African Animals and Ripe Marula Fruit

African animals love ripe marula fruit and the following video shows why.

The Greenest Ecoresort In The World?

Image via Monterey Bay Shores

This month, February 2009, construction is scheduled to begin on the “greenest ecoresort in the world”. The resort is to be called Monterey Bay Shores and will be built in Monterey, California.

The site chosen for the resort is a 29-acre section of sand dune that has been destroyed by 60 years of mining. As part of a revitalization effort, the ecoresort will actively provide habitats for endangered species, boast 5 acres of living roofs and get 30% of its power from onsite solar and wind systems.

The developers claim that "every single detail of Monterey Bay Shores Ecoresort encompasses principles of sustainability and conservation," and that they've left no eco-stone unturned in pursuit of developing the most environmentally friendly resort ever created.

Here's what that means.

The Greenest Ecoresort's Eco-Checklist

-Six and a half of the 29 acres will be dedicated to providing a protected habitat for endangered species and rehabilitating the coastline.

-It will aim for LEED platinum certification

-It's been estimated that the resort will have 50 percent less of a carbon footprint than traditional structures, according to SNG, the resort's developers. How will it manage that? From SNG:

• Design: Designed in harmony with the site, the plans consider topography, orientation and scale of existing and restored dune formations
• Position: The property is set further back from the shoreline than required by local zoning to provide a buffer for habitat and natural coastal processes
• Materials & Construction: Maximum use of recycled building materials, onsite prefab construction and intelligent building operations
• Living Architecture: Five acres of living roofs which mitigate stormwater, and provide insulation and cooling, leave only 1.5 acres of non-native vegetative cover on the ecoresort
• Renewable Energy: Thirty percent of energy needs are provided by onsite renewable sources to power the building's functions – geothermal, wind and solar systems to be deployed
• Water Conservation: Unparalleled water conservation measures – onsite graywater recycling, complete stormwater management and rainwater capture for non potable uses (laundry and irrigation)
• Optimization of Natural Resources: Wind, light and moveable shades enable the ecoresort to utilize the natural advantages of the site

Also, there'll be an onsite sustainability learning center that offers classes, electric and biofueled transportation for guests, and a portion of the resort's profits will reportedly fund local environmental projects.

And, since it's in California, US residents won't have to fly to get there — perhaps the biggest setback for "eco" resorts on tropical islands and around the world.

Every Little Bit Helps

So simple even I can do it and just did. The Dutch communications company Spranq has designed a new environmentally-friendly font they have named the Ecofont.

It is free to download from their site complete with instructions for the computer-challenged.

This font is simplicity itself patterned after a dutch cheese with a similar look. As the designers say, “After Dutch holey cheese, there now is a Dutch font with holes as well.”

The Ecofont saves on printing ink by using less of it. Letters in the typeface contain multiple small circular holes. Obviously, this means that each letter requires less ink to be printed.

Though rather striking, the typeface is wholly readable (no pun intended) and is, apparently, most effective at nine or 10 point. It's also sans serif, because the little flourishes on serif fonts use more ink when being printed.

Spranq claims that the Ecofont will reduce ink use by up to 20% - not bad for something that was developed over "lots of late hours (and coffee)".
Perhaps the most intriguing thing about the font is the question it raises: why hasn't anybody thought of this before? Sometimes, it’s the simplest things that take the longest to be seen.

Spranq actively encourages printing as little as possible and "hopes to increase environmental awareness" through the Ecofont.

However, innovative thinking like this is a positive step in conservation on any scale. Download the Ecofont, try it, see if you like it – you can’t go wrong.

Did You Know That...

Did you know that in Victorian times ventriloquists were known as "belly speakers"?

There's a Polar Bear...Where?

Photo courtesy: Eden

As those of you know who have read my profile, I just adore creativity. I particularly love creativity that is simple, easy to understand and smacks the audience right between the eyes with its message. That's exactly what this sculpture by Eden does.

What an effective image to showcase one of the most painful victims of climate change - a polar bear floating atop a drifting ice cap in the Thames River.

Eden the driving force behind this exhibit is a new digital TV channel in the UK devoted to natural history and the natural world. It was thanks to their ingenuity that the 16-foot sculpture of a polar bear on an ice cap now floats in London’s Thames River. The structure weights 1.5 tons.

The aim of the project is to remind Londoners and the world of the imminent danger of climate change and global warming in the form of melting ice caps. It took 15 artists two months to complete; but, the results are stunning and incredibly lifelike.

The sculpture was commissioned by Eden to coincide with the channel’s Fragile Earth series, presented by the well-known animal rights crusader, Sir David Attenborough.

Huge New Wind Farm On The Way

Juist island, north of which the wind farm will be built. Photo: Wikipedia

RWE Innogy has announced that, with its purchase of ENOVA Energieanlagen GmbH it now also owns the rights to develop the North Sea Windpower 3 offshore wind farm in Germany. The project will now be known as Innogy Nordsee 1. This 960 MW project will be the first open-sea wind farm of its kind.

The timetable, location, costs are as follows:

Construction Could Begin 2010, Completed 2015

Innogy Nordsee 1 will be built 40 kilometers north of the island of Juist and cover an area of sea about 150 square kilometers in size. Innogy expects to receive permitting approval later in 2009, with construction beginning in 2010. For RWE, the construction of Innogy Nordsee 1 is a clear commitment to help achieve the climate protection targets of the German government and the European Union. The wind farm will avoid approximately 2.6 million tons of CO2 annually.

It will also make an important contribution towards achieving RWE’s ambitious renewables targets. By 2012, RWE wants to have secured a power generation capacity of around 4,500 MW on the basis of renewables. Through these investments, the Group is aiming to avoid up to 15 million tons of CO2 per year. The core market is Europe.

The first turbines are expected to produce power a year later; and, the entire wind farm is scheduled for completion in 2015. Total costs for the project are expected to run to €2.8 billion ($3.7 billion).

Based on wind speeds in the region, project developers expect the wind farm to produce over 3 TWh of electricity when fully completed.

Alternatives to Using Shoe Polish

One of my childhood memories is polishing my father’s shoes for work. We children all had our chores that helped to keep our family up and running. One of mine was shining my father’s shoes for work. I used to work really hard trying to make his shoes the shiniest he had ever worn. I wish I had known about these two methods back then. Sure beats a tin of polish, a well-used rag and a stiff brush for buffing.

Shoe polish can be toxic. Here's what the Dept. of Health and Human Services says about shoe polish:

[Emergency Instructions:]
INHALATION: Remove to fresh air. Contact a physician if irritation occurs.

EYE CONTACT: Flush eyes with water. Contact a physician if irritated.

SKIN CONTACT: Wash skin thoroughly with soap and water. If irritation occurs, contact a physician.

Product will temporarily stain skin. Direct eye contact may cause irritation of the eye.

Some cities have recognized the toxicity of shoe polish and taken steps to recycle it separately from other trash. In Los Angeles and most other places, shoe polish is disallowed in the regular trash. It must be disposed of as a hazardous material, because it often contains materials like naphtha and turpentine.

There are two completely organic ways of polishing your shoes without adding any burden to the environment.

Use a banana peel. The oils and potassium in the banana polish and preserve your shoes. Here are the directions:

1. Eat banana.
2. Rub the inside of the banana against the surface of your shoe.
3. Acquire soft cloth. Buff shoes.
4. Compost peel.

Use any vegetable oil.

1. Clean all dirt from shoes.
2. Place a couple drops of any vegetable oil on a soft cloth.
3. Rub all oil into shoes.
4. Buff and wear.

A Reader Says...

Kathi makes a good point in her comment. She points out that everyone may not know what a "navy shower" is. A navy shower is using water to get wet; turn off water to soap and shampoo; turn water on to rinse off.

Thank you, Kathi. Who else would keep me on my toes?

Reply From Nguyen La Chanh : Moss Carpet Inventor

I wrote to Nguyen La Chanh trying to find if these carpets were commercially available. This is his response to my questions. Please note he has included his email address at the bottom as well as a website. Got questions? Ask him. He seems like a lovely person. The email starts below:

Hello!

Thanks a lot for writing me!

I'm really sorry to tell you that my little moss carpet will stay in my bathroom for now... :-(

I only did one prototype and didn't planed to commercialized it. I would need to make many pieces to lower the costs... Because even though, it doesn't look like it, it's a pretty expensive carpet ! :-)

But since many people are writing me to buy one, I'm gonna think about finding a way to commercialize it.

I'll keep your email address and will let you know if it's possible to buy one in the near future.

Best regards

NGUYEN La Chanh
lachanh@sunrise.ch
http://www.coroflot.com/baolam_design

Looking at Bathroom Numbers

I found this information on one of my favourite sites: Treehugger.com These statistics are based on your average American bathroom.

Green Bathrooms: By the Numbers

• 21 percent: Household water use that comes from the shower.
• 26 percent: Household water use that comes from flushing the toilet.
• 1.5 percent: Household water use that comes from using the bath.
• 80 gallons:Amount of water the average American uses a day.
• 2.5 gallons: Amount of water used per day by the rest of the world.
• 260 gallons: Amount of water used by the average household in the developed world.
• 67 percent: Water heating costs for households for showers alone.
• 22 gallons: Amount of water flushed down the toilet daily in the U.S.
• $5: Cost of a low flow shower head that will cut your consumption by 45 gallons per day.
• 15,000 gallons: Amount of water you can save per year by taking a navy shower.
• 60 gallons: Average amount of water used in taking a shower.
• 3 gallons: Amount of water used when taking a Navy shower.