Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all the Eternal Coil readers! I hope you have a safe and wonderful holiday. Blogging starts back up Thursday!

Walmart really isn't green.

Wake-Up Wal-Mart Blog: Wal-Mart's demand for cheap goods strikes again!

Walmart says they are at the front of the green wave, starting to provide eco-friendly products. I personally havn't seen any there, but who knows. Anyway, this article originally in the Huffington Post reports how Walmart has gone back on its 'green statement' and is making suppliers use un-sustainable wood products just to keep prices down. Another shot against walmart. Maybe once the world starts dying people will realize that bigbox stores aren't a good thing.

IXI: The Recyclable Bike

Heres something for next year's Christmas list: the totally recyclable bike! The iXi bike is made from aluminum, which means its recyclable. Most bikes either end up at the dump or as a piece of art when its at the end of its road, but the iXi allows you to send it on its way to become something else.

The bike comes with the normal specs of a regular bike, plus some bonus stuff:

Design-driven bike that makes riding a bike more desirable

Made out of aluminum so the entire bike is recyclable

Rides like a full-size bike

Has a greaseless chain so pants won’t get dirty

Handlebars and pedals fold flat, so it can be stored out of the way

Has a repair kit inside the frame and poncho

Purchase at ixibike.com

Waste Free World London Rally

This past Saturday my friend James and I went to an International Demonstration on Climate Change held at the Covent Garden Market in downtown London Ontario. The day, Dec 8, was called the largest day of climate protest in the world, taking place in 70 countries and more than 30 cities in Canada alone.
They had information displays, an area to sign online petitions, sales of bumper stickers and patches that promote biking and eco-friendliness. THey also had a place set up to call Steven Harper and leave a message about how climate change is important. I missed it, but they also had a rally outside in the afternoon with supposedly a few hundred people!

Waste Free World used the event to show off their 'BYO' campaign at the market, promoting a Bring Your Own (plates, mugs, cutlery) to eliminate waste at the market.


One of my favourite parts was the booth with the stickers and swag. They had some great ideas there. Here is one:

The Brelli

Marked as being the 'world's most stylish umbrella' (their statement, not mine), the Brelli is a new umbrella that is 100% biodegradable. The canopy is made from bio-plastic and is said to decompose within 2 years, while the rest of the umbrella is made from bamboo. It comes in two sizes and the canopy material is printable, so it has potential to carry a brand name.
This umbrella may be stylish enough that you won't lose it in fear of having to revert back to a cheap black one!

Billboard Power Plant

Our friends at Treehugger.com are always one step ahead in the eco news. Maybe they make it up, i dunno, but this story is from their site(but in my own words).

Here is a great way to advertise solar power, and an idea of how to power lights in the future. Its simple, yet I don't know why it isn't used more often. I've seen those construction signs that are solar powered (more often downtown London with the sinkhole signs), but I dunno why more billboards don't power themselves! i mean you've got an area higher than most buildings around and in most cases get 100% sunlight on good days. So lets see more of this!

Santa is going to die!

At a recent festive tree lighting in Seattle, Mayor Greg Nickels used his speech before the lighting of the lights to bring a new global eco-threat: If we don't stop using normal light bulbs, Santa and his reindeer will die! He then proceeded to pass out energy efficient bulbs.
Apparently scaring kids into using the bulbs will stop the icecaps from melting and save Santa from drowning.
There is also a letter that Nickels wrote:

Eco Keyboard Tray from Details

Here's a new office feature that ranks high on the 'eco-dar' (eco + radar? come on people! get with it). An ergonomic keyboard support tray with lots of features and set up options that is 98% recycled!

Containing 98% recycled steel in the Support Mechanism, 100% recycled Kraft paper content in the Keyboard Platform and Environmentally friendly waterborne Urethane for the Palm Rest, this office item sounds really good.

Detail's new 'Cradle to Cradle' concept keeps a 'closed material loop in which we pull very little virgin raw material from the environment and send very little back.'

Get the details at Details

Firefly Night Table Light

Heres a cool idea. Its a night light made from LECD (Light-emitting ceramic device) technology that emits a soft green, glowing light. Perfect for those times when you need to get dressed in the dark without waking your partner, or for in a baby's room or as a bathroom/hallway light. It plugs into your standard wall outlet and only uses an estimated TWO CENTS per year!

Buy it online at greenfeet.com

Coolest Recycle Logo

I think this is from Taiwan. Probably one of the best logos for recycling i've ever seen. Took me about 30 seconds to see both sets of arrows. Can you see both?

Technorati Tags: recycling, ads

Powered by ScribeFire.

Eternal Coil Has a New Home

Eternal Coil has set up on its own domain. The response to this blog has been great, so I figured it was time to get on my own domain. For any feeds, change them to this site:

http://eternalcoil.ca/?feed=rss2

Update bookmarks and links to:
http://eternalcoil.ca


Feel free to comment on the new site setup.

Product Spotlight: Keen Bags

Keen, a shoe and outdoor company, has been in the eco-product business since 2003 when they launched their first earth friendly shoe.

This year they've released a new line of bags, made of recycled material and in an environmentally-friendly way. The bags contain recycled rubber and metal reclaimed from their shoe factory.
They have also included their packaging as an eco-friendly option, with it being 100% made from bio-degradable materials.




Visit www.keenfootwear.com for more info and locations.

Banned PETA Ads

Here are some fun TV ads that PETA created that are now banned from TV. I find them more funny than disturbing. I can understand why the first one is banned, but no idea for the last one...


What if you were killed for your fur? Doesn't seem like such a good idea now?


This one is just funny. Turkeys terrorizing a grocery store. I feel a movie in the making!


mmmm toilet water....drooool...



See more at petatv.com



-

Product Spotlight: Eco Hot Cups

Most paper hot cups on the market today contain a plastic lining made from a petrochemical. This lining helps ensure the integrity of the cup against hot liquids such as coffee. In American alone, more than 14 billions cups of coffee are served annually in disposal cups with plastic linings. Hot cups that use petro-based plastic linings will not fully decompose, and are also dependant on a limited and costly resource, oil. Ecoproducts.com brings you an eco-friendly alternative. The new ecotainer hot cups from International Paper are the only hot cups on the market with an inner lining using a plastic biopolymer derived from corn. Along with making a strong and dependable hot cup, plastic derived from corn is also renewable. These new pla hot cups are the perfect eco-friendly cup for they help reduce pollution, save energy and is also fully compostable.

These compostable hot cups are the perfect cups for greening your coffee shop. Compostable in a commercial composting environment, the Ecotainertm hot cup has an inner lining made from 100% corn whereas conventional paper hot cups have inner linings made from petroleum.

Also, the paper comes from trees that were harvested sustainably and the cups are Elemental chlorine-free. These cups perform the same or better than regular paper hot cups.


Get more info at www.ecoproducts.com

The Price of an Appliance You Don't Use

I've seen lots of ideas on how to conserve energy, which saves you money. Everything from buying water-saving nozzles to windows that redirect heat.
What I am going to hopefully explain in this post is how much energy you can waste by just having things plugged in. Those little red lights that show that the appliance is on do burn energy. The most common villans of energy wasting are anything with an external energy pack, anything that uses a remote, or anything that has a running clock(vcr). But just how much is wasted though?

Its believed that most modern appliances use about 15 to 30 watts while not in use, just by being plugged in. This adds up to an extra $10-30 used throughout the life of an appliance. That's PER APPLIANCE.
According to the Canadian Government, it averages out to be about 5-10% of your monthly hydro bill. So if your monthly bill is, lets say, $100, that means you could be wasting $10 each month on unused appliances. It adds to up a good 2 meals out on the town each year!




-

Eco-Friendly Lamps Win at Top Drawer Autumn Awards

This past week at the Top Drawer Autumn Awards in England, top designers from all over the world showed their latest designs in food products, interior design and more. Among the awards was the one for Best Eco Product, going to lighting and homewares designer Ulrika Jarl, for her 'cell lights'.
The ceramic lamps give off a peach colored light. They are all created locally(in England), and use materials sourced locally and all waste bone china is reclaimed and reused. The lamps are supplied with energy-saving lightbulbs.
Although ceramic is not a material that is seen as environmental, Ulrika reports that the ceramic is only kiln fired once, and does not require a second firing for the glaze, which keeps the energy consumption to a minimum compared to most other types of ceramic.





-

TheFind.com Launches FindGreen

Product search engine TheFind.com has now launched its eco-friendly counterpart TheFindGreen.com. The website allows you to search through 300,000 products from over 1,200 stores, giving your environment-friendly shopping an online boost.
They also feature a list of 'Hot Searches' that give you a peek into organic and green products that you probably wouldn't have thought of before.
The search results page is a great feature too, allowing you to scale the target price up or down, to filter results into your price bracket. There is also a color feature that searches a product's colors.



-

Creative Ads: Singapore Environment Council

Heres a fun one from Asia. I like the message, and that its really original.

Tag line:

Atmospheric pollution affects everyone.
To find out what you can do to help the environment, visit www.sec.org.com.sg

Creative Ads: Greenpeace

Tag line:
Ordinary bulbs are killing the environment.
Just one simple act on your part can stop the climate crisis: switch to Compact Fluorescent Lamps. Find out more at www.banthebulb.in

Use Air Fresheners And You Could Die.

Did that title get your attention??
So the actual situation isn't as dire as it sounds. But its still pretty bad. A recent study by Natural Resources Defense Council found that 12 out of 14 popular air freshener products contained a chemical known to be harmful to the health of humans. Phthalates, known to cause reproductive problems and hormone disruption in humans, were found in virtually all air freshener brands, including several Walgreens-branded air fresheners that the popular retailer has now pulled off its shelves.

In a hopeful lapse of judgement, neither the FDA or the EPA test air fresheners for homes, meaning consumers could be exposed to unknown chemicals without warning.

Only two products tested by the NRDC -- Febreze Air Effects and Renuzit Subtle Effects -- contained almost no detectable levels of phthalates, yet the twelve other products tested positive for the chemical even though some were labeled "unscented" and none of them listed phthalates as an ingredient.

This just raises the question as to how many lethal chemicals we are being subjected to each day in our own homes. Maybe its time that the government starts filtering new products? Or maybe we should start using nature's air fresheners instead of ones made in factories?



-

PETA Ads Going Sexy

U.S. actress Maggie Quigley, who is better known as Maggie Q, is the focal point for P.E.T.A's newest print ads, promoting vegetarianism.


Check out peta.org for more info.




-

Today's Green News: A Summery

Welcome to Thursday! Here's a few links of interest that have been building up in my memo box.

This first story is a great write up by the Toronto Star about creating a bicycle friendly city. A bicycle-friendly city is environment-friendly, too

-----------------

Heres a list of 100 things to think about that will help the environment. Most of it is pretty standard, but its a good to refresh your memory on the topic! 100 Ways to Save the Environment

-----------------

This article talks about finding the 'real' organic food in your grocery store. It goes on to say that you really need to read labels on food packages, even if the package promotes organic food. Check out the rest at: www.southernillinoisan.com





-

The Solar Bike

A few weeks ago we presented a Hydrogen-fueled bicycle. Now we come to you with a Canadian version. Designer Peter Sandler, President of Therapy Products and Inventor of the E-V Sunny Bicycle, developed the first all Solar electric bicycle.

The E-V Sunny Bicycle has solar panels built right into the wheels, which give constant energy while in the sun and maintaining a constant charge to the batteries. The bike is propelled by a 500 watt front hub motor.

The propelled bike has a speed of up to 30 kilometers per hour. The overall weight is 75 pounds which could be a hassle if you want to get up some hills on a cloudy day. There is only a 10 minute charge time needed to start again (maybe by putting the bike on its side?), so a quick rest in the sun would help for any annoying hills.

The starting price is $1300 with a 90 day warrantee, but if you're happy with your own ride there are $800 add-on kits available.

See their website here: www.therapyproducts.com

Chickens in the Backyard

No, the title isn't a metaphor for the glory days gone by, or for short, funny stories that will uplift you. I'm talking about real, honest to goodness chickens. And why would there be chickens in the backyard? Well for the eggs of course!
A new idea thats been brought about in the green world is that of keeping your own chickens, even in a slightly urban setting. I don't think its responsible to have them in your apartment building, but that is up to you.
Basically the idea is that with a little work, you get organic (mostly free!) eggs, and eventually chicken meat. Chickens don't require too much space (they'll never fly away). Besides feeding, the occasional cleaning and protection from your neighbours cat, the work can be minimal. And they're just so fun to watch, heads bobbing when they walk. They also provide a sort of pest control, since they eat mosquitoes and other bugs that would annoy you.
Now there are difficulties in raising chickens, such as you can't just leave for a week (much like any pet), you do need to collect the eggs unless you want rotten eggs sitting around, and there are bird flus and predators that come around, but if you want to guarantee fresh, organic eggs to eat there is no better way than that.

Here is a great site to get more info on raising chickens in your backyard: The City Chicken




-

Product Spotlight: Sway Stool

From Branch Sustainable Living comes a envrionmentally friendly, ergonomic designed stool, called the Sway Stool (because it sways!). Perfect for office work, or just to peacefully sit and think.

From the site:

The central column of the stool, located directly under the spine of the user, is flexible, solid cork while the rest is perforated. The result is a seat that flexes and pivots under the weight of the user, responding to the slightest body movement. The user's muscles remain slightly engaged to maintain balance, improving posture and circulation. Many have reported this to be a perfect seat for working at a desk or computer, enabling the user to move and rock while working and thinking. Because cork is 100% waterproof and impervious to rot and mold growth, this piece functions as well outdoors as it does in.

Check out more product specs here: Sway Stool




-

Business: Starting Green

With 'Green' as the big word in business these days, businesses are not only starting to supply greener products, but now they must be envrironmentally friendly in their practices as well. Customers are getting smarter in the ways that they deal with big businesses. The internet provides access to product reports, company info and more at the click of a button, and now companies can't just say they are going green, they must act on it.

If you're considering starting a green business, here are a few links and ideas to help you get a foothold in a growing market.

Choose Your Market
'Green' products are no longer limited to food, energy saving or cosmetics. There are new products in every line imaginable, from insulation to books to sports equipment. To begin, you must figure out what part of the market you want to dive into. Here are a couple links that list green companies in various markets:

• GreenPeople.org
  
• Global Sources
  

Green All The Way
The best way to promote your green products is to live the life yourself. If your company doesn't live up to its claims, then customers won't believe your products. Imagine walking into a 'green' shop to find its owner driving a gas-eating SUV or the light bulbs are energy consuming, super bright, short lived, well you know where i'm going here. Your company must live it up green. And with new products coming out all the time it wouldn't be that pricey to start off.
Check out this www.green-business.ca for some more info.

And lastly, there is an amazing site that provides daily links and info on being green. I mean this site is just what you need for a green business. Its just awesome. Are you getting where I'm going with this? No? Well let me spell it out for you.
Eternal Coil. Yes, THIS website! Wow was that hard or what?

Green business are starting to bloom. And there is always room for more!

Creative Ads: WWF

I don't know if this is creative or just strangely disturbing...
Titled: "Help us protect mother nature.
Find out how you can work with us at www.panda.org/pt"

Bamboo Bikes and More

Sporting goods is one of the newest eco-friendly trends to hit the markets. If green cars and houses can do it, why not sports and fitness!

When you paddle out (into the waves) and you see Styrofoam cups, plastic bags, cigarettes, what enters your mind is what you’re buying and ... what you’re riding in the ocean,” says Travis Wilkerson, membership director for the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association, a trade association for the suppliers of surfing products, including several that sell surfboards made of materials selected for their eco-friendly composition.
[Source: journalgazette.net]

Calfee Design, a high end bike designer started building bikes out of bamboo over 10 years ago, when owner Craig Calfee noticed that bamboo was as strong as the carbon fiber he had been using. Bamboo also is reported to absorb vibrations better than metal or the carbon fiber.
This sounds like a great new idea, using one of earth's more hardy products.
See the website for the full story.

Toxins in your House

When you're working on making your house more green and environmentally safe you also have to think about making your body more safe. There are toxins in your house that can eventually create respiratory problems, cause weight gain and slow your metabolism making you feel tired.
These toxins are found in everyday common house cleaners. Recent EPA reports show that indoor pollutent levels are two to five times higher than outdoor levels, and a lot of that pollution is caused by our household cleaners.

One new chemical enters industrial use every 20 minutes," says Paula Baillie-Hamilton, MD, only to join many hundreds of thousands of synthetic chemicals already in use. "As a result, the average person living in the developed world is now contaminated with up to 500 industrial toxins, few of which have been properly tested for harmful effects."
[Source: www.mindfull.org]

There are a large number of companies that provide organic, toxic free cleaners. I'm sure there are many cleaners in your own grocery store that are organic. Rather than let these household toxins slow you down, get organic and help your body stay healthier.

Today's Green News: A Summery

Loblaw's Superstore in Milton, Ont., has become the first big-box store in North America to ban the plastic bag. Galen Weston, Loblaw Companies Inc.'s executive chairman, tells CBC News Morning about the grocery chain's green initiative.
[Source: CBC.ca

----------

Organic fashion includes silk dresses, certified organic t-shirts and linen jeans. 'Under the Canopy' is an organic clothing line out of Boca Raton. They've designed a line that's eco-friendly down to the natural dyes.

Owner Barbara Cavanaugh says, "The main fabric we're using is organic cotton and that means the cotton is grown without the use of any kind of pesticides."

That's a big deal when you consider that 25-percent of the world's pesticide use goes to growing conventional cotton, according to the World Health Organization.
[Source: Fristcoastnews.com

-----------

BUND: Busting Earth Marketing

Heres a great ad campaign from BUND.

Titled: "The world can't take anymore CO2."

Members of the BUND put globe-balloons on exhaust-pipes of cars in Berlin. The exhaust gas inflates the balloons. And after the message becomes readable, there is a big bang.

Greening Up Your House In London Ontario: Episode One

So this is the start of what i'm assuming will be a multiple part blog on my experiences trying to make my house more environmentally friendly. I'm going to look into everything from solar power for lighting and heat, to building my own garden watering reservoir. I'm mainly doing this in the London, Ontario area because I want to show the readers from this locale how to make your house more eco friendly from any possible local resources.
I just want to point out that any companies that I talk about have no idea i'm doing this right now so it is in no way an endorsement to them.

So the first course of action in making your home more green is to see what local sources there are.
Searching online, I found a renewable energy supplier in London called 'The R.E. Source Store'. They supply everything from solar panels to lightbulbs.
Hitting up the phone book I found "UL Lovett Inc" which specialise in 'Tubular Skylights', wind generators and some solar heaters.
There are also a slew of 'Environmental Consultants' which I have no idea what they do. I'll have to call one sometime and ask.

Going by this list I can see that finding eco friendly products may be hard in this area. Prices seem to be pretty high, which makes buying them tough for anyone not in the 6 figure-a-year bracket. I guess i'm going to have to research a bit more into where I can build my own energy savers on a small budget. I'm thinking that stores like Home Depot will be of use for some of the minor parts.


Next Episode: Creating a garden watering reservoir.

Upcycling: The Fourth 'R'

Here is a great article from www.etsy.com, explaining the idea of 'upcycling', which goes beyond recycling and utilizes used products for new uses, such as art or jewelery. Why should the recycling companies have all the fun?
The article goes on to say how, even when buying green products, you still contribute to the landfills eventually. What upcycling hopes to do is take a waste product (say glass bottles) and use them for something that will be sustained continually(say in building supplies). One hopes that in the future we can find better uses for used products, maybe as something that is functional in our lives!

Here's the full story.

New Mexico: Restaurant Plans on Wind Power

Chipotle Mexican Grill in Gurnee Mills, New Mexico, has gotten the zoning permits for building a a 60 foot wind turbine to power their new restaurant. The project is expected to cost about $60000 USD and will pay for itself in 10-15 years. This is just one of the new wave of companies going entirely green power.
Chipotle restaurants are also known for their use of farm bred pork instead of using 'factory farms' where pigs are kept in crates since birth and don't even have the opportunity to move on their own. Chipotle believes in using the old fashioned farm way of raising pigs:

Since 2001, all of the pork served in our restaurants has been from pigs raised in this humane, ecologically sustainable way. In addition to all of our pork, nearly 60 percent of our chicken and more than 40 percent of our beef is naturally raised. And we'll continue until all of our meats in all of our restaurants meet this standard.
-Taken From www.chipotle.com

Its good to see companies who are this conscious of the world.

German Car Show

From the Wall Street Journal:

The Frankfurt auto show is normally a venue where German car makers show off their sportiest, most technically sophisticated models.

But when this year's show opens next week, it will have a more schizophrenic character — much like the industry itself. Manufacturers are torn between producing models that consume less fuel and those that deliver the most performance, between serving their established customers in the Western world and those in fast-growing emerging markets like China and India.

The rush by German car makers to offer "greener" versions of their most politically incorrect models illustrates the bind many auto makers find themselves in: They are skeptical of customers' willingness to pay extra for fuel efficiency, yet afraid of being left behind should demand for such vehicles take off.

More here.

Hydrogen Fuelcell Bicycle

This is a cool idea for the future. See more at www.ecogeek.org

Going Green is Good for Business

A recent poll done by analyst firm IDC shows a growing trend in IT businesses looking at the greener side. Over 30% of the IT execs surveyed say that they look at their supplier's 'green credentials' when buying products.

The survey, which interviewed 854 IT professionals, also revealed that 28.6 percent of IT managers saw green technology as a "moral obligation," and 23.8 percent said it was the responsibility of IT suppliers.

Further, 12.2 percent saw the implementation of green technology, under corporate social responsibility agenda, as a competitive advantage.
[quote from www.pcworld.com]

Read the full story here.

I've often wondered how long it will be until supply companies fully show how green their products are. They can say 'using recycled materials' but that doesn't really mean that ALL their products are green. It will be nice to see companies posting full info on their products (say on websites), so that the people concerned with green products can fully understand and see what goes into the suppliers products. I know this is a long way off, but this blogger can dream!

GoingGreen 2007

September 10-12 are big days for 'green' industries.

"GoingGreen" is where cutting-edge greentech CEOs meet the movers and shakers from the biggest industries on earth. Green technology innovators are transforming the global energy, water, agriculture, transportation, construction, manufacturing, and resource recovery establishments - trillion dollar industries.

We'll have more info about any news from this event as we can find it.

More info here.

Victoria's Secret Goes Organic

This coming spring a few runways are going to feel more 'real' than before when Victoria's Secret brings its organic line out. Their new set that is targeted to the younger 'eco conscious' crowd and consists of a more playful line of lingerie and loungewear. Lets hope this is just the beginning of more public companies going the eco friendly way.

Source: Fashion Week Daily

Incredible Lifesaving Straw

There are over 1 billion people on earth without access to clean drinking water. A company from Denmark has now introduced a revolutionary device that could help these people clean water easily and cheaply. The LifeStraw is a portable water purifier "offering relief from common diarrhoeal diseases – and can be carried around for easy access to safe and clean drinking water."
The LifeStraw is only 31cm long and 2.5cm wide and requires no electricity or replacement parts. Each 'straw' can purify at least 700 liters of water and only cost $3.
Go to www.lifestraw.com for more info.

'Impossible' Battery Made Possible?

With the increasing desire for fuel efficient cars, companies have spent millions on trying to make a battery that keeps its charge longer than electric cars do now, which is about 60km after a night of charging.
But heres the good news. A company by the name of EEStor has claimed to have made a battery that could get you up to 500km on just 5 minutes of charging.
Using a 'secret ingrediant' which is sandwhiched between thousands of sheeets of metal, stored energy is quickly absorbed and discharged, which is ecactly what an electric car needs in terms of energy. You can see the full story here.

First Post

Welcome to my newest blog about the environment, going green, creatively saving the planet, changing the earth and whats going on in the world.
Basically in this blog I'll show you, the reader, new products and ideas that are shaping the way we live to better the planet. I'll also be producing articles written by myself about going green, opinions on recent activities, and basic life stories that involve creatively making out planet a better one. Oh and I'm trying to keep a creative angle on the stories, so you should expect to see more posts about new creative ideas rather than politics and junk like that.
I appreciate any comments on posts, or insights on new ideas. I'd also look forward to hearing of new links and stories that we should post here from the readers.
This blog isn't about showing exactly what you should do, its just one person's opinion about the world we live in, and how I think we can make it better.