The Bloom Box... still a hot option?

Many people have seen the Bloom Box in newspapers and TV spots like 60 Minutes. FedEx, WalMart, Staples, EBay and Google are using Bloom Boxes. Some of these companies are coming up on their one year anniversaries with Bloom Energy. Where does the Bloom Box stand now?

Just a few weeks after entering the limelight, the press energy surrounding the fuel cells has died down. Most articles now are concerned with potential problems. A key issue is Blooms vs. government investment. Smart Grid was going to be the next big thing and government money went with it. The Bloom Boxes are off the grid, which is one of their key advantages, but unless the electric providers and the government find a way to receive profits out of this innovation, it may be a disadvantage in the end.

In commentary for the National Post (Canada) Lawrence Solomon said, "If governments don't vacate the energy business, the Bloom Box may have no customers in the future... because its fate will rest less on its innovative properties than on what lobbyists can deliver."

Not Your Average Vegans... These are Freegans!

According to an article on the Food Production Daily Web site, a shocking forty to fifty percent of all food ready for harvest never gets eaten and household food waste along adds up to $43 billion. This is a serious economic and environmentally un-sound issue.

Freegans are trying to reduce this waste . Freegans are people who employ alternative strategies for living based on limited participation in the conventional economy and minimal consumption of resources, according to the Freegan.Info Web site.

"Freegans embrace community, generosity, social concern, freedom, cooperation, and sharing in opposition to a society based on materialism, moral apathy, competition, conformity, and greed."

In other words freegans are dumpster divers or "urban foragers" who forage through dumpsters and trash bags outside of grocery stores and bakeries to recover usable items and to avoid being wasteful consumers. Dumpster diving is probably the most shocking freegan practice, but others like squatting and ride shares are outlined here.

Find out more about freegans and watch a video here. Or check out CNN's segment on freegans below.

Organic Fashion

A new trend that seems to be gaining more and more attention is organic fashion, like shirts made of organic cotton. But what does it really mean for cotton to be organic? I asked myself the same question and decided to do some research.

According to the Organic Trade Association, organic cotton is grown using materials and methods with low environmental impact. Organic production systems replenish and maintain soil fertility, reduce the use of toxic pesticides and fertilizers and build biologically diverse agriculture. In addition, the use of genetically engineered seed for organic farming has been prohibited by federal regulations. All organic cotton grown in the U.S. must beet strict federal regulations covering how the cotton is grown.

The market for organic cotton is growing and this interest has resulted in the use of cotton fiber in products, other than just clothing items. Organic cotton is used in personal care items like cotton balls and sanitary products, as well as in home furnishings, children's products, and even paper products. Organic cottonseed is even used for animal feed.

The Sustainable Cotton Project Web sites has a Fiber Footprint Calculator for both growers and consumers to compare the carbon footprints of different growing systems.

"Because of cotton's versatility, it is used for many food and fiber products, making it one of the most widely traded commodities on earth. Yet the simple act of growing and harvesting one pound of cotton fiber to make a T-shirt takes a toll on the earth’s air, water, and soil, and has significant impacts on the health of people in cotton growing areas," said the SCP Web site.

Also check out recycled cotton for another earth-friendly choice in cotton clothing.

Thrift Store Review:My Father's House Community Thrift

Overall: 3.5
Location: 4
Organization: 3.5
Selection: 4
Cleanliness: 3
Price: 3

My Father's House Community Thrift store is a tidy second hand shop located on 40 NE Midway in Oak Harbor, Wash.

Although in a small facility, My Father's House features good organization, the store is not over crowded with items and most clothes seem to be in good condition. The selection beyond clothing is a bit sparse. There is no furniture in this corner shop, but there are kitchen accessories, knick-knacks and toys.

The selection of clothing holds a few surprises. For the most part, the clothing is not out of the ordinary; however, there were a couple semi-formal dresses with original store tags! One may easily assume that the dresses have never been worn, and the prices were steeper. Altogether, the prices were on par with other thrift stores.

My Father's House Community Thrift is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Cut Your Home's Heat Loss

Want to decrease heat loss in your home? A new German product called Climapor by Saarpor can do just that. And you'll never guess what it is... wallpaper.

The heat insulation from Climapor exceeds the effects of conventional materials like brick and concrete. In fact, the four millimeter (about one-eighth inch) thick paper can provide the same insulating value as 68 millimeters (about three inches) of solid brick or 210 millimeters (about eight inches) of concrete.

Climapor comes in rolls of wallpaper and in the form of tiles. It utilizes a form of carbon, the same heat reflective element that warms the planet. The expandable polystyrene (EPS) product is filled with graphite particles that act as mirrors, reflecting thermal radiation and reducing heat loss.

According to a Green Energy News article, if Climapor and similar products can demonstrate their heat reflecting capabilities and insulation effectiveness, then cutting energy consumption in buildings may be as simple as redecorating.

Drink Green Beer Year-round

Many people partook of green beer last week, but not all of those beers were green in the environmental sense. Becoming interested in sustainable alcohol beverages can be rewarding. You can test your taste buds on a variety you may have previously disregarded or discover a local brewery.

A green drink may be selected based on organic merit like beers from Roots Organic Brewing Company. For the consumer, this means getting a beer that has no chemicals or pesticides associated with it. Among others, petro-chemicals and petro-fertilizers are not used. The end product is less fossil fuel consumption and some say, better tasting beer.

A drink can also be measured as green if the company has sustainable practices outside of the bottle. New Belgium Company, most famous for Fat Tire, has a 10 point sustainability plan, green goals and offer basic green tips for everyone. Wind power, better water treatment and giving 1% of revenue to environmental non-profits are examples of how New Belgium Company brews sustainably. They have organic beers on the menu, too.

Buying local is another effective way to drink green. Here is a great tool for finding a brewery near you, CraftBeer.com. Depending on your location, buying local is often the easiest sustainable practice. It can reduce the shipping impact of the beverage to the retailer or your own gas consumption en route to the pub.

Whether it's an organic beer, an eco-friendly company or a local brewery, green beer can be consumed all year-round.

Simple Green Updates for Spring

Spring cleaning is around the corner and it's time to add some easy, green updates to your list. The Natural Abode online or in Moscow, Idaho offers a wide selection of green home products. More importantly, their Web site features a click-able home to help visualize where a green project fits into your life.

A few examples:
Bathroom | low flow shower heads can save up to 7,300 gallons of water a year
Living Room | let your petroleum based candles burnout and switch to 100% beeswax candles
Kitchen | Kirei counter tops made from sorghum stalks
Attic | solar powered attic fan
Roof | solar energy panels