Back in May, we got pretty excited about the Honda Smart Home, an experimental house that’s currently sitting on the campus of the University of California, Davis that’s so energy efficient that it pumps out more power than it uses. Translation? This means a homeowner could potentially make money off the energy it sold back to the power company.
Naturally, the public (and many of our own readers) wondered how they could get in on this prime piece of green real estate. Well, guess what? Honda has gone and pulled a Tesla (so to speak), opening up its smart home plans for all.
“Honda is publicly posting the building plans, architectural and mechanical drawings, furniture specs and materials associated with the project, including the raw 2D and 3D CAD data,” the carmaker said in a company release to NationSwell. “Our hope is that interested individuals across the world are able to use these plans as a starting point to create their very own sustainable homes.”
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So what’s so amazing about this house? As we mentioned previously, the home draws its power from renewable sources such as solar panels and has geothermal heating and cooling — so wave bye-bye to sky-high air conditioning bills. The Honda home slashes water consumption to a third of most American homes and the amount of CO2 that it releases annually is 11 tons less than conventional homes with cars. And because Honda is behind it all, there’s garage space for a Honda Fit electric vehicle that gets charged from the house’s solar power.
“Many of the people and companies we’ve met with wanted to know how they could incorporate what we’ve demonstrated into their own projects, or build upon what we’ve learned in their own research,” wrote Honda Smart Home project leader Michael Koenig in a blog post. “We want nothing more than to facilitate this effort, so today, we’re releasing a batch of files the get the process rolling.”
Those interested should visit the Honda Smart Home website to download the complete mechanical and architectural drawings.
Looks like the house of tomorrow will come sooner than we expect.
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Category: Preserving the Environment
Wanted: Knitters for the Cutest Wildlife Project Ever
Knitting is for the birds. Literally.
Using just a little bit of yarn, crafters around the country have answered the call to help save one of nature’s tiniest and most vulnerable creatures: The baby bird.
When young birds fall out of their nests, they are pretty much on their own. Most mothers don’t pick up their chicks after they fall, and since these little creatures cannot regulate their own body temperature, they might not survive without a parent or a warm place to cozy up to.
As SF Gate reports, wildlife conservation group WildCare has come up with a creative solution. The Marin County, California organization takes care of a thousand orphaned birds a year, and instead of putting them in typical plastic containers (which were found to bruise the tiny birds), they have something that works even better: Knitted nests.
As it turns out, these yarn bowls are just as soft and warm as natural nests. In need of more knitted bird cozies, the San Rafael-based nonprofit put out a mass request to knitters back in April for knitters to grab their needles.
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The organization, which treats 4,000 wild animals a year, quickly found that their project was too adorable for people to not help. According to the Wildcare website, as of last month, they’ve received 878 knitted nests from California, Minnesota, Texas, Florida, New York, Ontario, Washington, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado and Indiana.
The great news is that there is always a need for these nests, so any yarn/animal lover can contribute (the organization has a goal of 1,414 nests). Click here for nest patterns and instructions on where to send your completed creations.
Get your knit on.
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This Technology Will Let You Recycle Plastic Bottles to Make Anything
We’ve heard of plastic bottles being turned into beanies, jeans and even a house. Now, with this new 3D printer, you can make just about anything you want from the environmental menace.
The Ekocycle Cube 3D printer from 3D Systems uses filament made in part from recycled PET bottles. From it, the printer can make items such as bracelets, cellphone cases, shoes, and whatever these awesome-looking things are. So far, the filament comes in red, black, white and natural (with reports saying more colors will be coming in the future).
Musician and producer will.i.am, the chief creative officer at 3D Systems, teamed up with Coca-Cola to launch the printer, which will retail for $1,199 later this year.
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While price tag may be a bit much, the Black Eyed Peas band member says this is just the beginning of eco-friendly printing technology.
“We will make it cool to recycle, and we will make it cool to make products using recycled materials,” he said. “This is the beginning of a more sustainable 3D-printed lifestyle. Waste is only waste if we waste it.”
He clearly has a point. The plastic bottle is so ubiquitous that the average American home probably has a few lying around the house right now. According to CleanAir.org, 2.4 million tons of PET plastic is discarded a year, with 75 percent going to the landfills.
So whether you’re turning your bottles into bracelets or tossing them in a bin to be reused in some other fashion, please find a way to recycle every single one.
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Meet the 70-Year-Old Lone Star Who Polices Fracking Waste
As the oil and natural gas industries continue to boom in Texas, someone needs to fight on the side of the environment — especially when these industries (intentionally or not) cause big, messy spills.
The unlikely green crusader in resource-rich Jim Wells county? Seventy-year-old deputy sheriff Hector Zertuche, who’s patroling against the illegal dumping of fracking waste, Inside Climate News reports.
We’ve already mentioned that fracking, which has caused drilling to spike across the country, is a health and environmental nightmare. This controversial process uses a highly pressurized mix of water, chemicals and sand to release gas and oil from rock formations — but in the process, it also creates millions of barrels of toxic waste a day. Even scarier, there’s really no good way of getting rid of this sludge: the corrosive and chemically-laden byproduct, if disposed of “correctly,” can either go into underground wells, treatment plants or other means. Unfortunately, much too often, the waste water gets spilled onto the open road.
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And that’s where Zertuche comes in.
As Inside Climate News puts it, because Texas’ environmental agencies aren’t very effective at policing spills, it falls on Zertuche’s lone shoulders to make sure these offenders don’t get away with it.
This year alone, the septuagenarian has reportedly taken about a dozen violators to court for reasons such as transporting waste without a permit, illegal dumping on the roads or carrying waste in an unmarked truck. Drivers are slapped with a $1,000 fine and 10 days in jail per violation. In 2013, he allegedly cited up to 10 trucks per day for a variety of violations.
Pretty incredible for someone who’s well past retirement age. But as he told the publication, it’s all in a day’s work.
“I want to make a difference for the people who live here,” Zertuche said. “If I can make this a better place for people to live, then I have done my job.”
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Here’s How Colleges Are Leading the Green Revolution in Sports
Here’s the beauty of sports: It unites people from every political, cultural and socioeconomic stripe. And when it comes to the environment, we also should be on the same team.
The amount of resources used to run a typical, large scale sporting event can be shocking. When thousands of people are gathered in one stadium, they consume a lot of food, create a lot of trash and use a lot of power. Of course, it’s all in the name of fun and games, but there’s really a better way.
With America’s green revolution taking off, the sports industry has also embraced this planet-friendly mentality. The U.S. Open recycles their tennis ball cans and has replaced all their virgin-fiber napkins with recycled ones. The Seattle Seahawks (NFL) and Seattle Sounders (MLS) are playing under the bright lights powered by solar panels. And the New York Yankees are composting.
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And now, the green movement in sports has passed the ball to the collegiate level. Thanks to efforts from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NDRC), which pioneered the movement in 2004, you’ll see solar panels, recycling bins and other green touches just as often as hot dogs at many college and university facilities these days.
As Sports Business Daily reports, the University of Colorado has a zero-waste program across its entire sports program. Ohio State seriously whittled its landfill waste from 15,000 pounds after an average home game to a shockingly small 447 pounds. Arizona State University has installed solar panels throughout its Wells Fargo Arena.
And the trend is only growing. Below, you’ll see some collegiate greening initiatives by the numbers (based on a 2013 survey by the University of Arizona via the NDRC):
At least 216 collegiate sports departments (97 athletics and 119 recreation) have installed recycling infrastructure throughout their sports facilities.
At least 88 collegiate sports departments (41 athletics and 47 recreation) have pursued LEED green building design certifications for new facilities, major renovations and/or existing facilities, with at least 24 certified sports venues to date.
At least 162 collegiate sports departments (68 athletics and 94 recreation) have installed bike racks and other infrastructure to promote bicycle commuting at their sports venues.
At least 116 collegiate sports departments (50 athletics and 66 recreation) have upgraded to water-efficient fixtures.
At least 83 collegiate sports departments (30 athletics and 53 recreation) have implemented an environmentally preferable paper purchasing policy that includes prioritizing paper with recycled content.
23 collegiate sports departments (8 athletics and 15 recreation) have installed on-site solar energy production systems.
And to encourage more colleges to get on board, Sustainable America announced in a blog post that NRDC has also released a free, first-of-its-kind online guide — called the Greening Advisor for Collegiate Sports — to improve sustainable programs and practices in collegiate athletics and recreation. It offers practical tips on how to start and fund recycling programs, engage students and create healthier environments.
College sports are helping us save the earth. Now that’s a winning formula.
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Neighborhood Blight Is No Match for These Pop-Up Gardens
Putting it bluntly, there’s nothing good about an abandoned lot. It collects litter and can serve as a congregating place where undesirable activity goes on.
Fortunately, in North Chicago, some vacant spaces are undergoing a makeover and sprouting some new and helpful additions.
Since 2010, resident Lamonda Joy has been transforming these lots into pop-up gardens, providing organic food to the growers.
Interestingly, Joy got her inspiration to create luscious green spaces from a vacant lot that she walked past every single day on her way home from work. After seeing a picture of a World War II victory garden in that same space, she had the idea to return the area to its former glory.
The Peterson Garden Project took root in 2010 and at the time, became the largest organic garden in Chicago and the first in a long line of pop-up gardens.
What separates Joy’s gardens from other community gardening projects? Hers are meant to only last for two to five years. (Hence the term pop-up.) The gardens will appear overnight and a few years later, disappear just as fast.
Their creation is very simple: When Joy spots an empty lot, she contacts the owner and asks to use the space for as long as possible. An agreement is signed with the owner, and the following day, the gardeners arrive with the 4’x8’ raised gardening beds.
The project only uses raised beds because the group is unsure what hazards lay in the city soil, and they do not want to risk infecting the produce. Further, the raised beds make it incredibly efficient to start and take down a garden. When a particular lot is no longer available, the beds are simply picked up and carried to the next spot.
In the four years since its inception, the project has grown extensively. This season alone, the Peterson Garden Project will be coordinating 4,000 gardeners in eight different lots across North Chicago. The gardens are open to everyone, and free classes are offered to beginners, as well monthly classes for experienced gardeners. Weekly, the group holds “in the garden” question-and-answer periods.
The majority of the food is consumed by the gardeners themselves, but five percent is donated to area food banks and nutrition programs through a group known as Grow2Give. The Peterson Garden Project is also working to make organic, sustainable food available for low-income families by providing scholarship donation plots.
Clearly, the Peterson Garden Project is transforming those vacant lots from eye sores into a valuable community asset.
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This Park Bench Does More Than Just Sit Around
We’d never advocate anyone to remain on their behinds all day, but here’s a novel exception: If you’re sitting on a Soofa, you’re actually hanging out on something that creates energy.
Boston’s parks are getting wicked cool, solar-powered benches that can charge phones via USB, as well as check local the air quality and noise levels using location-based environmental information, the Boston Globe reports. The service is provided to the city for free, thanks to funding from Cisco Systems.
Bostonians will soon see the benches in Titus Sparrow Park in the South End, the Boston Common and Rose Kennedy Greenway. Residents can request additional parks to install Soofas by pinning a location to this online map (which is already lit up like a Christmas tree) or by tweeting the location to @newurbanmechs. You can also submit name ideas for benches if you want.
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In the video below, Soofa designer Sandra Richter and Boston mayor Marty Walsh have a chat about the city’s new toy. As mayor Walsh says, the benches aren’t just a convenient way to juice up your phone: “I also think it’s a way for us to educate the public on the environment on all the initiatives we have,” adding, “if [the public gets] into the habit of checking the air quality and the other things we can do on this [bench], it will help us with what we’re trying to do as far as having sustainable communities.”
As we’ve said before, solar power might just be the cheapest form of energy. Harnessing the clean, green power of the sun is a smart financial move, plus it also allows communities to create power just with the sun’s rays and peel themselves off the grid.
But, really, any excuse to enjoy some sunshine sounds good to us.
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Forget Cubicles and Horrible Lighting. This Health Care Tech Company Goes All Natural
Sprawling fields, rippling creeks and acres of farmland – this serene landscape seems like the perfect haven to escape the hectic corporate lifestyle. Yet, this quiet land is the headquarters of a successful health care software development company.
Headquartered in Verona, Wisconsin, just 10 minutes from Madison, Epic Systems Corporation has rejected life in San Francisco and Silicon Valley for this quiet oasis. Epic specializes in creating software that services mid-size and large medical groups, hospitals and integrated health organizations. Their software works to help doctors and patients control the movement of electronic health data.
Although the company’s campus features an apple orchard from 1873, corn and alfalfa fields and cows, don’t let these simplicities fool you. Epic is revolutionizing office space with some of the newest products in sustainable energy. Their dairy farmhouse boasts 5,500 solar collectors, and the farm’s 3,500 geothermal wells control heating and cooling. Epic also maximizes daylight to reduce their use of florescent lighting — which not only lowers their energy costs but also works better with their employees’ circadian rhythms. Overall, these actions saves Epic 15 percent on its energy bills, and their campus uses 40 percent less energy than normal office buildings.
The company’s sustainable actions also have an aesthetic benefit, too. Peaceful rolling acres are preserved as the parking garage is hidden underneath. And this view is something that Epic plans to maintain, despite growing in size. “There are parts of the campus they never plan to touch — they want to see animals as part of their view,” says John Cuningham, founder of Cuningham Group Architecture, the firm who designed the agrarian complex.
Employee comfort is also a high priority, and it is built into the company’s designing plans. The 319,000 square feet of interior space is all divided into individual offices because Epic’s employers work better having their own space.
Epic wants the surrounding community to be able to enjoy their land, too. The company rents 250 acres of corn and alfalfa farmland to local famers, as well as opens its acres to visitors. Free maps of the farm are provided and all visitors are encouraged to take a tour and view the sites — especially the 20 seat treehouse made from reclaimed wood that the company uses for staff meetings.
Unconventional and at odds with most of our conceptions of a software company, Epic Systems is turning the concept of the traditional office space on its head. If more companies follow their lead, “sustainable, natural and serene” could be the next big trend in corporate decor.
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This Drilling Practice Is Controversial. But Now, New York Towns Can Say “Get the Frack Out”
Just a few months ago, we detailed the years-long David and Goliath battle between the small town of Dryden, New York, and Norse Corp., a natural gas company that wanted to frack the gas-rich land underneath the community’s feet.
Fracking, a controversial process that’s booming across America, has a whole range of negative health and environmental impacts.
Citing environmental concerns, Dryden’s officials unanimously banned the fracking within their borders in 2011, despite the fact that Norse had a lease to drill. Naturally, the gas company took Dryden to court (twice!).
But now, in another blow to the gas giant, New York’s top court has upheld Home Rule — a municipality’s legal right to apply its zoning laws to oil and gas wells. Essentially, New York towns and cities have the right to ban fracking.
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In the 5-2 decision, the Court of Appeals upheld the opinion of a lower state court. Judge Victoria Graffeo wrote that the two towns, Dryden and Middlefield (which was also named in the suit), “studied the issue and acted within their home rule powers in determining that gas drilling would permanently alter and adversely affect the deliberately cultivated, small-town character of their communities.”
New York has had a state-wide fracking moratorium since 2008 which oil and gas companies are hoping that Gov. Cuomo will one day end. Dryden was the first town to prohibit it all together, and remarkably, more than 170 other communities in New York followed its lead with similar bans. With this ruling, these towns can stay frack-free even if Cuomo lifts the state moratorium.
“It’s really, really great for the local municipalities who need to defend themselves against these big national and international corporate interests,” New Paltz, New York, supervisor Susan Zimet told the Daily Freeman. (New Paltz banned fracking in November 2012.) “Home rule is about the only power our small communities have in fighting these battles.”
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Deborah Goldberg, an Earthjustice lawyer who argued on behalf of Dryden told the Voice that the decision will have a “huge impact here in New York state and may very well influence similar efforts around the country.”
The anti-fracking movement has spread across state lines, including communities in California, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Texas and Ohio. Now if only the whole country could get on board.
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Sandy, Summer Standouts: The Top 35 Cleanest Beaches
Summertime and Fourth of July means barbecues, family, friends and beaches for most of us. But as people prepare to hit the sand, there’s nothing worse than taking a dip in polluted water. Have no fear, though, because last week, the Natural Resources Defense Council released its annual report on beach pollution, compiling results on 3,000 beaches to create a comprehensive list of the top 35 cleanest ones.
Contamination and pollution on public beaches across the country is a consistent problem. Most of it can be contributed to rain water, which, through its course over pavement, picks up different contaminants which are then transferred to the ocean water. A further problem is the water treatment facilities that handle storm water and sewage in the same system.
The Natural Resources Defense Council’s report used information on the pollution levels of the beaches surveyed from 2009 to 2013 to rank their cleanliness as well as offer solutions to clean up dirtier waters. In order to be a superstar beach, the location had to meet the water quality standards established by the Environmental Protection Agency. First, it could not exceed the 2009-2012 national water quality level by more than two percent. Second, it could not exceed the 2013 Beach Action Value water quality by more than two percent.
All of this sounds very scientific for most of us, but it can be boiled down simply. Beach Action Value is different from water quality level because it deals solely with beach quality and just acts as a guideline for when beach health warnings should be administered. It is a not a required criteria but can be used as a tool by the states. Therefore, superstar beaches were less than two percent above the EPA’s established safe water quality values.
Of the 35 top beaches, there are some standouts whose numbers were zero percent in every category for every year. Some of those include Long Beach City in New York, Back Bay Beach in Virginia, Dauphin Island Public Beach and Beach at Cape Hatteras Lighthouse in North Carolina, among others.
So before you grab your towel and sunscreen, be sure to check to see where your favorite beach falls in the rankings. See the full list of superstars and offenders at Next City.
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