Kayakas!

We”ve seen the advantages of using huge sails to make freighters more efficient before; a company called KiteShip has taken it a step further with what they call Very Large Free Flying Sails (VLFFS) and control systems, technology and techniques for launching, controlling and recovering these sails aboard not only commercial vessels, but pleasure and racing yachts and even aerospace applications. Self-described as a “group of forward-thinking sailors, designers and visionaries,” KiteShip has been harnessing the power of the wind for three decades. Their portfolio includes sails designed for freighter retrofits (like the kind we saw from Sky Sails); they also offer bi-directional kite boards and rule-legal spinnaker replacement kites for racing yachts (wind power can be fun, too) and have even been working on programs to explore the surface of Mars, the atmospheres of the gas giants and Earth”s own stratosphere. We won”t go into all the details of these far-out ideas; to learn more, read up on them here. At least on the water, we think these sails might be the “wave” of the future. ::KiteShip via ::Gristmill

This one is kind of old, but still interesting. One of the BBC”s Top Gear car reviewers got to drive GM”s Hy-wire fuel cell concept car, a very futuristic and modular vehicle. There”s about 50 seconds of unrelated things at the beginning of the video before it gets to the Hy-wire.

Arthur H. Rosenfeld was born in 1927. He earned a PhD in Physics from the University of Chicago in 1954 and then spent almost 20 years with the Nobel Prize-winning particle physics group of Luis Alvarez at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. In 1974, In great part because of the oil crisis, he changed to a different field: The efficient use of energy! He formed the Center for Building Science at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) and led it until 1994, and for that we owe him a great many “thanks” as treehuggers. The Center developed “electronic ballasts for fluorescent lamps (which led to compact fluorescent lamps), low-emissivity windows, and the DOE-2 computer program for the energy analysis and design of buildings, for which Dr. Rosenfeld was personally responsible”, and many more green innovations including more efficient electric motors and refrigerators.

It”s been awhile since we”ve checked in on 2KH, and they”ve added some really good-looking stuff. One of our favorite sustainable retailers, who we featured some time ago, sell their goods through their online store and their brick-n-mortar location in NYC”s West Chelsea neighborhood; the store itself is notable for incorporating refurbished concrete floors, custom-designed modular fixtures fashioned from reclaimed wood, innovative wood composites, eco-friendly resins energy-efficient lighting and low-VOC paints and adhesives. It”s great to see a business walking the walk with such a TreeHugger-friendly style as well; we like the looks of these tabletop trays. The Circles of Bamboo Tray (left) is handcrafted from small circles of our favorite grass; the exotic, sustainable and beautiful Palm Wood Oval Tray works well for serving fruit and bread, or on its own as a decorative piece (remember, palm wood can be a good alternative to exotic rainforest hardwoods, as the trees are harvested after they stop bearing coconuts). Both are available online; if you happen through the neighborhood, swing by and check “em out in person at the corner of Tenth Avenue and 17th Street. ::2KH

The hills above the West Yorkshire village of Hebden Bridge in the UK will see an important gathering next wekend. A group of volunteers of all ages will be taking part in what they describe as “climate change of a different kind.” They will be hard at work cutting back turf and planting young trees, and when they are not doing this they’ll be attending workshops on climate change, community action and green living. Of course, if previous events are anything to go by, there’ll also be dancing, singing, eating and drinking until well into the night.

“I am not writing this book to confirm what you believe is true… As always, I seem destined to offend everyone.”

These are the words of British journalist and environmental campaigner George Monbiot, recently described by the Observer newspaper as “the most astute political and environmental cartographer of his time.” The opening quote was taken from the introduction to his new book Heat – How to Stop the Planet Burning, which is now available in the shops. It looks set to become an important work in the growing literature on climate change. The author challenges the facts and figures promoted by both the oil industry and the environmental lobbies, waging war on both deliberate deceit and well-meaning woolly thinking alike. Monbiot claims that even the most ambitious targets for emissions cuts, such as the UK government’s promise of a 60% cut by 2050, are way below what is needed. He argues that cuts in the magnitude of 90% are vital by 2030 in order to avoid climate change slipping out of our control.

Did they need a study to know that? With them, you never know. In Can Proactive Fuel Economy Strategies Help Automakers Mitigate Fuel-Price Risks? (pdf), Michigan’s Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) says that “the strategy with the best financial outcome for domestic automakers is to focus on improving fuel-economy across their lineups” and that the industry”s assumption that fuel economy is only important to people when gas prices are high is erroneous (they investigated future scenarios with gasoline at $3.10, $2.30 and $2 per gallon).

Whether positive or negative, Whole Foods Market tends to attract a majority of the attention surrounding sustainability and food retailers. However, recent developments indicate that Safeway is looking to challenge Whole Foods’ position as industry leader. Earlier this week, the Fortune 50 company, announced its approval of California’s new state law that will require a 25% reduction in emissions by 2020. More importantly, Safeway introduced a series of progressive initiatives that will serve to reduce the company’s environmental footprint. The food and drug retailer will join the Chicago Climate Exchange, thereby committing to a 390,000-ton reduction in CO2 emissions from the base year 2000. The company will also purchase an additional 174,000 MWh of wind energy, making it California’s largest corporate buyer of wind energy. Finally, Safeway will introduce new technologies to reduce energy consumption at its stores, and implement a comprehensive recycling program capable of reducing waste by 500,000 tons annually. See also ::Safeway Introduces O Organics and ::Safeway To Use Renewable Energy

On October 6th, Frances Thompson will move into North Carolina’s first Zero Energy Home. Since its completion in Fall 2005, the house has served as a research center and as an office for the organization responsible for its construction, Habitat for Humanity. The home combines state-of-the-art energy-efficient construction and an array of renewable energy systems. In addition to a photovoltaic array, 446 S. Center St in Hickory, NC utilizes a solar water heating system, a fresh air ventilation system, and a geothermal heat pump. Furthermore, energy efficient practices such as advance framing and spray foam insulation were employed during construction. The house is also equipped with recycled tile, high performance windows, and energy efficient appliances. This impressive list of features makes the home capable of producing more energy than it uses. For those interested in seeing this fine example of green building in person, there will be a housewarming at noon on Oct 6th followed by a workshop on Zero Energy Homes.