eGO Electric Mopeds

Here's one way you can live green... get an Electric Moped and drive for pennies while saving gas and reducing environmental pollution. These Mopeds are ideal for short commutes and can be recharged from standard electrical outlets. Check them out.

eGO and Helio electric bicycles are energy efficient, practical and fun! How can an eGO or Helio electric motor scooter make your busy life a little more fun?

eGO Vehicles

Green Lofts in Dallas

Dallas apparently has Green Lofts. Who knew! Buzz Lofts in downtown Dallas boasts of Green Living or at least green amenities. Here's what they offer.

How is Buzz sustainable?

There four basic sustaining elements that have been integrated into buzz:

Shade cools, plain and simple. So, we have extended the overhangs of the top floor, shaded the open breezeways and all balconies. We have even designed additional trellis for our westerly facing dwellings for those summer evenings.

$$ Saved: Lower electric bills for each unit and the Homeowner’s Association, energy conserved, emissions reduced.

Rainwater Capture The large, pitched butterfly roof systems will supply rainwater to be stored and reused for landscape irrigation into a water silo on the premises.

$$ Saved: Lower water bills, water conserved.

Xeriscape Landscape Think prairie grasses, river-rock beds, yucca plants. These plants are almost indestructible, require very little watering, and thrive in our zone.

$$ Saved: lower water bills for the Homeowners Association, reduced plant replacement costs.

Buzz is offering a free electric Moped to its loft buyers. Also offers recycled glass counter-tops, bamboo flooring which is "great looking, less expensive than hardwood, made from recycled material, and is 100% non-toxic." Electricity is supplied by Green Mountain Energy which "is totally powered by wind energy, and at the same price of major carriers that are supplying coal burning energy."

They were recently featured on WFAA Channel 8 in Dallas. Here's a link to the video report.

Have you heard the "Buzz" about a whole new style of living. It's one where art meets architecture and it takes environmentally-friendly to a whole new level.

Check it out!

Mexican Office Tower sans Air Conditioning

Meanwhile, in Guadalajara Mexico Catalan architect Carme Pinos has designed an office building that is supposed to keep cool without AC through careful shading, natural ventilation, fans and convection. The triangular office floors are clad in a double skin: the floors were first wrapped in a glass facade [a great deal of which consists of operable windows], which is then masked by horizontal wood slat paneling.. Workers can step out on to a grating system and push/pull these panels into their desired positions, providing control over the level of daylighting in their specific work space. This ‘double skin’ provides heaps of natural ventilation.

Check-out the pictures on this site.
Torre Cube by Carme Pinos > via Treehugger.com

Stormblade: Quiet Residential Wind Turbine

Stormblade, works by accelerating the wind onto the blades and is therefore more efficient at low as well as high wind speeds. Accordingly, "Bird and bat friendly, the design does not have the mechanical noise often associated with commercial wind turbines and, as a result, is very silent in operation. It has fewer parts and higher generating capacity than other models and can theoretically, operate at any wind speed... Stormblade Turbine can convert up to 70 per cent of wind power into electricity, double the current average. Operational wind speed is expected to be 7mph to120mph, double the current average range ...". The Stormblade project has a website here.

"Stormblade:" The First Truly Quiet Residential Wind Turbine (TreeHugger)

EcoForms Sustainable Planters & Pots

"Using husks of rice and other grains and starch-based, water-soluble binders and biodegradable additives, EcoForms offer a sustainable alternative to container gardening in plastic and clay planting pots. Containing no wood or petroleum ingredients, EcoForms do not deplete natural resources, and decompose in the landfill when you're done with them. Designed to last five years, the pots are suitable for all climates, all environments and all applications where plastic, clay or wooden containers are used, are resistant to damage from freezing and thawing and won't start to decompose until they're discarded unless you use it for a compost bin."

EcoForms™ products — a smart and sustainable choice for gardeners and growers alike. Available in a wide range of simple and elegant forms.

* Made from renewable grain husks.
* A long lasting alternative to plastic.
* Suitable for inside or outside use.
* Durable and lightweight.

EcoForms: Home > via Treehugger.com

Energy Efficiency and Aesthetics From The Same Materials

Ted Owens has an excellent 3 part article on Treehugger.com on building a truly green house (with pictures showing the process) using natural materials and energy efficiency features that anyone can replicate.

Read it here:
Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3

Related Links:
BuildingWithAwareness.com
Green Roofs: A primer

E-cycling

One of the keys to living green is to recycle everything that can be reused or re-purposed. In today's electronic age where we use and carry a multitude of gadgets, it becomes all the more essential to recycle those items when we buy a new gadget to replace an old one.

The Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA) provides a list of facilities which offer recycling for old computer equipment and electronic items.

For cell phones and wireless devices, be sure to check this site for Wireless recycling, or your cell phone provider.

And if your electronics are still in working condition, why not Freecycle them by giving them to someone who will use them, thus extending the life of the item.

Beyond The Green Corporation

BusinessWeek article on how corporations are adopting eco-friendly practices to boost the bottom line.

Imagine a world in which eco-friendly and socially responsible practices actually help a company's bottom line. It's closer than you think .

BusinessWeek: Beyond The Green Corporation

Less is More

The Vegetarian Times has some excellent tips on Living Green around the house, by being more energy efficient. Click here to find-out how.

"As utilities bills skyrocket faster than you can say, “My electric bill this month was what?” everyone’s looking for creative ways to save water and energy. But you don’t have to tear apart your plumbing or start installing solar panels to help the earth and lower your bills. There are lots of simple, low-cost ways to make energy consumption around the house more eco-friendly. These easy tips for each room add up to savings that benefit your budget—and the world around you."

Vegetarian Times

Nevada Court - Green Building

Link to Nevada Court Green Building, mentioned on "Think: Building Green." Built by the Denton Affordable Housing Corp.

Denton Affordable Housing Corporation (DAHC) is a community-based nonprofit organization which began operating in 1995 to address the need for affordable housing in Denton. DAHC's mission is to increase the supply of affordable housing in the Denton area through a variety of means.

GGO Architects

Link to GGO Architects mentioned on "Think: Building Green." Designing Sustainable Architecture for Residential and Commercial customers.

HBA of Greater Dallas: Green Building Program

Here's a link to the Green Building Initiative North Texas Council.

Building Green (Update)

Here's a link to the MP3 podcast of Building Green on "Think" a KERA 90.1 radio show, in case you missed it live.

Download and listen on your iPod or PC.

Edens Lost & Found | PBS

PBS has been showing a wonderful series on urban renewal. Check out the summary below and read more about EDENS LOST & FOUND at http://edenslostandfound.org/.

"EDENS LOST & FOUND, a four-hour PBS series, showcases extraordinary stories of environmental rebirth in four very different American cities.

Each one-hour program examines the unique environmental, economic and social issues that each of these great cities face. Interviews with citizen activists, politicians, urban planners, and urbanites reveal how passion combined with innovative strategies can address the widespread problems facing many of America's urban environments today. While these citizen activists and politicians come from different parts of the U.S., they share a common approach. It's called 'Sustainable Development."

Don't forget to check your local PBS listing to find-out when it's playing in your area.

Edens Lost & Found | PBS

Building Green

Think on KERA 90.1 in Dallas will have a show about Building Green this afternoon at 12:00 PM.

Topic: Building Green

Guest: Dan Fette & Jim Motavalli

Description:
Is building green an option for you and your community? Many builders and corporations are beginning to embrace the idea of green design for homes, businesses, and communities. We'll spend this hour with Dan Fette, chair of the Home Builders Association of Greater Dallas' Green Building Initiative and Jim Motavalli, editor of "E-The Environmental Magazine" which features green building trends in the current issue.

Links:
HBA of Greater Dallas
E, The Environmental Magazine
Cedar Valley College: Energy Efficient Green Building

Introduction

This blog has been created to track, discuss and link to news, articles and products that enable green living, green building, energy conservation and sustainable living through recycling materials.