diversions

Greener Gadgets: Laundry POD

alliecat8979 — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 23:07:48 +0000

by Alissa Wilson Williams for GreenUpgrader.com

For those of you who want to extend your sustainable practices to your laundry basket, but aren’t into flipping your skivvies inside-out for another go, the Laundry POD should be at the top of your Greener Gadgets wish-list. Compact enough to fit under your kitchen sink, this portable laundering device washes and damp-dries small loads using a minimal amount of water and zero electricity.

The Laundry POD concept was conceived by California-based design team, RKS, while attempting to improve the design and performance of salad spinners. While researching precedents the team learned that greens are not the only items being spun dry by salad spinners; some women find them ideal for quickly and delicately desiccating their unmentionables. Being the clever innovators that they are, RKS rapidly identified the potential of integrating their salad spinning technology into a portable laundering device; and so the POD’s seed was sewn.

While the Laundry POD may have been designed with negligee in mind, it is also perfect for small washes that don’t justify expending the water or electricity necessary to run a conventional machine. Or, if you are anything like myself during my college years, lack the time or motivation to make a run to the laundromat. Just place your clothes in the tub, add water and detergent (preferably the eco-friendly variety), allow to marinate for 5 to 10 minutes, then set it spinning by pumping the collapsible hand lever located on the top of the device. After the clothes are sufficiently suds a drain latch is released, emptying the spent water into a removable reservoir. Repeat the steps to rinse your clothing, then pump your apparel to a damp dry using the same unit, sans water.

Aside from requiring zero electricity to function, the Laundry POD boasts additional sustainable attributes. It is made from recycled materials and according to the designers, the graywater drained from the unit can be used to water plants or flush toilets. If, for some reason, your plants aren’t aching for a nice sudsy sip of water and your toilet isn’t in need of liquid assistance, you could probably use the graywater to wash your bicycle or car. Regardless, the Laundry POD is an innovative little gadget perfect for dorms, apartments, camping or anyone looking to add a little green to their laundry bag. Luckily, the POD placed fourth in the Greener Gadgets 2009 Design Competition and RKS is experienced at bringing designs to the market, so chances are you will soon be able to add this sleek little clothing cleanser to your sustainable repertoire.

Check Out GreenUpgrader’s Coverage of Greener Gadgets 2009 Part 1

Check Out GreenUpgrader’s Coverage of Greener Gadgets 2009 Part 2

This Laundy POD and the Indoor Drying Rack go together like peas in a pod

images taken from greenergadgets.com

Princess Lasertron Button Bouquets

alliecat8979 — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 02:19:00 +0000

by Alissa Wilson Williams

As you watch your Valentine’s Day flowers wilt and perish over the next week, be jealous of those who received a Princess Lasertron creation from their sweetheart.

Intended to last a lifetime, these heirloom-quality blooms will remain beautiful for years after their soil-grown counterparts have shriveled and faded. Princess Lasertron assembles these floral delights by hand, from 100% wool felt, embellished with vintage buttons, jewelry and ribbons gathered from around the globe.

Tailored to compliment any palette or aesthetic, Princess Lasertron’s blossoms range from funky multi-colored arrangements to elegant assemblages of subdued ivories. And, since they are composed of mostly vintage materials, and made to order, no two creations are exactly alike.

The artist behind these works, Princess Lasertron (aka Megan Hunt), segued her hobby of creatively repurposing vintage buttons into a successful business in 2005, offering brides a unique alternative to the ephemeral beauty of traditional floral bouquets. She has since expanded her services to include custom boutonnieres, corsages and centerpieces, along with a variety of other inventive offerings. Whether you are eco-minded, nostalgic, or just like to deviate from the norm, button bouquets are a sustainable option for your event that will impart stylish memories for years to come.

No time for a custom order? Then head over to Princess Lasertron’s Etsy shop for a selection of distinct, ready-to-wear accessories. Or, for you crafty types who want to make your own button flowers, you can pick up 100% wool felt squares, vintage buttons and even ‘Make Your Own Button Bouquet’ kits with instructions and supplies to make a bountiful button bouquet!

images from www.princesslasertron.com

check out Princess Lasertron’s Etsy page here

check out Princess Lasertron’s blog here

for those of you who still want the real deal – organic style

Spot of Tea to Save the Trees?

alliecat8979 — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 20:51:38 +0000

It seems that the tiny little bugs responsible for eradicating millions of acres of forest throughout North America don’t have a taste for tea, or at least a chemical commonly found in it. Research released this month by the National Forest Service suggests that a pheromone used in herbal tea may curtail the mountain pine beetle’s rampage on lodgepole pines.

Naturally occurring in rosemary and walnut husks, verbenone is often added to herbal tea because of its enticing aroma, yet when sprinkled amongst a forest of pines, scientists observed a marked decrease in the occurrence of pine beetle infestations. The chemical, however, is not only produced by herbs and nuts, mountain pine beetles naturally emit the pheromone as an indicator to their comrades that there is no vacancy in an infested tree and they should seek food and lodging elsewhere. While scientists have known how verbenone affects pine beetle behavior for about a decade, they have been unable to administer the chemical in an effective and economical manner, until now.

According to the study, a beta formulation of verbenone-emitting flakes was dropped by helicopter on pine forests in California and Idaho in an attempt to emulate the beetle’s natural disbursement patterns. Previously, the practice had been to manually distribute packets of the pheromone among trees, which proved to be tedious and only moderately effective. Areas treated by helicopter saw a two-thirds reduction in infested trees when compared to control plots containing similar beetle populations. While the experiment was performed on relatively small areas of moderate infestation, Nancy Gillette, an author of the report, hypothesizes that the flake disbursement technique could be applied on a large scale to mitigate the pine beetle epidemic.

As a resident of Colorado, the pine beetle plague is a clear and present reality. Mountainsides that were pine green just a couple years ago have rusted to a burnt orange, a telltale sign of a pine beetle infestation. Rumors swirl that all of the pine trees in Colorado will be gone in ten years, and I have begun to believe them. As I wander through the Rocky Mountains, I try to imagine the coniferous landscape treeless and barren, and find that at a rapidly increasing rate, I don’t have to imagine; the trees are disappearing. While the pine beetles are blamed for the devastation, climate change is the true culprit. Temperatures are no longer dropping low enough in the winter to kill the beetles, so their populations continue to expand. As the trees die, carbon levels increase, and temperatures continue to rise.

As I write this article, on the fifth morning of February, Denver is preparing for yet another 65 degree day. But this study brings me hope! Not only that the pine beetles’ reign of terror may be coming to an end but that they may be squelched without the use of harmful insecticides. I find it refreshing to see government funds being allocated to investigate natural remedies for our environmental crises, because sometimes, all mother nature needs to feel better is a warm cup of tea… Okay, that may be a stretch, but you can find out more about the study at Bio-Medicine.Org or you can purchase a copy of the published research here.

Find out what the EPA has to say about verbenone here

Read ‘How the Pine Beetle is Destroying Colorado Forests’ at Newsweek.com

image of pine beetle from www.treecanada.ca/

all other images provided courtesy of Alissa Wilson Williams

Purge and Swap! Clothing Swap

alliecat8979 — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 07:51:24 +0000

Read this article at greenUpgrader.com

by Alissa Wilson Williams

The Purge and Swap event at the Hi-Dive Bar in Denver on Saturday showcased three of my guilty pleasures; clothing, music and alcohol. Amazingly, these indulgences were justified by the charitable and eco-minded undercurrents of the occasion. Open to the female public, guests were urged to purge their closets of unwanted clothing and accessories and haul them down to the popular music venue for a swap. All of the leftover items were then donated a few doors down at the Goodwill.

Inspired by similar gatherings in San Francisco, organizer Sam Sutton wondered why clothing swaps weren’t happening in her neighborhood and decided to do something about it, thus the Purge and Swap came to be. Under the watchful eye of a thong-clad Artist Formerly Known As Prince poster, women scavenged for treasures among the piles of clothing that lined the bar, pool table, stage and chairs of the venue. Wardrobes were refreshed and duds recycled while guests sipped cocktails to an eclectic mix of musical wonderfulness. Prada, Steve Madden and Banana Republic were just a few of the numerous designer labels mingling amongst vintage gems of various shapes and sizes, all free and all for the taking. Two hours after entering the swap in jeans and a button-up, I emerged wearing a mod cape jacket over a Donna Reed style silk dress, a friend donned several layers of new-to-her apparel while another boasted a classically tacky “T&A Patrol” cut-off tee. Whether you are after business apparel or a strapless velour jumpsuit (like the one I deftly plucked from the exquisite selection), clothing swaps have something for everyone.

Events like the Purge and Swap are catching on across the country as a unique way to re-vamp wardrobes in an affordable and sustainable manner. Although this particular function only catered to females, clothing swaps can include fashions for men, children and babies as well. If you can’t find a swap near you, organize one! While the Hi-Dive was kind enough to donate their space and open their bar for us, transforming the Purge and Swap into a hip mixer-type bash, all you really need to host a clothing swap is an area for guests to layout their garments and some willing participants. If mingling isn’t your bag or you live out in the sticks or simply want a wider selection of items to choose from, Dig N’ Swap, an internet-based swap previously covered by greenUpgrader, may be just your style.

diversions

alliecat8979 — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 07:42:06 +0000

i began this blog so i had a place to sell my skills to greenUpgrader.com, a do-it-yourself green blog. previously, i had posted a couple months worth of eco-oriented entries on my (abandoned) myspace blog and needed a public place to display them. so i set up this here blog then cut and pasted all the myspace entries into it on January 28th, so that is why it looks like i went on a manic writing spree on that particular day. if you have an interest in reading about the motivation behind the myspace entries you can check it out here: what started it all.

i halted the myspace blog because my younger brother, adam, kindly informed me that myspace was dying. also, i was taking six classes and planning my wedding; so as much as i enjoyed researching and commenting on my daily green tips, i just had other priorities. regardless, since i now have this blog, i may as well use it. so i guess i will post my greenUpgrader.com articles and any other projects, news or updates i have here. so stay tuned…

Furniture Alternatives: FSC-Certified

alliecat8979 — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 20:29:33 +0000

Friday, February 29, 2008

Furniture Alternatives: FSC-Certified

“Certifying organizations supported by the Forest Stewardship Council have established forestry management guidelines for growing and harvesting trees responsibly around the globe. Since the creation of the FSC in 1993, more than 280,000 square miles of forests in more than seventy-two countries have received FSC certification – a land size that would encompass every state in New England as well as all of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia. An easy way to ensure the eco-integrity of your furniture is to check for the FSC label when purchasing.

HENRYBUILT FURNITURE
Henrybuilt.com
Dedicated to providing well-built, intelligently engineered, modern furniture and custom kitchens that respect the planet, Henrybuilt works with FSC-certified woods to create tables, seating, and storage units that are built to last for generations.”

-The Lazy Environmentalist, Monday, February 11, 2008

alissa’s comments:
oooh, i like their wall chairs… if you are into furniture design, check out this site, i’m digging their bench and seating options. wood is probably the most sustainable material you can use, as long as it is farmed responsibly, because it is renewable. another good option for those of us in the rocky mountains is using and purchasing products made from blue stain pine, which is the fancy shmancy name for beetle-kill pine. the bark beetle is devastating the lodgepole pine population, and the increasing number of standing dead trees are just begging to fuel a massive forest fire. the wood from these pines has the structural integrity of other pines, because the beetle stays in its bark, but their waste penetrates the wood, providing food for a fungus that ultimately kills the tree and produces the blue stain attributed to its moniker.

Pet Accessories Alternatives: Green Products

alliecat8979 — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 20:28:43 +0000

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Pet Accessories Alternatives: Green Products

“Being a pet no longer means lounging on a hand-me-down rug, scratching on a cardboard computer box, and nibbling on nutrition-challenged “treats.” Twenty-first-century pets are making waves on eco-fashion runways and leading healthy, green lives.

Great Green Pet
Greatgreenpet.com
A shopping blog form quality, eco-aware pet products. The bloggers have a keen eye and showcase everything from gourmet organic pet treats to healthy, nontoxic pet shampoos.”

-The Lazy Environmentalist, Saturday and Sunday, February 9 and 10, 2008

alissa’s comments:
i was a bit skeptical after the last ‘pet accessories’ post on pup cups, but this website actually seems legit, offering information on a wide variety of eco-sensitive pet products. i’m totally getting the kitty bibs for twiglet and bubbies… their gonna hate them! but i’m sick of picking up bird, mouse, worm and fried chicken carcasses.

i would be doing my good friend abby a disservice though if i didn’t plug the natural pet food company she works for. Only Natural Pet Store is a web-based natural pet food store offering healthful ‘whole’ nourishment for your little furry friends. Plus they are dedicated to environmental stewardship; this is taken from their website…

“Only Natural Pet Store also cares deeply about our environment, and we go to great lengths to be an environmentally friendly and sustainable company. We use 100% wind powered energy. Our packaging aims to reduce waste and conserve valuable resources by reusing boxes and packing materials, and by using only biodegradable, non-toxic packing peanuts made from cornstarch. We participate in a Zero Waste program through a local non-profit called Ecocycle, which aims to recycle, reuse and compost with the ultimate goal of eliminating waste and promoting sustainability.”

Check em out: onlynaturalpet.com

WOOD ALTERNATIVES: BAMBOO

alliecat8979 — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 20:28:00 +0000

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

WOOD ALTERNATIVES: BAMBOO

Turning bamboo into kitchen cabinetry takes quite a bit of engineering. The process involves harvesting bamboo stalks, cross-layering them atop one another, and the n pressing them together into boards that resemble plywood but are stronger and more durable and possess a unique striated surface pattern. Utilizing nontoxic adhesives throughout the production process results in cabinets hat are healthy for humans and for the planet.

TERAGREN
Teragren.com
Teragren offers premium-quality bamboo flooring. Its bamboo boards are also great for cabinets, furniture, and paneling.

alissa’s comments:
i love bamboo… its renewable, its beautiful, plus through a process called cane carbonizing, bamboo can be darkened naturally without the need for noxious stains, then you could coat it with shellac and voila, you have a non-gassing floor you can feel good about. again, with many eco-products, there are several arguments against bamboo. bamboo needs to travel around the world to get to you, but there are currently domestic bamboo farms in the pacific northwest and I hear there are more to come in the south, in Louisiana and other warm, humid climates, so hopefully we will be able to easily purchase domestic bamboo in the near future. as far as the extensive processing that bamboo requires, the same goes for all laminate and board products… hopefully the process can be refined enough to minimize the amount of energy it requires… additionally, forests in some areas are being clear-cut to plant bamboo, while other areas are being over-run by the highly invasive grass, creating monocultures… regardless, it is still a sweet alternative to the formaldehyde-gassing wood floors that are traditionally installed, if farmed and produced responsibly.

ARCHITECTURE ALTERNATIVES: CRADLE TO CRADLE

alliecat8979 — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 20:24:02 +0000

Monday, February 18, 2008

ARCHITECTURE ALTERNATIVES: CRADLE TO CRADLE

“A leader of the green architecture movement and one of the most influential architects practicing today, William McDonough is the founding principal, of William McDonough + Partners, Architecture and Community Design. He is also the co-founding principal of McDough Braungart design Chemistry (MBDC), a sustainable product design and certification firm that emphasizes Cradle to Cradle product lifecycle principles.

William McDonough
Mcdonough.com
McDonough is the co-author of Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things, which has become something of a bible for the green design and business community.

alissa’s comments:
from what i have heard and from the few chapters i have read, Cradle to Cradle is an excellent book… it stresses the importance of manufacturing materials that can be easily be recycled without losing material quality, while minimizing the energy and waste associated with production. it’s easy to read and printed on water-proof paper that has the same recycling number as a yogurt container… unfortunately, you can’t recycle yogurt cups in denver, but i think this is a book that you recycle by passing it on to a friend anyway…

VEHICULAR INSPIRATION: ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE

alliecat8979 — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 20:23:22 +0000

Monday, February 18, 2008

VEHICULAR INSPIRATION: ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE

“For roadside assistance with an environmental twist, consider Better World Club, a company that matches AAA in service without compromising the environment. It’s a good, easy choice for you and the planet.

BETTER WORLD CLUB
Betterworldclub.com
Better World Club is not part of the highway lobby, supports higher fuel economy standards, donates a percentage of its proceeds to environmental causes, offers discounts to hybrid car drivers, taxes those who drive fuel-inefficient cares, and even offers a bicycle roadside assistance plan.”

-The Lazy Environmentalist, Wednesday, February 6, 2008.

alissa’s comments:
although the Better World Club seems to be run and supported by sarcastic annoying liberals who resort to making fun of AAA by cleverly substituting the A’s in the acronym with ‘archaic’, ‘arrogant’ and ‘anti-environmental’ , the reviews i’ve read validate their claims that their service is comparable to AAAs… so if you are in need of some roadside service, keep them in mind.