goes beyond most of our eco-friendly building tweets we’ve made thus far.  What’s so special about it?  Underneath the asphalt lies Piezoelectric Sensors which are placed underneath the 350 meter long pathway expected to produce 420 KW of electricity per day. Specifically, when a 125 lbs individual walks up and down the roadway for a few seconds, it’ll produce 0.1 W of electricity.  Amazing, huh?

Source:  Eco-friend

 

Groundbreaking Recyclable Basketball Stadium by Architizer

Designed by Sinclair Knight Merz, Wilkinson Eyre and KSS London unveil a Recyclable Basketball stadium for the 2012 Olympic Games.  How is a 1,000 steel tonne structure “Green?”  Good question.   It’s a recyclable basketball stadium, meaning that the country can reuse its temporary structure for other events.  Nonetheless, London avoids using over the top wasteful materials for the Olympics and shows to put forth more effort in recyclable standing structures which a step closer to an eco-friendly direction.

Source:  Architizer

 

 

 

Yiftach Ben Meir Sea02′s Computer System For Sustainable Design

 

Architect Yiftach Ben Meir invents Sea02, a computer system dedicated to propose energy alternatives for sustainable design.  Here we have a quick example of how Sea02 helped produce an eco-friendly structure using for a green building project in Tel Aviv.  Ultimately, the plan is to utilize the sun, wind, and land energy sources optimizing solar, wind and land energy for green living.

Source:  Tuvie

 

 

 

 

Summary
And there you have it, Renew Resources‘ top three sustainable building tweets of the week.  All three tweets help us forget about the clusters of crises we experience today and also reminds us that the human species always finds a way to reach over the clouds of calamity and father rainbows of solutions that save the day.  Until next post—stay green.

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Tags: environment, piezoelectric sensors, olympic games, sinclair knight merz, new resources, Save You, architecture <BR/>