Climate Culture

‘Eco-hedonism’ is the new meme

This takes the green-is-the-new-black thing to a whole new level. Five hundred dollar designer canvas bags made with organic cotton, fur coats made from the pelts of invasive species, solar-powered vibrators disguised as cell phones, and sustainable raves are just the beginning. Read more about “eco-hedonism” over on Radar while I throw up a little […]

Hard to say, but Zonbu has clearly done its homework

A lot of the deepest environmental thinking is that we have to move away from the idea of purchasing consumer products and instead keep "ownership" with the maker, who is responsible for minimizing the environmental footprint of the product and for dealing with it when the user is ready to move to another one.

In other words, we should pay for the services we want (computing, hot water, power, cool air, comfortable office floors, etc.) rather than the devices used to provide those services (PCs, tankless heaters, electricity, air conditioners, office carpets); that way, we're not invested in less-efficient devices. As soon as the old ones wear out, we shift to new ones, and the service provider has to deal with the decisions about upgrading or handling and reusing the material wastes.

There's an outfit that seems to get the concept, selling a small(tiny)-footprint PC with all the bells and whistles, radically reduced power consumption (assuming you don't use a power-hog monitor), and extended producer responsibility for the device.

Given how fast people go through PCs, this is a great idea -- much more affordable, and upgradeable, and with far less environmental consequence.

I especially like the flash memory feature rather than the hard drive, the source of most computer problems.

If I had a student going into high school or college, this is definitely the PC I would be looking at closely.

Bangers and Gnash

Brits raise a fuss over less-frequent rubbish collection Baffled Brits are raising a stink over a policy that’s become popular with local councils in their country: collecting trash every two weeks instead of weekly. Enacted by about 40 percent of councils, the practice — which alternates the pick-up of trash and recyclables — aims to […]

Turns out consumers don’t care that much

New market research finds: The majority of consumers really don’t care all that much about the environment. Green simply doesn’t has not captured the public imagination. … The fact is, the amount of media interest given to the environment far exceeds the amount of consumer interest. Joel Makower has more.

Umbra on mercury in CFLs

Dearest Umbra, For the past 10 years or so I have been patiently and methodically replacing the incandescent light bulbs in my house with the more efficient compact fluorescent ones. Even though they cost more than incandescents, I have been confident that their lower energy requirements and longer life span more than made up for […]

All 21 of them, from Worldchanging

A while back, Worldchanging did a great series of posts on the core principles of a bright green future. I kept meaning to link to it. Now I finally am! Here they are: Principle 1: The Backstory Principle 2: Ecological Footprints and One Planet Thinking Principle 3: Cradle to Cradle and Closing the Loop Principle […]

Turns his ineffectual media criticism toward the greens

Slate media critic Jack Shafer weighs in with a blistering critique of Fox News, saying it … … tends to appeal to our emotions, exploit our fears, and pander to our vanity. It places a political agenda in front of the quest for journalistic truth and in its most demagogic forms tolerates no criticism, branding […]

From Spice to Spin

Zigazig wha? Turns out what the newly reunited Spice Girls “really, really want” is a fleet of Lear jets. Yes, plural. Said an Aussie paper about their carbon-intensive tour, “Clearly, Girl Power does not come in green.” Clearly, the more important concern is whether Union Jack will fit the Spice rack. Photo: Eamonn McCormack / […]

Airing on the Side of Caution

Chemical dangers to air-breathing animals overlooked, researchers say A new study in Science says regulators have overlooked the effects that thousands of chemicals could have on air-breathing organisms. Such as, for instance, people. In general, regulators study how chemicals accumulate in aquatic-based food chains; they look at how toxics dissolve in water and fat, but […]

Quick, do nothing!

In April, Grist profiled Tracey Smith in our InterActivist column. She answered questions from Grist editors and from readers during National Downshifting Week in Britain. She just sent me a note to let me know that this very week is National Downshifting Week USA. Quick! Do nothing!