Eco Friendly Sustainable Clothes You Grow

Posted on May 22, 2011 by quest

The concept for BioCouture originated during the research for Suzanne Leeʼs book ʻFashioning The Future: tomorrowʼs wardrobe.’ A serendipitous conversation in 2003 with Dr. David Hepworth, a biologist and materials scientist, presented a new vision of future fashion – one that emerges fully-formed from a vat of liquid.

Rather than exploit plants or petrochemicals to provide the raw material for fabric BioCouture is  investigating the use of microbes to grow a textile biomaterial. Certain bacteria will spin  microfibrils of pure cellulose during fermentation which form a dense layer that can be harvested and dried. It can then either be used wet or molded onto a 3D form, like a dress shape, or dry it flat and then cut and sewed into a garment. From there it can readily be dyed and printed on the material and since it requires far less dye than other fibres it has a huge environmental advantage.

With so many environmental concerns related to the production, consumption and disposal of fashion textiles BioCouture is pioneering a new eco-friendly and sustainable alternative. The future scale up of this material would also seek to use waste streams, for example from the food or drinks industry, to fuel the microbial-cellulose production.

What Suzanne started as a fashion project has now evolved into a bio materials project. They are only just  beginning to imagine what other uses there might be for this material. Right now these clothes  are experimental prototypes and not commercially available, and, as the material is still in development. See: Susanne Lee on growing clothes

NEW YORK ECO FASHION WEEK

Solar Energy A Source For Brighter Earth Days

Posted on April 22, 2011 by quest

As we welcome the 41st Earth Day it is interesting to look around and take stock of where we are; as going green continues to go mainstream. It is almost impossible not to heed two events that are calling on all human beings around the world to bring about change to our environmental mentality.

The most recent has been the devastating Tsunami that hit Japan and that subsequently caused the explosion at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant. And of course the other was the catastrophic BP oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico. At this point you might expect that the blame for the events should lay at the feet of big oil and nuclear power companies, after all they build them. And yet the responsibility for allowing toxic energy producers to continue, lies with each of us. Much of the early debates about the environment have centered around the idea of saving the birds, trees and environment, as if humans aren’t a part of it. But what new believers of environmental change are conveying is that what we are talking about is saving the earth so humans can live here.

Solar and other renewable energy sources such as wind and biomass offer a far, far less destructive method for providing the energy we need, and do so in a way that provide air we can breathe; water we can drink and an earth that’s healthy enough to sustain life for all living creatures. In that regards California and other states and cities are implementing attractive and innovative incentive programs to encourage renewable investments. The hope is that this will lead to even healthier and brighter Earth Days in the future.

EXPLORE YOUR ENVIRONMENT

Green Pioneer Majora Carter Wins Peabody Award

Posted on April 3, 2011 by quest

Majora Carter Wins Peabody Award for her radio show The Promised Land with Majora Carter, a forum for deep, eye-opening conversations about the environment and justice; Peabody Says: If there’s such a thing as eye-opening radio, Carter’s series, devoted to helping her audience envision a more just, sustainable world, is it.

Majora Carter founded Sustainable South Bronx in 2001 — when very few people were even talking about “sustainability,” and even fewer in places like the South Bronx. By 2003, she coined the term “Green the Ghetto” as she pioneered one of the nation’s first urban green-collar job training and placement systems. Her organization spearheaded new policies and legislation that fueled demand for those jobs, improved the lives of New Yorkers, and served as a model for the nation.

Majora’s 2006 TEDtalk was one of the first six presentations to launch that groundbreaking website. Since 2008, her consulting company has been exporting climate adaptation, urban micro-agribusiness, and leadership development strategies for business, state and local governments, federal agencies, foundations, universities, and economically underperforming communities.

Here’s what Robert Redford says about his Promised Land…What’s your Promised look like?

VISIT THE SOLAR WALL

Solar Electric Vehicle Charging A First in New York

Posted on March 22, 2011 by quest

BROOKLYN, NY – Brooklyn Bridge Park and Beautiful Earth Group (BE), a Brooklyn-based renewable energy company, announced today the arrival of a state-of-the-art solar-powered electric vehicle charging station to Brooklyn Bridge Park – a world-class 85-acre sustainable waterfront park with iconic views of the New York Harbor and Manhattan skyline.   Designed and built by BE, the station is the first solar-powered charging station in New York City and one of only a few in the world. Brooklyn Bridge Park will use the donated station to charge its electric service vehicles (EVs) using only the power of the sun. This project greatly enhances the Park’s already impressive sustainability efforts, which include the reuse of materials from demolished buildings, use of native plant species, reintroduction of marine habitats and management of rainwater and runoff.
Using solar power to operate its EVs will yield significant cost savings for Brooklyn Bridge Park – more than $200,000 in gasoline costs, and tens of thousands of dollars in electricity costs, over the 25-year lifetime of the project. More than 530 tons of CO2 would have been emitted during this period had the Park chosen to use traditional service vehicles.

“On behalf of Brooklyn Bridge Park, I thank Beautiful Earth for the gift of this pioneering solar-powered charging station for the park’s fleet of electric vehicles,” said President of Brooklyn Bridge Park Regina Myer. “Brooklyn Bridge Park is New York’s premiere sustainably-built and operated public park and the charging station furthers our mission to honor the environment and conserve resources. We are thrilled to partner with one of Brooklyn’s most innovative technology companies and to help demonstrate the future of renewable energy.”

UNDERSTANDING RECYCLING

New Zealand Renewable Energy Entrepreneurial Powerhouse

Posted on February 2, 2011 by quest

New Zealand has begun the 2011 year as one of the most entrepreneurial countries on the planet. It is “an entrepreneurial powerhouse,” according to The Economist. The World Bank ranked New Zealand #1 for starting a business in 2010 and Forbes pegged New Zealand at #3 on its new “Best Countries for Business” list in 2010, up two notches from the year before.

With a recent study by The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation finding that net job growth in the U.S. is now driven primarily by start-ups, many are taking a closer look at why New Zealand has been so successful in fostering an entrepreneurial culture.

“Entrepreneurs are the life blood of New Zealand’s economy. We have more than 470,000 small businesses run by smart, inspired Kiwis with mindsets that operate without boundaries,” said Marta Mager, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE), Regional Director, Americas. “New Zealand is one of the most innovative, creative, technologically advanced and internationally competitive countries in the world.”

Mager said the following five factors encourage entrepreneurship in New Zealand:

1. Drive Ingenuity – The government nurtures entrepreneurs in New Zealand, providing 45% of all R&D funding. Much of the money is directed through the country’s universities and Crown Research Institutes, which are required to generate revenue through commercial successes. New Zealand incubator Icehouse was named one of the top 10 start-up incubators in the world by Forbes magazine.

2. Focus on Natural Niches and its Science Base – New Zealand has used its agrarian and maritime heritage as a springboard to become a leader in sustainable food and wine, aquaculture, biotechnology, agribusiness and more. One example of a global game changer is CLIMsystems, a company that has created software to help predict the impact of climate change. Another cutting-edge company is Baker No-Tillage, a finalist at the World Technology Awards, which offers a credible way of providing sustainable world food production. Just last month, New Zealand wine brand Mobius Marlborough became the first in the world to display a carbon footprint label adjusted for each export market.

New Zealand is also on the cutting edge in renewable energy and clean technology, with nearly two-thirds of all electricity in New Zealand coming from renewable sources. By 2025, that figure is projected to rise to 90%.

3. Remoteness Spurs Innovation – As a far-flung Pacific island nation, New Zealand spawned generations of entrepreneurs and natural-born engineers whose problem-solving “tinkering” has evolved into world-class innovation. Case in point: Auckland-based Rex Bionics who have developed the world’s first commercially available robotic exoskeleton, providing a groundbreaking new option for the physically disabled. Other examples include New Zealand companies Sealegs and B2P who were recently featured in Popular Science Magazine’s ‘Best of What’s New’. Sealegs makes an amphibious boat built for demanding all-terrain conditions and B2P offers a web-enabled, easy and fast bacteria detection system. Both innovations, applicable world-wide, were creative solutions to geographic challenges.

4. Break Down Barriers – There are few tariffs or trade barriers in New Zealand. The government’s philosophy is to connect international buyers and investors with New Zealand industries that have long-term, sustainable advantages and high-growth potential. The companies, however, must compete on an international playing field. It’s truly survival of the fittest.

5. Perform on a World Stage – The New Zealand creative industry burst into international consciousness following the phenomenal box-office and award-winning success of films such as The Lord of the Rings trilogy, King Kong and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Visual effects for the world’s highest grossing film, Avatar, which received accolades at the 2010 Academy Awards®, BAFTAs® and Golden Globe® Awards, were the work of Weta Digital whose accomplishments over the past ten years have changed the way movies are made.

UNDERSTANDING ECOTOURISM

Jersey Gardens To Build Largest Roof Top Solar System

Posted on January 18, 2011 by quest

Glimcher Realty Trust, one of the country’s premier retail REITs, today announced plans for the largest single-roof top solar system in North America to be built on the roof of Jersey Gardens in Elizabeth, New Jersey. The 4.8MW solar array will generate enough power to offset 11 percent of the electrical consumption of the mall. Jersey Gardens, with 1.3 million square feet of leasable space, is one of the largest properties in Glimcher’s regional mall portfolio, with tenants including Gap Outlet, H&M, Lord & Taylor Outlet, Neiman Marcus Last Call, Nike Factory Store and Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th.

Throughout its portfolio, Glimcher has been a leader in implementing various techniques resulting in environmentally friendly methods to conserve energy, manage or reduce waste and recycle used materials. The addition of a solar array to Jersey Gardens was made possible through a partnership with Gerding Edlen Development, Inc. , the nation’s leading expert in creating a future in green buildings, and Gerding Edlen Sustainable Solutions, a subsidiary of Gerding Edlen and expert in sustainable development, renewable energy and financing.

Marshall Loeb, president and COO, Glimcher Realty Trust said “Jersey Gardens is already known as a premier international shopping destination and has been an innovator in sustainability. We are proud to be working alongside Gerding Edlen to create a model for clean and effective energy development and management,” said Marshall Loeb, president and COO, Glimcher Realty Trust. To realize this initiative, Glimcher entered into a power purchase agreement with Clean Focus Corporation.The Jersey Gardens solar system will be designed, installed, and maintained by SunPower Corporation.