Innovative Spray Bottles by Replenish

Consumer product companies have always had the knowledge, resources, and consumer base to make their products more sustainable. Over the past few years, they've found the will power to complete the equation. Think about the products you've been seeing on the shelves: 3x concentrated detergent, water bottles made with 30% less plastic, and the unfortunate SunChips bags.

Here's another one, and it's called Replenish (thanks Kutgun). Watch the short video to see how it works:

It proves that the a simple design can have a great impact.

Get Rid of Old Electronics, Make Some Money, and Save the World

Gazelle is a company that will buy your old, unused, and broken electronics (phones, gaming systems, computers, cameras, etc.).



Here's a short video. It's simple:

1. You fill out a form, which asks for the device's name, details, and existing condition.
2. Gazelle instantly estimates the device's worth and shows you its market value history.
3. If you agree to sell it, Gazelle with ship you a prepaid box for your device.
4. Once the device is received, Gazelle will pay you through Paypal or by check. You even have the option of donating to charity.
5. If your device isn't worth anything, Gazelle will still ship it to a recycling facility for you.

DO IT! Make some money while saving the environment from toxic e-waste.

Addendum: I wanted to add this link. Apparently, a blogger at the NYTimes also had e-waste on her mind yesterday. She describes way to get rid of batteries and printer cartridges.

Here's to you, Sierra Club

The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) team, which is largely funded by the UN, recently released a 3-year study showing just how beneficial ecosystem preservation can be (NYTimes). The study is enough to convince even the most steadfast skeptics. To those who believe anything can be engineered:

• $3.7 trillion - can be saved by 2030 if we conserve forests, which help absorb CO2 emissions. 
• $50 billion/yr - is how much fisheries could be making if they all harvested in a sustainable manner. 
• 30 million - is the number of people reliant on coral reefs for food and income. 1/4 of all aquatic species are located in coral reefs.
• $20-67 million -  could be saved over a four year period from planting trees in Canberra, Australia.  These trees regulate micro-climate and reduce urban pollution.
• $213 million/yr - is generated in agricultural production as a result of bee pollination of fruits and  berries (equivalent to what is generated from honey/beeswax directly).

There are no replacements for the myriad of services ecosystems provide. As much as we think we know, the intricacies of biological systems are yet to be understood. Every day, new behaviors and functions are discovered. Oftentimes, our actions have repercussions on living systems we never would have imagined. If mangroves and wetlands had been left undisturbed, there is no doubt that the destruction caused by the tsunami in Asia and Hurricane Katrina would been tamed. 

Wetland preservation could have severely reduced the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Wetlands are also pivotal in waste detoxification and degradation.

Benefits of ecosystems:

1. Provisional - food, water, crops medicines
2. Regulatory - CO2 sequestration, climate regulation, pest/disease control, waste detoxification and decomposition, protection from natural disasters
3. Supportive - nutrient cycling, soil formation, photosynthesis, seed dispersion
4. Cultural - biophilia (humans <3 nature), religious and spiritual values, recreation

All You Need is an Angle

Seven Kansas towns were recently featured in the New York Times. It's interesting how in a farming region where climate change could be most devastating, less than half the population believes it actually exists. The questions is: how do you motivate these communities to become more sustainable when climate change isn't a motivating factor?

People at the Climate and Energy Project believe they've found a way, and it's through their "Take Charge" program. The recipe calls for one part foreign oil dependence fear and one part competition. Throw in a handful of non-profit money (around $150,000), and you get a bunch of motivated citizens. They installed new lightbulbs, implemented geothermal energy, weatherized their homes, and made plans for wind turbines. Two communities ended up reducing their overall energy use by 5% over the course of one year, which is actually quite impressive.

Weatherization, efficiency education, and citizen-led energy planning

The Climate and Energy Project just earned themselves a grant from the Kansas Energy Office to sponsor a competition in 2011 for 16 communities. Hopefully, they get similar results.

Flooded Sidewalks, Flooded Cities. Is There a Way Out?

Have you ever successfully navigated a puddle-filled sidewalk only to look up and see the impenetrable lake ahead? You should have known there was no hope. Here's looking to the future.
In September, the Illinois EPA announced its implementation of measures to reduce storm water runoff. It's called the Green Infrastructure Grant program, which has $5 million dollars from the US EPA already in its pocket.

There are a large number of technologies supported by the new program. But, ever since I was introduced to  permeable pavement (PP) technology at the EPA P3 (people planet prosperity) Expo last spring, it has been my favorite. They are exactly what they sound like. Unlike typical pavements, these allow water to seep through and into the ground below.

IL EPA and local officials showcasing semi-permeable block pavement (Sept. 16th, 2010)

Types (detailed information):

• Block Pavers (pictured): These are impermeable (often concrete) blocks that are interlocked/spaced in a way that allows water to penetrate the soil below. Some brands include Aquaterra, UNI Eco-Stone, SF-RIMA, Turfstone, and Hastings Checkerblock. 
• Grid Pavers: These are the weak cousins of block pavers. They are typically made of plastic and can be filled with grass, gravel, or soil. Examples include Turfgard, Netpave, Gravelpave, Grasspave, Tufftrack, and Geoblock.
• Permeable Asphalt/Concrete: These are the originals without finer particles in the mix. The absence of these particles leaves voids through which water can flow. Check out the design below. 

Permeable asphalt design

Here are some pros and cons of permeable pavement. Keep in mind, all designs have different capabilities.

PROS:

• limit flooding
• reduce chemical runoff, which harms lakes/rivers/streams
• allows water to seep back into the water table, replenishing aquifers

Before and 10 years after permeable pavement installation at Brown University (2004)

CONS:

• may be vulnerable to ice damage, called frost heave, in freezing temperatures. However, there have been pavements designed to resist it.
• can't handle heavy loads (like trucks) or large amounts of traffic (busy roads).
• may require a little maintenance. Some types of permeable pavement are prone to get small rocks stuck in the pores. Occasionally, these may need to be cleaned via street sweeping or vacuuming.
• cost more.

Because of current performance specs, permeable pavement is limited to areas like sidewalks, walking paths, bike trails, parking lots, low traffic side roads, driveways, etc. Hopefully, in the future, design breakthroughs will allow permeable pavements to be used more widely in the world. Perhaps one day, they will answer to urban flooding like that in India.