Hippyshopper

Bio-Bubble degrades into plain water

I love popping the bubbles on plastic excelsior as much as the next chick, but I do always feel a tad guilty that I'm not folding it up like I'm some kind of eco-Martha Stewart intending to reuse it at some later date. Popping it is too enjoyable! And now, with Bio-Bubble, I can pop in peace, since it's made of OBP: Oxo-biodegradable plastic, which is converted by micro-organisms into harmless water. It doesn't just turn into tinier pieces of plastic, it actually gets eaten. Now that's a kind of plastic even George Carlin might have something nice to say about. [GT]

Bio-Bubble

Related stories: Topa verpakking 'clever' packing products | Eco Reuse Labels | Recycled aluminum foil from Natural Collection

How to save £1250 a month with solar power

Would you trade a red clay roof for a shiny black one - if it saved you £1250 a month in mains charges?  California homeowners are outfitting their houses with solar panels, getting free power, and pocketing profits from the excess.  One house was using $2500 per month - “I have a whole bunch of fountains and water features and stuff like that,” Felton said - but since spending about £125,000 on a solar system and getting £70,000 back in tax refunds, his accountant estimates he's saved about £250,000.  While California is ideal for generating tons of power, it also demands more because of the year-round need for air-conditioning, so plating a house in Wales with solar is still worth investigating.  [GT]

Plugging Into the Sun

Related stories: DIY Solar Lighting From Baker Environmental | Solar Tube Skylights | DIY Solar - even in Wales!

2006 roundup #18: Solar panels bust out all over

This year we saw solar panels hit the high street (and your clothes) and the Nano-matching black Solio from Better Energy Systems. The Solio is a first class gadget charger (to the point where Clinton gave them to delegates at his climate change summit) but this year my favourite solar charger is the Sunlinq, which rolls up like a tiny sleeping bag so you can easily carry it around as power for any gadget you like.  Comes in sheets of 6.5, 12 or 24 panels at about half a kilo per, starting at £85.  (Or you can DIY your own panels.)  [GT]

Original stories: Sharp brings solar panels to Curry's | Back in black - the Solio solar charger | Ethical celebrity sighting: Clinton gives out Solio | 2006 roundup #32: From the Solio to the TREAD | Sunlinq Folding Solar Power Panel | DIY Solar - even in Wales! | Solar Powered Trackable Clothing

2006 roundup #19: We plant the trees that make the whole world sink

Everybody is planting trees to sequester carbon now: Carbonfund.org would plant one for being linked to; Ecoist plants one every time you buy a bag from them; you can click a Swedish site to save old growth forest there, and so forth.  There's even the Tree-Athalon, where you run 5 kilometers and then plant a tree.  Most notable, there's Treeflight, where you pay £10 extra to have Treeflight offset the carbon from your air travel.  But near the end of the year came a serious and disturbing question: does planting trees really work to offset carbon?  A new study showed it has a good chance of actually making things worse, because it traps heat.  Unsurprisingly, the best solution, as usual, is to stop being bad in the first place.  [GT]

Original stories: Planting trees may do more harm than good | Ecoist: the bag so nice we blogged it twice | Tuesday ecoblog roundup: Tree-athalon, National Eisteddfod, more | Click to save Swedish old growth forest | Make it a Treeflight

2006 roundup #27: Using Nature to natural effect with Green Cone and Can-o-worms

I reviewed the Green Cone a few months ago, but basically, it's a solar-powered (in the simplest and lowest-tech sense: it uses black plastic to make the sun get hotter so it reduces the contents into compost more efficiently) cone that you dump any kind of food into.  Dairy, meat, the regular, it doesn't matter.  It does have to be buried partway in the ground, though, so it's not for urbanites (but I'll revisit electric composters later).  The Can-o-worms takes this a step further, being a stack of five worm habitats that you layer organic waste into.  By the time you've laid on the last habitat, the bottom one is full of compost ready to be emptied, and the process continues.  Again, no mains power involved; they both use natural principles that've existed since either the Big Bang or "let there be light" (or your personal equivalent).  [GT]

Original stories: Review: Green Cone solar-powered composter | Can-o-worms

Aluna Tidal-Powered Clock

To emphasize the renewable resources of ocean currents, the Aluna Tidal Powered Clock display consists of LEDs powered by ocean turbines. A prototype is underway, with intent to establish mirror images of the final in the northern and southern hemispheres. It has three overlapping rings that stand 5 stories high, and span a 45 meter area. The concept is to raise awareness of tidal power, and to remind pedestrians of their modest place in time. (The paradox is that us short people are more likely to occupy larger positions.) [GT]

Aluna Tidal Powered Clock [via Inhabitat]

Related stories: The water and flower power clock | Age of Aquarius | Susumu Suzuki's water powered battery

2006 roundup #44: Prototyping the future with the water-powered battery

Green gadget prototypes abounded in 2006, such as Susumu Suzuki's water powered battery (takes but a licking to keep on ticking), the Venturi Eclectic: An "Energy-Autonomous" Vehicle (with a tiny wind turbine mounted on top to harness the resistance generated while you're whizzing around; also with solar panels plastered all over, it's not pretty, but it's got a lot of options) and the prototype yoyo-powered mp3 player (sleep the yo-yo a few times to play your nighttime lullabies).  Trends set in place make it very likely that the world will only get greener; nobody likes to make prototypes and then toss them without making a few million bucks off them first.  [GT]

Original stories: Susumu Suzuki's water powered battery | Venturi Eclectic: An "Energy-Autonomous" Vehicle | Prototype yoyo-powered mp3 player

2006 roundup #50: Sustainable Dance Club

Even the most frivolous recreational activities are taking a green tint lately, and the Sustainable Dance Club is a prime example.  The lavatories flush with reclaimed water, there are solar panels stuck all over, the vibrations of the dance floor are converted into power, and it's even a co-op so you can buy in if you want to change the way it works.  [GT]

Original story: Sustainable Dance Club

Clean your paint brush - with your power drill

Fixed Fee IP is representing what the Sheffield inventor calls the 'paintbrush for life', a new paintbrush that you attach to your power drill in order to fling off the paint, leaving it sparkling clean and ready for the next job.  It's tested especially well with gloss paint, with the result that much less solvent is used and brushes are wasted.  No word on price, but for more information you can write to cleanpaintbrushes@yahoo.co.uk.  [GT]

cleanpaintbrushes@yahoo.co.uk

Related stories: 5 of the best: eco paints | What to do with old paint tins | Make your own eco-friendly paint

The Hidden Life of Paper and Its Impact on the Environment

The irony of the New York Times reporting on how much damage overconsumption of paper does to the planet seems not completely lost in The Hidden Life of Paper and Its Impact on the Environment. It is, however, somewhat amusing that they're reporting on Time Magazine's responses. (Though, if being obsessed with Time was good enough for Allen Ginsberg...) There is some good news about companies going over to recycled pulp and identifying the really vile offenders. For example: "Time Inc.’s study found that greenhouse emissions from one of its paper mills accounted for 61 percent of the emissions from Time magazine and 77 percent of In Style’s emissions." Ouch! [GT]

The Hidden Life of Paper and Its Impact on the Environment

Related stories: ViaStone: rock, (inkjet) paper | Elephant poo paper (no, really) | Sheep Poo Paper Christmas Sheepy Cards

Calling stage 3 pupils to shout about FOE!

Shout about is Friends of the Earth's annual project to involve stage 3 pupils in environmental issues. This year's competition prize: an actual-factual wind turbine for the winning school or youth group. Write to FOE and they'll provide you with an activity pack, lesson ideas and a bundle of visual resources. Click here to download a PDF of the Shout about flyer. [GT]

Shout about at Friends of the Earth

Related stories: Join the Big Noise | ITV Granada Big Cleanup campaign

Sheep Poo Paper Christmas Sheepy Cards

Upstairs my in-laws to be have six grocery bags of Christmas, birthday, and other cards. I bet a whole tree could've been saved if they'd been Sheepy Greetings Cards, which are made from sheep dung. 5 packs are £6.99, all alike; 10 packs are £10.99, likewise alike; the 20 card variety pack has five of each of the four types for £20.99. Each card comes with a matching self-sealing envelope. And yes, I am jealous of where they work. [GT]

Sheepy Greetings Cards

Related stories: Elephant poo paper (no, really) | ViaStone: rock, (inkjet) paper | Ugandan bark cloth and recycled paper journals

Tumi LE Powerpack Backpack gives twice

Not only does the Tumi Limited Edition Powerpack Backpack have a built-on solar panel (a la the Voltaic) its full purchase price goes to support Doctors Without Borders. Which is good, since otherwise, no matter how Anish Kapoor designed it is, you might have trouble justifying £350 versus the Voltaic's £150. However, since it's for charity... has a myriad pockets, a pillow-padded section for your laptop, and a back designed to keep your back happy. [GT]

Tumi Limited Edition Powerpack Backpack [via Sybarites]

Related stories: Bagsy some Voltaic solar | O'Neill solar bag | Ethical celebrity sighting: Clinton gives out Solio chargers

Urban Mover folding AND electric bike

The days where electric bikes are huge and clunky - nearly motorcycles - are long gone.  Find proof in the UM 24 from Urban Mover, which has a battery charged from mains power at a cost of about 6p per 25km.  Then when you arrive at work - or your 3rd story flat - it folds up for convenient carrying.  (Although it's still 22.5kg, which is not so convenient!  Better build up those muscles!)   £700.  [GT]

UM 24 electric bicycle

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Home Wind Turbines Turn Fashionable in Britain

"I'm in surplus. I am now providing money to the grid," [Donnachadh McCarthy] said with a grin, gesturing at a red light winking on the wall that marks the progress of his domestic power station.

McCarthy is one of 80,000 UK homeowners with their own renewable power generation units. And why not, with B & Q selling them for only £1500? If that's too steep, try the models from Future Energy at only £695 - with the rising cost of power and the potential to actually sell back to the grid, it seems like a solid investment opportunity to investigate. Although McCarthy warns that alternative energy will only go so far in Britain's battle to restrict the emissions causing global warming. "Renewables are not the answer. This is about a range of things that come together. Mainly it's about reducing your need for energy," he said. [GT]

Home Wind Turbines Turn Fashionable in Britain

Related stories: How to Build a Wind Turbine | Plant a wind farm in your garden

Greenglass gorgeous sale items

Taking shards of green glass and turning out very green recycled tealight holders, Greenglass is even more tempting right now since the star tea light holder shown here is on for £5.50. But if bejeweling yourself rather than your flat has more appeal, their sea glass style bracelets start at £4 and are tumbled to have the cloudy silkiness of beach finds. Also on special: a two-pack of blue tumblers for only £6. [GT]

Greenglass

Related stories: 'Green' and gorgeous recycled glass | Brilliant recycled beer goblets | Is recycling utter rubbish?

Mackies of Scotland Ice Cream

We're mentioning Mackie's ice cream not just because they have an organic range of ice cream, notable as that is, but because their factory is powered by wind turbines. They added the phrase "made with renewable energy" to their ice cream tubs and also added the logo of a wind turbine. Unfortunately, most people thought it was a toothpick. So now, Mackie's is having a competition to design a new logo which is "small, clear and friendly" and demonstrates that Mackie's is made with wind energy. The winner will get 25 tubs of ice cream (no toothpicks required).  The deadline is 31 December 2006.

Mackies Ice Cream

Related stories: Styles Farmhouse English ice cream in cow and sheep l Make ice cream on the spot, no power necessary l Yeo serves up ice cream

Bamboo carbon does, well, everything

José Christos, it seems to be bamboo day here at Hippyshopper - as well it should be, since it's so unbelievably versatile. However, the claims being made about this bamboo carbon seem a tad on the excessive side. I'm sure it does absorb odors, VOCs and humidity; is a good fuel; may even serve as a water purifier and improve the taste of rice and soup; is a good soil additive for gardening. It seems unlikely, though, that it absorbs microwave and CRT (tube-based computer monitors) radiation. However, we don't really need it to be all-knowing and all-seeing - six obvious benefits are certainly plenty. $19 USD. [GT]

Bamboo carbon

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Krantz Recovered Woods

Modern furniture tends not to have the same fine grained wood as antiques, because the wood is simply not as old. This leads purists to reclaimed wood, such as the virgin Cypress and Longleaf pine offered by Krantz Recovered Woods. Krantz cypress comes from riverbeds where logs were floated downstream, and sometimes got waterlogged and sank. Since recovery was infeasible and old-growth wood was then plentiful, the wood lay underwater, forgotten. With modern concerns ranging from environmental to economic, companies like Krantz find it worthwhile to salvage these old logs for today's use. [GT]

Krantz Recovered Woods

Related stories: Arbor Vetum reclaimed teak furniture | Stupendously good recycled hat-stand | The reclaimed rocker

Fermenting seaweed into methane-power

"No more seaweed topics," I begged mournfully. "There's only so much I can say about it." Well, was I ever wrong - the latest thing is not eating it, but turning seaweed into electricity. Tons (literally) of seaweed washes up on the Japanese coast in an unsightly as well as un-scently manner, and disposal is no fun. Plus it absorbs pollutants from the water, so it ends up contaminating the beaches. Now, though, the Tokyo Gas Co. team up with the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) has produced sweet results: by March 2007 they'll have the global first that is a power plant run entirely off seaweed. They crush it into tomato-paste-like sludge, and add microorganisms which cause the muck to expel methane. Presto, gas power. The test facility powers 20 houses right now, but that's just the beginning of Japan's seaweed (and kelp, and sea lettuce) revolution. [GT]

Energy From Seaweed: New Energy Source to Debut Next Year

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Ethical celebrity sighting: Clinton gives out Solio chargers

As part of the swag-bag given out by the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), all 1500 delegates will receive Solio solar gadget chargers. CGI has given Solio their seal of approval and feels, according to Dr. Kirsti Samuels, that "Solio’s approach is exactly on message with the CGI and ties in exactly with what we are encouraging our members to develop." Having used a Solio and found it bang-on the money (a very reasonable £59 from the Better Energy Store, Hippyshopper applauds their movement to the global stage and looks forward to their next product. Go portable solar power! [GT]

Clinton Global Initiative

Related stories: Ethical celebrity sighting: The Clinton Global Initiative | Solio, the cute iPod (and more) solar charger | Special weekend report! Meet TREAD, the new product from Solio

Stick your stuff in a silksack

Much as I love the Onya bag, I'm also delighted to see an alternative.  The silksackfolds up into a flat envelope when not in use - an envelope which doubles as an interior pocket when you've got it shaken out.   £15 for one or £25 for two, which is quite a bit more expensive than the Onya (£32.50 for 5) although it does look a bit more stylish.  Has anybody used a silksack?  Please post in comments.  [GT]

silksack

Related stories: Onya: the bag you'll never forget | BYOB reusable shopping bag | Give reusable bags to your Japanese friends

Hand crank blender attaches to your bumper

It's a bit late in the year to get totally jazzed up about a hand-cranked blender that you can attach to the back bumper of your vehicle, but I mean, it's a hand-cranked blender that you can attach to the back bumper of your vehicle. It's margaritas anywhere. Spungle reports that the gadget in question, the VORTEX™ Hand Crank Blender, will be letting you pour your drinks cleanly no matter how sloshed you get, a two gear system that chops and crushes, and blades that seem to whiz through ice like it’s butter. But I'm sure you can find some totally practical use for it, like making mango smoothies in the wilderness. (With vodka.) $70 USD, which is pretty decent for any respectable blender, much less a human-powered one. [GT]

VORTEX™ Hand Crank Blender [via Spungle]

Related stories: Vinceremos organic wine and other tipples | English organic wine (I kid you not) | Booze up (organically!) to end veal abuse

Pick your favourite cradle-to-cradle umbrella recycle

We've all seen discarded umbrellas shoved into garbage cans (or other less appropriate places) and they're only getting more disposable now that they're available for well under £1.  Consequently, the Sustainable Style Foundation and I.D. Magazine got together with Treehugger to host a contest on the best use for dead umbrellas.  Over 100 entries later, there are five finalists: the Penta, the Ramesh, Rotary, the Crayella or the Pollinate.  Vote on your favourite!    [GT]

Choose the Winning Cradle to Cradle Umbrella!

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Sir Richard Branson pledges £1.6bn for global warming

To show he means business about getting his travel businesses off fossil fuels, Sir Richard Branson is donating all their profits for the next ten years to fight global warming - which should come to about £1.6bn. He's already designated some of that cash to back Cilion, which makes bioethanol from corn, and putting £200 million into Virgin Fuels, a green energy concern. Branson made his announcement at this year's Clinton Global Initiative - apparently the 52 things went to heart! [GT]

Branson makes $3bn climate pledge

Related stories: Ethical celebrity sighting: The Clinton Global Initiative | The true cost of biofuels | Purer power from Saab

Build your own solar heater for under £200

If building your own solar panel just got you interested, it may be time for you to go to the next level: a DIY thermosyphon solar heater. Total cost on the materials is around £175, so it pays for itself fairly quickly under current heating prices. Click here for a free and quite readable PDF of the instructions. [GT]

DIY thermosyphon solar heater [via Treehugger]

Related stories: DIY solar - even in Wales! | Build your own solar thermal panel for £2 | Boston goes solar with... garbage collection?

What's better: ceramic, stainless steel, or disposable mugs?

While it seems intuitively obvious that non-disposable mugs such as the GuyotDesigns bottle are more environmentally sound than polystyrene, TriplePundit's "Ask Pablo" has a very good breakdown of why. The upshot: if you drink a lot of water (or coffee, or tea), the stainless steel container justifies its high resource cost. (Which I do.) However, the ceramic mug offsets its own environmental impact fastest so long as you actually use it regularly. [GT]

Ask Pablo: the coffee mug debacle

Related stories: Grownupgreen sustainable dev project | Crocus sustainable relaxer chair | Review: Green by Design

Freeplay FreeCharge Weza Portable Energy Source

Now you can wind up more than your torch or radio! The Freeplay FreeCharge Weza Portable Energy Source is a totally portable device for converting human power into whatever you need, whether it be a jumpstart for your car or juice for your laptop. You just step-step-step on the treadle until you have a satisfactory amount of electricity in the battery, then plug in whatever you like. $270 USD. [GT]

Freeplay FreeCharge Weza Portable Energy Source

Related stories: Reviewed: Freeplay Devo wind-up DAB | V.posh wind-up torch | Eco camping kit from Biome (with Freeplay wind-up radio)

Transparent solar cells lose their toxic bite

The problem with dye-sensitized solar cells is that the liquid within is toxic, which represents an ethical conundrum. New technology allowing the cells to be filled with imidazolium iodide instead means they could be coming soon to a window near you. (Soon being within the next decade.) The new cells capture light from any angle, and the ionic liquids within pose nothing like the level of toxic risk of the original. [GT]

See-Through Solar Cells Become Safer

Related stories: Sunlinq Folding Solar Power Panel | Build your own solar thermal panel for £2 | Solar gadget round-up

SolarVenti solar-powered dehumidifiers

If it's not the heat, it's the humidity, getting rid of the humidity is better than getting rid of the heat. SolarVenti dehumidifiers do that one better and use the heat itself - the sun's overabundance of energy - to power the dehumidifier, so the more you need it, the harder it works, and at no extra charge to you. Brill! To see a demonstration, visit the Home Building and Renovation Show in London, Sept 22-24. Free admission, if you ask for a ticket. [GT]

SolarVenti dehumidifiers

Related stories: Solar powered battery charger | Sunlinq Folding Solar Power Panel | Boston goes solar with... garbage collection?

Hybrids misunderstood but curiously in demand

North Americans are genuinely interested in having hybrid vehicles (which is good on a planetary basis since gas consumption on that continent is on the gargantuan side) but are unclear on the actual benefits.  JD Power went on polling them without providing actual figures, and is putting together an Automotive Environmental Index based on a combination of actual performance and public perception anyhow.  (Which seems oddly like a combination of giving an award for whether or not a tree falling in the forest makes a sound, and whether or not the tree fell on the prom queen.)  [GT]

Automotive Environmental Index [via Autopia]

Related stories: Green insurance for your fuel-efficient vehicle | More on the Fitch Fuel Catalyst | Better World Club

Hybrids Wanted But Misunderstood

Driftwood bespoke wooden baths

Instead of a slippery, mould-cast metal, plastic or ceramic tub, Ireland's Driftwood handmade wooden baths gives you a flat, easy to maintain (no oiling required), non-slip surface in beautiful wood of your choice - harvested as sustainably as you allow. First they try to source native wind-blown timber (and can usually get oak, ash, beech, birch, elm, sycamore, chestnut and lime). Second they look for native FSC wood, and can usually obtain oak, ash, beech, spanish chestnut, elm, sycamore, cherry, alder, walnut and birch. Otherwise, they'll have to go abroad, and look for exotic FSC. If they can't find an FSC source, they'll still make your tub - if you insist. But instead of teak, could they offer you Iroko from Africa? Or Sapele instead of mahogany? [GT]

Driftwood handmade wooden baths

Related stories: Ecoplus 100% FSC windows, doors and solar spaces | Daryl Hannah on green architecture | Handmade Hammocks

Chew Magna goes carbon minimalist

Ever wonder if your neighbors are doing their part? If you lived in Chew Magna, where they've decided to go completely carbon neutral villagewide, you wouldn't have to speculate. Their Go Zero campaign is designed to focus not just on carbon emissions, but also providing working groups on recycling, consumption, travel, and their relationship to the rest of the world. They're even working on becoming an official Fair Trade village. See also an earlier article in the Independent on the subject. [GT]

Greenest Village in Britain? Chew Magna goes for zero [via Treehugger]

The Land Heritage Education Centre for Farming & Food Phase 1 | Alternate Energy Sources For A Flourishing Future | How to Build a Wind Turbine

Canby sustainable jute totes

It's not too late to get in on the Canby summer sale on white jute shopping bags. For £350 + VAT, you get 200 bags, printed on both sides with the same 1 colour design (of your choice) to resell for around £600. If that's more of an investment than you want to make, you can get 50 of the Green Shopper bags for £50 + VAT, and obviously they're worth more than £1 each. The bags are all fair trade and created greenly. If you just want to buy one bag, stop by their sister site, Summer Bags, where you can get their Havana bag for £10 including VAT, the GOA bag for £5 and the classic Antibes brown or blue also for five quid. [GT]

Canby jute shoppers | Summer Bags

Related stories: Onya: the bag you'll never forget | BYOB reusable shopping bag | Give reusable bags to your Japanese friends

Fair trade, compostable, biodegradable dishware made from sugar

It's great to see "Made in China" on disposable products that are actually fair trade and won't be around long after I'm compost myself.  Branch Biodegradable Plates, Cups + Utensils are made from bagasse, which is extracted from the sugar cane.  The utensils are made from 4:1 mix of potato starch and vegetable oil.  So if you end up crashing on a desert island, after you've eaten all the rations, you can give a try to melting these down and fermenting them into a digestif.  25 bowls for $4 USD, 50 cups for $7 USD, and 50 sets of utensils for $13.50.  [GT]

Branch Biodegradable Plates, Cups + Utensils [via PopGadget]

Related stories: Cereplast brings biodegradable picnicware | NatureWorks Ingeo: fashion attire made from... sugar? | Compost me, Belu water bottle

Did you know: Hybrids pay for themselves (eventually)

A report commissioned by CNN via Edm