ecology

Eco-Friendly $35,000 Kitchen Remodel

Filed under: Estates

In Seattle, a couple wanted to carry their philosophy on life over into their decorating. They believe in using sustainable goods as much as possible and in supporting local artisans, but they didn't know what was available - or how much it would cost - when they set out. The entire kitchen remodel, done by a local contractor, cost them $35,000. They added recessed lighting and opening up the windows to allow more natural light in, and moving the refrigerator from the center of the room allowed there to be more flow in the space. Their countertops are made of recycled materials, a composite of paper and resin, and their marble breakfast bar is made from what was once a piece of scrap, as are the clawed feet that support it. The floor is sustainable cork and their cabinets are constructed from locally grown alder wood.

During the project, which took one year, they say that they learned it is possible and affordable to use the materials you want to use, but you have to be willing to look for them.

Click past the jump to see the "before" picture.

[Images John Lok/Seattle Times/

Source

Tags: ecology, environment, kitchen, remodel, remodeling, seattle, sustainable

Continue reading “Eco-Friendly $35,000 Kitchen Remodel”

Global Warming And The Future of Wine

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

With yesterday being Earth Day, there has been much talk about the future of the environment. One thing I hadn't seen discussed until I read this Observer article is the effect of global warming on wine. A recent conference called 'Global Warming and Wine' looked at the issue in depth. Grape growing may, in the next 40 to 70 years, may no longer be possible in the Catalonian wine regions of Spain. The Bordeaux region could also be in peril. Water restrictions will also change the future of wine making. If you like wines that grow in warmer climates ( Petit Verdot, Grenache, Touriga, Zinfandel, Shiraz, Viognier and Muscat among others) then you are in luck. The article also points out that red wines may be able to be grown in areas that are traditionally too cold for red grapes.

Source

Tags: climate change, ClimateChange, ecology, global warming, red wine, RedWine, wine

Twike

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Vanity Fair's green issue is pretty compelling reading and they have listed all sorts of eco-friendly options. One of the most interesting is this little vehicle known as the Twike. It's a human-electric hybrid vehicle which holds two passengers. It has side-by-side recumbent bicycle seating and like other pedal-power vehicles we have seen recently it takes its design cues from small aircraft. The Twike can hit a speed of up to 55 mph courtesy of its rechargeable NiCd (NiMH) batteries. It is steered by a joystick and there are two versions, an Active version for those who want to add their own pedal power and the Easy for those who want to let the battery do the work. It's been around for a while (it's been on sale since the late 1990s) and is pretty popular in Switzerland, where it was originally created. The Twike costs around $20,000 and they now have U.S. distribution. Can this small vehicle make it on U.S. roads? At its current speed it's not quite freeway friendly but maybe it could work in some areas.

Source

Tags: battery powered, eco-friendly, ecological, ecology, green, hybrid, twike

Earthships Community Planned for Brighton, England

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

We seen plenty of new developments but this may be the first one that promises no utility bills. The first European Earthships development is being planned for Brighton, England. What's an Earthship? It's a home that is made made using recycled materials including tires. The homes heat and cool themselves, provide their own wind and solar power and have a cistern to harvest rainwater for house use. The homes are expected to cost £250,000 and £350,000 ($436,000 to $610,000 approximately). and some will be allocated as affordable housing. The development is called The Lizard and the developer says there is already a lot of interest. There is already an Earthship community in Taos, New Mexico where the earth-friendly houses are for rent and for sale.

[via Newbuilder]

Source

Tags: development, earthships, ecology, green design, sustainable housing

The No Dirty Gold Campaign

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry

We've spent plenty of time talking about conflict gems but what about what they are set in? The No Dirty Gold campaign seeks to educate consumers on what gold mining entails and to compel mining corporations to make sure that gold is produced in more socially and environmentally responsible ways. Now eight retailers Zale Corp., the Signet Group (the parent firm of Sterling and Kay Jewelers), Tiffany & Co., Helzberg Diamonds, Fortunoff, Cartier, Piaget, and Van Cleef & Arpels put an ad in yesterday's New York Times saying that they will work with Oxfam America and EarthWorks to end "dirty gold." The average gold ring, which weighs in at 1/3 of an ounce generates 20 tons of waste and gold mining contributes to air, water and soil pollution and human rights violations.

[via Treehugger]

Source

Tags: dirty gold, ecology, gold, green issues, human rights, oxfam