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Earth Day, Green Infrastructure, and Global Awareness

Green Talk — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 15:58:04 +0000

Welcome Guest Poster, J. Garver – “Writer of all things left and progressively green.” Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day. Are you wearing the green? Well, here is some green to think about.

Spring 2010 is approaching and there’s a lot of buzz around topics like the economy, taxation, global poverty, restoration in Haiti/Chile, and lastly, green awareness. With spring, Earth Day also draws nearer (April 22nd); as individuals, we must remember and realize the importance of global warming and all of its implications. Subsequent topics discussed as of late include space travel/burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, and green building. As nations like Haiti and Chile prepare for rebuilding and new construction, there are many things to consider when advancing. Moving towards cleaner, greener infrastructure is vital in ensuring a successful restoration campaign.

The U.S. Green Building Council is a 501(3)(c) non-profit community of leaders working to make green buildings available to everybody. It’s one of the many organizations playing its role in green progression. Heavy discussion lies on green topics, especially the more recent ones like space travel; others include deforestation, green crops, clothing, energy, and much more. It’s important that we as individuals/citizens stay up-to-date on important global topics like warming. As organizations like the CGI (Clinton Global Initiative), AFH (Architecture for Humanity), and the USGBC (U.S. Green Building Council) conducts sustainability campaigns and enforce strict green constraints, our world will continue to become a better, cleaner place. Machines behind the CGI, Doug Band and Former President Clinton have been pursuing an emission reduction plan in the San Francisco Bay area. Meanwhile, CEO of GEC (Globetrotters Engineering Corporation), Niranjan Shah, is underway with green building projects in Chicago, IL. Despite these few national examples, green infrastructure, particularly in places like Haiti, has become an integral part of restoration and construction.

As polluters continue to buy their way out of Carbon Cuts globally, and large organizations continue to dump their waste into lakes, ponds and rivers, communities and must play their role in ensuring sustainability. Organizations like the CGI, AFH, and USGBC provide repercussion and policy change for acts such as. Most of the results from warming and climate change are miniscule and unnoticeable now, but our youth and earlier generations will experience firsthand the effects of pollutants and unsustainable efforts. Feel free to visit EarthDay.org to learn more about what you can do to support your world.

So, Readers, what have you done to support your world? Thoughts about the article?

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NoMix Toilets Could Power Your House and Feed Your Plants

Green Talk — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 17:17:30 +0000

Roediger NoMix toilet (urine diversion flush toilet).

Move over dual flushing toilets. Meet the NoMix toilet, which separates your number 1 from your number 2. Okay, Anna. What’s the trick here? Who cares if a toilet can separates my bodily movements.

Hear me out. There is a method to my madness. What is a the point of a No Mix or urine diversion toilet?

“The “NoMix technology” concept is also simple: urine is collected in the front compartment of specially designed toilets and drained, with a little flushing water or even undiluted, into a local storage tank. The back compartment of these toilets operates on the same principle as conventional models; the waste matter collected is flushed into the sewers with water. One of the Novaquatis research topics was how urine is to be subsequently managed: the nutrients nitrogen and phosphorus are used to produce a fertilizer – or are removed by processes similar to those applied at wastewater treatment plants.” [Source.]

Oh, come on, Anna. Be serious. I’m not eating anything someone or even I urinated on.

Urine as a Fertilizer:

I know. It is strange, but there have been studies of the benefits of human urine as fertilizer. In my earlier article, “Urine Does a Plant Good,” I spoke about a 2009 Finland study that found tomato plants prospered with added urine and wood ash. In fact, the ones with the yellow mellow? Let’s just say the plants produced a bumper crop of those juicy red beauties.

Better yet. Taste testers did not notice any difference between urinated tomato plants and ones which were not fertilized with urine. Since urine is abundant, it is a cheap fertilizer. In addition, urine is high in phosphorous, a needed building block for agricultural purposes.

“High-grade phosphate rock reserves are running out: at current rates of exploitation (increasing at around 3% per year), the economic reserves of phosphorus will last no more than 50 years. The economically viable reserves in the United States for example, will be depleted within 25 to 30 years (Rosemarin et al., 2008; Cordell et al., 2009).” [Source]

There are several urine diversion toilets available and are being operated in such places as Sweden, Finland, and Germany. (See page 16 of the above hyper-linked report.) In the US, you can buy one here.

So, what happens to the urine? It is collected from the toilet and then sent to a waste water facility to remove hormones such as birth control pills and pharmaceutical residues from the urine. The final product? Fertilizer.

Overburden Wastewater Facilities:

But, the benefits of urine collection does not just stop at making fertilizer. Urine diversion also helps our overtaxed wastewater systems. Rose George, the author of “The Big Necessity: The Unmentionable World of Human Waste and Why It Matters, ” stated in her Op-ed piece in the New York Times entitled, “Yellow is the New Green,”

“When a rainstorm suddenly sends millions of gallons of water into an already overloaded system, the extra must be stored or — if storage is lacking — discharged, untreated, into the nearest river or harbor. Each week, New York City sends about 800 Olympic-size swimming pools’ worth of sewage-polluted water into nearby waters because there’s nowhere else for it to go.”

The beauty of the urine diversion system is our waste water facilities would be filtering much less water than would ordinarily be the case with our current toilets . Thus waste water facilities could be made smaller. In my own town, many of the property owners have septic systems installed because the cost to expand the waste water plant would cost an arm and a leg. However, the problem with septic systems if not maintained properly, they can fail and cause groundwater pollution.

How much water would you be saving?

The manufacturer of the Doublett Systemet, one of the urine diversion toilets, states:

“Thanks to its unique design, we can sawe approximately 80% of flushing water in comparison with a normal two bottoms toilet, and reduce 80% of wastewater.

Example: Ordinary person used WC 6 times per day, in which 5 times one urinates. 5 x 1,5 dl x 4 person = 3 Liter per day and family. 5 x 4 liter x 4 person = 80 Liter per day and family. 80 -3 = 77 Liter drinking water can saves , and 77 liter wastewater reduce.”

(Note, 77 liters is about 20 gallons of water.)

“Left: urine-diversion flush toilet by Roediger (Germany). A valve opens only when the user is seated to prevent flushing water drain into the urine tank. Right: urine diversion flush toilet by Gustavsberg (Sweden). No valve is used to allow a little bit of flushing water enter the urine pipe, which avoids clogging of assemblies.”

Challenges of the use of Urine Diversion Toilets:

There are over 135,000 urine diversion toilets in use today. [Source] Before you get on the urine diversion band wagon, there are some challenges involved with this technology. Novaraquatis who conducted research about the these toilets noted the following challenges.

Approval of urine to be used as fertilizer
Ongoing maintenance of the toilets so they do not get blocked.
Must be cleaned every day
Hard for children because they may not be able to aim properly.
Hard for women to use because they may not want to sit on a public toilet seat.
Good ventilation is required where the urine is stored.
Double the cost of conventional toilets.
Use of urine as a fertilizer on our food.

See here (on page 10) and here for more challenges discussed.

However despite the above challenges, a 2009 survey conducted of 38 NoMix projects in 7 European countries revealed a high level of approval of the technology. 2700 people responded.

“NoMix-technology is well accepted; around 80% of users liked the idea, 75−85% were satisfied with design, hygiene, smell, and seating comfort of NoMix-toilets, 85% regarded urine-fertilizers as good idea (50% of farmers), and 70% would purchase such food. However, 60% of users encountered problems; NoMix-toilets need further development. We found few differences among countries, but systematic differences between public and private settings, where people seem more critical. Information was positively correlated with acceptance, and, e.g., a good mood or environmentally friendly behavior.”

What about the Poop?

What are we going to do with the poop? Power our houses. In 2005, Wired Magazine reported how human feces power a Rwandan Prison. It is converted into methane to be used for cooking.

“It has reduced by 60 percent the annual wood-fuel costs which would otherwise reach near $1 million, according to Silas Lwakabamba, rector of the Kigali Institute of Science, Technology and Management, where the technology was developed.”

Love Toilet Talk? More Sustainable Sanitation Info

Some of you are saying, “Anna, I got the eco-toilet talk. Others are saying dish it out. Just love hearing about new ways to be more sustainable. So, I will keep it brief. Urine Diversion toilets are not the only form of sustainable sanitation. See here for more information on other EcoSans toliets. For the more visual types, here are some pictures of them as well. Note, Sustainable Sanitation has wonderful pictures on her Flickr pages of all interesting type of sanitation collection systems and methods. If you are interested in this topic, I encourage you to take a look.

So, readers,

do you think urine diversion toilets will become more common place in the world?
could it be the answer to our heavily taxed sewer systems?
would people buy produce where urine was used as fertilizer?
what’s our thoughts about this technology?

Photos by permission of Sustainable Sanitation.

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Demand Stronger Environmental Guidelines for Dioxin

Green Talk — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:06:46 +0000

Photo by Ethan Prater

The Center for Health, Environment, and Justice sent me the following email asking for all of us to take action to demand stronger environmental guidelines to Dioxin. I mentioned this horrible chemical in my article, “Are Toxic Chemicals Lurking in your Furniture and Building Products? ” One product that contains dioxin is PVC. As noted below, dioxin is a known carcinogen. Read on as to why you need to sign the below petition.

“At the request of Dow Chemical and the American Chemistry Council, the EPA has extended the public comment period on their proposed cleanup guidelines for Dioxin to Friday April 2^nd. Now more than ever, we need your help to counteract lobbying by Dow Chemical and the chemical industry.

There is still time to let your voice be heard! To date over 1,400 people have raised their voice and told EPA they want stronger cleanup guidelines for Dioxin, one of the most hazardous chemicals known to man. Dow Chemical and the American Chemistry Council have pressured EPA to expand the public comment period through April 2^nd. Let’s use this to our advantage and allow EPA to hear from you!

Take action by joining parents and families across America in telling EPA you want stronger cleanup guidelines for Dioxin.

Dioxin poses a serious health risk to both children and adults. In response more than 100 countries have signed a treaty that calls for a global phase out of Dioxin. Dioxin is a powerful cancer causing agent and human carcinogen. Join over 1,400 Americans by telling EPA that more stringent guidelines must be developed for Dioxin cleanup.

Remember, there is still time to take action and let your voice be heard!“

It only take a minute to click and sign your name. Remember, it takes a village.

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Recycle Your Jeans at the Gap March 5-14, 2010

Green Talk — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 18:46:26 +0000

Photo by permission of Ben Donley

One of my most popular post is “Recycle your Blue Jeans.” I guess I have a lot of jean wearing, need to get rid of old jeans readers. Well, for a limited time, Gap is taking back old jeans as part of the CottontoBluetoGreen.org campaign. The time period is short: March 5-March 14, 2010. See here for a store near you.

In fact, when you give Gap your jeans, you can get 30% off a new pair of jeans.

Old Blue Jeans are used to create UltraTouch cotton insulation. (I have this insulation. Love it.) See the video here about how your ratty jeans become insulation.

To date, the Campaign has collected enough jean to make 185,000 square feet of insulation. It takes 500 jeans to make insulation for an average house. 180 Habitat for Humanity have houses have used this insulation. So, get a jump on spring cleaning, and head over to the Gap to give those jeans a second life. If you miss the deadline, check out my post for other jean recycling ideas.

It will give you a warm feeling.

Tip via Mommy Goes Green

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Are Toxic Chemicals Lurking in your Furniture and Building Products?

Green Talk — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 23:49:03 +0000

Photo by Phillip Stewart

Did you ever wonder if what we bring into our homes could be increasing our risk of cancer, developmental issues in our children, or asthma? How could a lovely PVC shower curtain or new stain resistant couch cause any problems? Or perhaps that new shade of yellow paint that smelled for a couple of days after you painted the wall?

Unfortunately, I had to learn the hard way, through my children. When you have children that have learning disabilities, ADD, asthma, eczema, and JV Diabetes, you start to examine your own life and ask what have you done wrong. I started to question as they grew older, if any of the products that I used in our home caused any of their problems?

Over a decade ago, I started digging into this chemical nightmare. According to the Center for Health, Justice, and the Environment (CHJE),

“Increasingly, children are being found to be hyperactive, slow to learn, and disruptive in school. The number of children in special education programs classified with learning disabilities increased 191% from 1977 to 1994.ii Asthma is a leading reason for school absenteeism and the number one chronic childhood illness. iii One in a hundred American children has an autism spectrum disorder (ASD).iv 8,000 American children are diagnosed each year with cancer,.v and dust, and in human urine, blood and breast milk.xi”[source]

The outcome? Seven years ago, we started building a house with nontoxic or low toxic materials. The learning curve was huge, but it made me realize how many chemicals make up a home. Not just the building products but also the contents in it. Some good. Some not so good.

According to the fact sheet, “Toxic Chemicals in Building Products,” there are three problematic categories of chemical compounds in building products: volatile organic compounds, semi-volatile organic compounds, and heavy metals. In addition, health and environmental concerns have been raised by the use of PVC. Dioxins are created during the manufacturing process, when accidentally burned, or intentionally during disposal.

Where are these chemicals found and how can we stop the toxic building madness?

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)

PVC is found in flooring, ceiling tiles coatings, carpet backing, pipes, conduits, siding, window treatments, furniture, wall and corner guards, wiring and cable sheathing, wall covering and upholstery.[Source] For a laundry list of PVC laden products, see here.

PVC contains harmful phthalates and dioxins. ( Phthalates will be discussed below.) Dioxins in PVC build up in our bodies and could remain there for years. In fact, the CHEJ states many chemicals used and released by PVC may be linked to breast cancer, decreased fertility, inability to carry pregnancy to term, decreased sperm levels as well as asthma in our children.

How to rid PVC from your life? See CHEJ’s alternative guide. (In order to download the guide, you must sign up for their e-bulletins. ) Also, for further resources, see HealthyBuilding.net’s alternative PVC guide for the health care industry, which includes many items used in a home setting.

Simply put, don’t buy #3 plastics, shy away from the vinyl window treatments and shower curtains , and use the guides above to find alternatives to vinyl building products and home furnishings. I know that many of these products are easier to care for and have longevity, but is your health worth it?

I will be honest. There is PVC in my house. I was not able to find non-PVC waste lines for my plumbing; however, my water pipes are cooper. Nor, was I able to timely find non-PVC coated electrical wiring in my house. If you are renovating, repairing, or building new, I have given you to the tools to correct my mistakes.

The VOC smell?

You know the new furniture or freshly painted smell? What you are smelling is volatile organic compounds. According to HealthyBuilding.net’s Toxic Chemical report noted above,

“Some VOCs have been associated with short-term acute sick building syndrome symptoms, as well as other longer-term chronic health effects, such as damage to the liver, kidney and nervous systems, and increased cancer risk.”

Examples of problematic VOCs are formaldehyde, benzene, toluene, xylene, acetaldehyde, and isocyanates, which can be found in furniture, paint, stains, and other common building products.

Formaldehyde is a potential caronogenic. It is found in cabinets, flooring, furniture, insulation, curtains, glues, and many other products. However, there are many formaldehyde-free products available today such as formaldehyde free insulations (John Manville, as an example), formaldehyde free plywood (Columbia Forest products), and even formaldehyde free FSC certified bamboo flooring (Smith Fong’s Plyboo) I bet you did not know that your bamboo flooring could have formaldehyde in it. The resin (glue) contains the formaldehyde.

For a list of alternatives, see products that have received GreenSpec, Green Seal, and Greenguard approvals. Note, that some of Greenguards’ approved products contain PVC since the Company only tests indoor air quality. In addition, buy carpets that are CRI green label/green label plus approved for indoor air quality. Note, many of these carpets listed could have a petrochemical based backing. I opted for rugs to be made out of wool with a jute back in lieu of wall to wall carpet. The rationale behind this decision was that if one of my children developed an allergy to wool, I could simply remove the rug.

Could your dust bunnies harbor toxic chemicals?

Semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) are released slowly from materials and are likely to transfer to human or attach to dust. [Source] In the report, Sick of Dust: Chemicals in Common Products A Needless Health Risk in Our Home, it was found from dust samplings that our homes contained PBDEs (flame retardants), phthalates, organotin compounds, alkylphenols, and perfluorinated organics chemicals (PFO/PFOA). For more details, see here.

These chemicals are suspected hormone disruptors, toxic to the immune system and/or potentially carcinogenic. Scary stuff. However, the Environmental Working Group provides the following tips to remove the dust:

Vacuum frequently with a HEPA vacuum cleaner. (See Green Guide’s vacuum cleaner guide.)
Wet mop uncarpeted floors
Buy wood furniture or furniture stuffed with down, cotton, polyester or cotton since it is unlikely that it contains flame retardants. (I just want to add ask the manufacturer of the furniture if the furniture contains flame retardants whether on the fabric or the cushions. Additionally, ask if the fabric has been sprayed to make it stain resistant If so, it has coated with a PFOA chemical.)
Wipe dust with a microfiber or wet cotton rag to hold the dust. (For those wishing to not use microfiber since it is made from petrochemicals, consider using SKOY cloths, made of cellulose and cotton.)
Equip your heating system with a high quality filter and change them frequently. (I have an electrostatic filter.)
Simply take off your shoes when you walk into the house, which reduces your exposure to outside toxic chemicals such as pesticides.
For more EWG tips see here. (In addition, the Green Guide has some additional tips. See here.)

So, you are thinking how am I going to find furniture that does not contain formaldehyde and/or flame retardants. Look for wood furniture made out of FSC-certifed woods, no or low voc stains and finishes. Upholstered furniture without stain resistant fabric, which is made from renewable sources (USDA, SKAL, or perferably GOTS certified fabric), and natural latex cushions. See my category on fabric here for many greenier options. I hesitate to say green since not all of them are 100% green.

A good starting point for furniture is the Sustainable Furniture Council. However, many of the companies listed vary in their green practices, so you will have to do some investigative work.

In addition, FYI, some manufacturers tout their soy based cushions, which are part soy and mostly petroleum base and contain flame retardants (nonhalegeon based flame retardants.) Call me a skeptic, but I don’t have a lot of faith in the chemical industry when it comes to flame retardants. I don’t want to hear in ten years that there is another problem with flame retardants. Remember, the manufacturing and distribution of PCBs flame retardants, the predecessor to PBDEs, has been banned due to health concerns. Two strikes at bat as far as I am concerned.

There are many green furniture companies available that have healthier choices for consumers such Cisco Brothers, Furnature, and Viesso.

Heavy Metals:

Such heavy metals as arsenic, antimony,cadmium, chromium, copper, cobalt, lead, mercury and zinc, have raised concerns for human and aquatic toxicity. During the extraction, production, and disposal of heavy metals, toxic chemicals have been released into the environment, notably our waterways.

Lead and mercury are neurotoxicants; whereas cadmium, hexavalent chromium (used in stainless steel and chrome production), and antimony trioxide (synergist in flame retardants for textiles) are carcinogens. [Source] Note, antimony is a catalyst to making PET (recycled polyester and plastic water bottles.)

Heavy metals are used as stabilizers in the production of PVC. In addition, heavy metals can be found in roofing, solder, radiation shielding, and in dyes for paints and textiles. [Source] See here for a more detailed list of where to find heavy metals in your home.

In: Life Support: The Environment and Human Health, Chapter 4 author Howard Hu, M.D., M.P.H., Sc.D. noted:

“Metals are notable for their wide environmental dispersion from such activity; their tendency to accumulate in select tissues of the human body; and their overall potential to be toxic even at relatively minor levels of exposure. Some metals, such as copper and iron, are essential to life and play irreplaceable roles in, for example, the functioning of critical enzyme systems. Other metals are xenobiotics, i.e., they have no useful role in human physiology (and most other living organisms) and, even worse, as in the case of lead and mercury, may be toxic even at trace levels of exposure. Even those metals that are essential, however, have the potential to turn harmful at very high levels of exposure, a reflection of a very basic tenet of toxicology–“the dose makes the poison.”

Bottom line. Ask when you buy if your products contain heavy metals.

Although this article is brief in the discussion of toxicity of building product, this should give you a start of what to look for when you bring new products into your home. Please feel free to add to this post other chemicals that people should be aware of when they shop for household or building products.

This article is part of the Green Moms Carnival being hosted by Tiffany of Natural Moms Blog regarding cancer being caused by our environment. Check out what all the other green moms have to say about this timely subject especially about your food and personal care products. It will be eye opening I can assure you.

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Recycled Content Vast Pavers Offer New 4 by 8 Pavers

Green Talk — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 01:51:13 +0000

I featured Vast Pavers on Green Talk about a year ago and touted their ease of installation and eco-friendly content (recycled plastic soda bottles and rubber.) For more information, see here. In the past the Company only offered a 3 by 6 paver. Now they offer a 4 by 8 paver. The picture above illustrates the difference between the two products.

According to Builder Mark Burzynski, Gulf Coast Landscape Services, Inc., of Houston, Texas stated in a Company statement,

“The 4×8-inch size is the paver I want for big projects. Larger pavers have more visual appeal in bigger applications and are more efficient to install.”

Andy Vander Woude, chief executive officer, VAST Enterprises, LLC. stated about his Company,

“Through 2009, installations of VAST Composite Pavers have diverted 2.75 million pounds old car tires and plastic containers from getting dumped into U.S. landfills.”

I look forward to Vast continued evolution and their new upcoming products. Summer is just around the corner, so take a look at this eco-friendly product, and start dreaming on a new terrace.

Readers, let me know if you have installed the product.

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USGBC’s Announces Top 10 Green Building Legislation

Green Talk — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 16:35:36 +0000

You know why Abe is smiling? Because America has a bright future ahead of it. We will get out of our economic rut and green building is the answer. Green building will create jobs and spur the economy to recover. Right now Congress has taken the lead and there are several green building bills pending. Although the USGBC’s press release was entitled “the USGBC’s top 10 list,” in reality, the list comprised of its top 20 green building bills pending or enacted by Congress. At the top of the list was The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The list included nine pending bills in the House and ten bills in the Senate.

“With our crippled economy, continuing energy crisis, and changing climate, Americans need timely and effective solutions to set a new course for how we use and think about energy,” said Sen. Snowe. “Energy efficiency has emerged as one of the most effective and expeditious actions that can be taken to preserve valuable resources for producers and consumers. I am pleased to work with Senators Feinstein and Bingaman to build upon the success of past taxcredits and provide critical energy efficiency tax incentives that will spark innovation in our housing and commercial building sector and pave the way for economical and environmentally-conscious living.”

The list is as follows:

In the House of Representatives:

• The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act – Public Law
• The American Clean Energy and Security Act – Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.)
• The 21st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities Act – Ben Chandler (D-Ky.)
• The Expanding Building Efficiency Act – Dave Reichert (R-Wash.)
• The Property Assessed Clean Energy Tax Benefits Act — John Sarbanes (D-Md.)
• An Act to Enhance Private Financing for Clean Energy Technology Deployment – Steve Israel (D-N.Y.)
• The Energy Efficiency Modernization Act of 2009 – Mary Jo Kilroy (D-Ohio)
• The Water Accountability Tax Efficiency Reinvestment (WATER) Act – Michael Coffman (R-Colo.)
• The Livable Communities Act of 2010 – Ed Perlmutter (D-Colo.) **pending introduction**
• The Federal Personnel Training Act of 2010 – Russ Carnahan (D-Mo.) **pending introduction**

In the Senate:

• The Clean Energy and American Jobs Act – John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.)
• The American Clean Energy and Leadership Act – Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska)
• Energy Efficiency in Housing Act (EEHA) of 2009 – Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.)
• The Livable Communities Act of 2009 – Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.)
• The Expanding Building Efficiency Incentives Act of 2009 – Olympia Snowe (R-Maine)
• The School Building Fairness Act – Tom Harkin (D-Iowa)
• Clean Energy for Homes and Buildings Act of 2009 – Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Richard Lugar (R-Ind.)
• The Energy Efficiency Modernization Act of 2009 – Michael Bennet (D-Colo.)
• The Water Accountability Tax Efficiency Reinvestment (WATER) Act of 2009 — Mark Udall (D-Colo.)
• The Federal Agency Energy Efficiency Improvement Act of 2009 – Susan Collins (R-Maine)

For a brief review of the bills or laws, see here. For more detailed information regarding any of the above bills, search here.

According to the USGBC,

“Buildings in the United States are responsible for 39% of CO2 emissions, 40% of energy consumption, 13% water consumption and 15% of GDP per year, making green building a source of significant economic and environmental opportunity. Greater building efficiency can meet 85% of future U.S. demand for energy, and a national commitment to green building has the potential to generate 2.5 million American jobs.”

My take? Put America on an energy diet by putting Americans to work to make this a reality. Many of my readers know that I am a LEED AP (new construction.) I can easily walk around a building and see dollar bills literally fly out the window from leaking doors to lights kept on all hours of the night. Don’t get me started about what I have seen in the trash or the paper waste. Smoke just comes out of my ears. (By the way, if you want to save green and want a diet for your businesses or building, hire me. I am not talking about the South Beach diet.)

How many of you have school age children? It always amazes me when I see windows open in the schools in the freezing winter since their heating systems are operating inefficiently. Or I call it the Christmas light display at night. How beautiful the building are at night all lit up, but at the cost of our environment. Many of our schools are in desperate need for retrofitting.

“Our country will rise and fall based on how we educate our children, and study after study shows that where children learn has a huge impact on what they learn,” said Rep. Chandler. “Not only will this bill begin to fix our crumbling public schools, but it will create local jobs that cannot be shipped overseas, save energy, and during these tough economic times, make a significant long term investment in our country’s most valuable resource, our children.”

Our children are our future.

So, readers, what are your thoughts about any of the above bills?

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Sewing Must Have: The Energy Efficient See and Sew LED Light

Green Talk — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 19:09:11 +0000

How many of you sew? It is a lost art but really rewarding. I learned to sew in junior high and did not pick sewing back up until two years ago. While sewing window seat cushions, I found that I could no longer see when I was sewing. The little light on the machine and the overhead lights in the room were not enough light. I just chocked it up to getting older and grabbed my fluorescent office lamp and parked it right on top of the machine. Am I the only one who finds that little light on a sewing machine is made for superman’s eyes.

Well, designer Patty Doyle of Robo Whittler LLC decided to shed some light where needed. She designed the See and Sew LED sewing light. Well, my old strained eyes just perked right up. An LED sewing light? Love LEDs. They give a beautiful directional light which would make sewing more of a pleasure instead of a squinting nightmare.

When Patty and I spoke via email, I could not envision her LED light. Was it similar to my flourscent desk lamp? Lo and behold she sent me a picture of it as well as a PDF, which I incorporated into the above short video. I was amazed how much thought went into her invention. Not only was it a light, it was a whole organization system for all your sewing needs. I constantly lose my scissor, glasses, pins, and would lose my head if it was not attached.

I am fascinated by people who make their dreams a reality. She explained that she and her husband owned a company that used to make complicated cuts for cabinet shops. At the same time, she was sewing on a four foot craft table. She started nagging her husband that they could design and build semi-custom and custom centers and rooms. (See the picture above.) The rest was history.

But where did the light come from?

“As we were building and delivering I was adding more and more lights around my sewing machine so we turned our focus to lighting. We started experimenting, designing and building more and more versions until we decided on the version you saw. We have a whole series of lighting and storage that we plan on introducing this year. We also have thread storage and a space saver quilting center that we plan on introducing late in the year.”

In the end, she designed an energy efficient light which would not give off any heat, and would not get in the way of her fabric while sewing. It took fifteen months to design and build. But according to Patty, well worth the time investment. I was intrigued and asked Patty why the organization compartments. She explained

“Because I love to be organized we added 7 removable storage bins (I keep scissors, needles, bobbins and all the little things in the bins), a built in thread guide (it holds the economy size spools which I like to use especially in machine embroidery), and a pattern holder (I was always looking for my pattern.)”

Can you not relate?

What was the color of the LED? Warm or cool? She replied,

” The manufacturer calls the lights a white light (neither cool or warm) which makes matching fabric, thread and anything else very easy. There are 60 LEDs in each light for a total of 160 lumens per light and each light has two LED lights in them. So, your needle is surrounded by 120 LEDs. I think that’s terrific!”

Gosh, so do I! In fact there are two LED bulbs in the unit. One is positioned to the left of the needle and one is positioned at the back so the entire area is lit up. Just think how much easier it will be to thread a machine with all that light?

Gotta have one? I thought you would. Patty stated you can buy the See and Sew Light at Quilt Shop or directly from Patty. In March, the product will be available on Amazon and All Brands . Suggested Retail Manufacturer price at $199.95 plus shipping and handling.

However, if you buy it through Patty, you will pay the factory direct price of $169.95 plus shipping and handling. At this time Patty can only accept checks.

In a few weeks the product will be on Youtube and in June, the Company will have their own website (www.organizedsewing.com) You can also follow them on their twitter account until their website is up and running.

I have been thinking about sewing my own roman shades. Now, I no longer have an excuse….except time. Patty, can you help me there?

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