Posts Tagged ‘green’

Compost This! Baby.

Tuesday, June 29th, 2010

by Eric Goldstein

www.Olivestudio.com

 

Typical disposable diapers take 300-500 years to breakdown in landfills. EarthBaby compostable diapers take 14 weeks to turn into nutrient rich soil. Nothing more to say.

Please take a few minutes to vote for this concept on Myoo’s WASTE STARTUP CHALLENGE. Be a part of the change in the world.

 


Green Government

Tuesday, August 25th, 2009

by Brian Carroll

www.olivestudio.com

It looks as if one of Portlands most drab looking buildings is getting a make-over.  A green one at that.  The twenty-four year old Edith Green/Wendell Wyatt federal building in downtown Portland on SW third and Jefferson will undergo a 133 million dollar reonvation, making the building the largest single federal stimulous project in Oregon.  For more information about how the Government is going green with this project, read this article.

Edith Green Federal Building

Edith Green Federal Building


GREEN FIREWORKS – I AIN’T TALKING COLOR

Thursday, July 2nd, 2009

by Eric Goldstein

www.olivestudio.com

fireworks2

This weekend, there will be the 20-ton elephant in the room for those involved with green building, light bomb with commercial lighting, carbon footprint and several other green-centric interests.

FIREWORKS. We love them. Everyone loves them. It’s Beautiful. It’s a TRADITION. It’s MEMORABLE. (It’s also not good for us).

They inspire wonderment from all of us, of all ages – all around the country. But you have to think, when watching such amazing – awe-inspiring pyro-tainment – that “This can’t be good for the environment.” So, if any of you are interested in fireworks and the impact they have on us and our world, here is a lite overview of the technology and the necessary change occurring in the technology and tradition.

Whoa.
In 2006, 252 million pounds were purchased for the 4th, (which is up from 102 million lbs in 2000). To give you some perspective – the amount sold to cities + municipalities for public celebrations last year was 25 million pounds.

Then there are perchlorates — oxygen-rich molecules that allow the fuel in fireworks to burn. Perchlorates appear in nuclear missiles, flares and rocket fuel for spacecraft. So far, the Environmental Protection Agency has not set an upper limit for perchlorates in soil or water, even though the chemicals  have been detected in drinking water in most states, as well as in breast milk and in store-bought cow’s milk.

Are They Going Green Too?
Yes! Eco-fireworks are coming soon. (especially for those living close or downwind from big firework displays). The main improvement is replacing carbon-based fuels with nitrogen-based ones, so that perchlorates become unnecessary. There are also the air-launch fireworks which don’t use gunpowder to get the explosive charge into the air.