Clipmarks | Green city Clips

Staying stylish on two wheels - with a Strida

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 18:39:03 GMT

clipped by: Lexica

Nina Garfinkle, 46, South End
Profession: Graphic designer
Style: Chic and polished: long shorts, tank top, black-framed glasses, Prada mini-backpack.
Bike model: Strida folding bike that fits in her closet, a cab, or the ferry. "It has -- I have to tell you -- changed my life,” she says.

How long have you been riding around Boston? About three years.
Any places in the city you avoid while on a bike? Streets with bad paving, fast drivers, and lots of traffic -- like the Boston side of Mass. Ave.
Secrets to biking in a dress? Due to her bike’s unconventional frame, Garfinkle can’t: a skirt “would be totally hiked up,” she says.
How to keep clean? The Strida has neon-green fenders and a rubber flywheel instead of a chain: which means no grease. Her Chinese rain poncho is cut to cover handlebars but stay out of the wheels.
Must-have accessories: Garfinkle wraps her helmet in a makeshift cover that bristles with soft spikes.

Tags: bikes, folding-bikes, strida, testimonial, photos, commuting

urban and off the grid

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 20:30:03 GMT

clipped by: rachaelkeriwilliams
clipper's remarks: wow

Clip Source: www.ecodesign.org

The Integral Urban House

Berkeley, California - 1973

The Integral Urban House is a project of the Farallones Institute, a research and educational non-profit organization. The book, The Integral Urban House: Self Reliant Living in the City, is the result of four years’ experience in living with and refining the systems of the Integral Urban House in Berkeley, California. The collaborative project became the combination of all participants’ skills toward the design and construction of a place that would test experimental, ecologically stable and resource-conserving living systems. At the center of the project, is the view that envisions an intimate connection between the urban habitat and natural systems. The hope of the project is to inspire and empower people with the information offered to act within their own communities to create places where people can live more sustainably.

Tags: urban, ecodesign, green, architecture

SBOA Firm has Co-Op experience

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 20:58:16 GMT

clipped by: rachaelkeriwilliams
clipper's remarks: The firm working on the SBOA project has experience woking with cooperative development, apparently. Just perusing their website I have noticed that they list several "citizen/ cooperative groups" from their past work. This gives me hope that an attempt to talk to them about a community participatory development project in the SBOA, resulting in extensive urban green space, cooperative housing, integrated with ecodesign, living machines, food production, and historical preservation— might not be fruitless.

Clip Source: www.urbanstrategies.com

Selected Clients

Citizens and Cooperative Groups

Co-op Housing Federation of Toronto
Daachi Coop
Rexdale Sikh Saba
Tanahan Housing

Clip Source: www.urbanstrategies.com

Municipalities

Charlottetown, PEI
City of Amsterdam, Netherlands
City of Brantford, Ontario
City of Buffalo, N.Y.
City of Calgary, Alberta
City of Cambridge, MA
City of Charleston, SC
City of Denver
City of Etobicoke, Ontario
City of Fredericton, NB
City of Guelph, Ontario
City of Hamilton, Ontario
City of Hoboken, N.J.
City of Kitchener, Ontario
City of Lethbridge, Alberta
City of Lyon, France

Tags: sboa, urban, land use, buffalo, opportunity, cooperative

Ecocity Images

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 21:24:37 GMT

clipped by: rachaelkeriwilliams
clipper's remarks: We will one day add EcoHood Buffalo to this growing body of living city plans. I hope that day is not too far off.

Clip Source: www.ecocitybuilders.org

ECOCITIES EMERGING

To support humanity's transition into the Ecozoic Era

Link to E-Newsletter

We are a non-profit organization dedicated to reshaping cities, towns and villages for long term health of human and natural systems. Our goals include returning healthy biodiversity to the heart of our cities, agriculture to gardens and the streets, and convenience and pleasure to walking, bicycling and transit. We visualize a future in which waterways in neighborhood environments and prosperous downtown centers are opened for curious children, fish, frogs and dragonflies. We work to build thriving neighborhood centers while reversing sprawl development, to build whole cities based on human needs and “access by proximity” rather than cities built in the current pattern of automobile driven excess, wasteful consumption and the destruction of the biosphere.

(Illustrations: above, Ecocity San Francisco and below, Ecocity New Orleans by Richard Register)

Tags: ecocity, green, green building, design, urban, architecture

Building Show: Smarter homes

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 16:28:14 GMT

clipped by: egsnyder

Clip Source: news.cnet.com

Building show: Smarter homes, water out of air

SAN JOSE, Calif.--The West Coast Green 2008 building show kicked off on Thursday, for the first time in this city with one of the nation's most ambitious "greening" plans.

[Video]

Integrity Block
Integrity Block of Los Altos, Calif., aims to build more sustainable buildings from the bottom up by reinventing the lowly concrete block. Cement manufacturing increasingly contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, and cement can't be recycled. Integrity Block, by contrast, says it uses an engineered soil composite, including recycled materials, resulting in 40 percent fewer carbon emissions.

Tags: sustainability, green building, smart homes, environment

Portland, Oregon is in first place again this year

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 02:10:50 GMT

clipped by: zalisan
clipper's remarks: SustainLane's 2008 City Ranking will be featured at the world's first green cities and communities conference in Geneva, on October 1, 2008.

The SustainLane US City Rankings methodology is now being adopted internationally; Japan is working with SustainLane to rank their own cities' sustainable practices in a special report to be released in July 2009 at Japan's Green Festival in Tokyo.

Clip Source: www.sundancechannel.com

SAN FRANCISCO, California, September 22, 2008 (ENS) - Portland, Oregon is in first place again this year in an annual ranking of city sustainability released today by SustainLane, an online guide to sustainable living. This national survey ranks the largest 50 U.S. cities in terms of their green living practices.

Mt. Hood seen from Portland, Oregon's
Washington Park (Photo by TravelPortland)

This year San Francisco held on to second place, Seattle is again in third, Chicago ranks fourth as it did last year, and New York City has moved up one notch into fifth place.

Cyclists race in Columbus, Ohio.
July 1, 2007. (Photo by Dorn Byg)

More cyclists are on the streets of Portland, New York, Oakland, D.C., Minneapolis, and Columbus - 12.3 percent more according to the SustainLane rankings.

Citizens are joining together to solve problems caused by rising fuel prices and climate change.

New York City resident enjoys the sun in
a community garden. (Photo by Jude Rohn)

visit: www.sustainlane.com

Eco-Cities: Urban Planning for the Future

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 13:22:26 GMT

clipped by: balthazarus

Clip Source: www.sciam.com

Eco-Cities: Urban Planning for the Future

Massive developments proposed for the U.S., China and Abu Dhabi aim to reduce or even eliminate the environmental cost of city living

Northern view of Treasure Island 2020
By 2020 Treasure Island is scheduled to become one of the most sustainable communities in the U.S.

Clip Source: www.sciam.com

Treasure Island Today

Clip Source: www.sciam.com

Treasure Island: Aerial Plan
Schedule: Groundbreaking in 2010, first homes available in 2013, completed by 2020

Clip Source: www.sciam.com

Green in the Yangtze

Clip Source: www.sciam.com

Tabletop model of the planned city

Location: Chongming Island, Shanghai, China

Clip Source: www.sciam.com

In addition to protecting wetlands for birds—and returning some agricultural land to nature—Dongtan will recover, recycle and reuse 90 to 100 percent of its waste.

Wind and biomass will provide all electricity

Clip Source: www.sciam.com

Built on black gold
Masdar: Oil wealth fuels construction of an ecological city in the Arabian desert.

Clip Source: www.sciam.com

Zero waste, zero carbon emissions and zero energy from fossil fuels are the goals of this community

Location: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Clip Source: www.sciam.com

Carless

Tags: environment, ecology, future, urban planning

Living Green is Expensive

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 17:18:32 GMT

clipped by: iulawboy

Clip Source: features.csmonitor.com

A bicyclist travels along the east bank of the Willamette River in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Don Ryan/FILE)

Portland, Ore., tops sustainable cities list

By Eoin O'Carroll | 09.22.08

What’s the greenest American city? According to the latest annual report from SustainLane, it’s Portland, Ore.

To live in the greenest cities, the Wall Street Journal’s environmental blogger writes, “you better have plenty of greenbacks.”

The bottom line: The kind of things that make cities “sustainable” also make them expensive. Take the rankings of “housing affordability.” The cheapest cities—San Antonio, Fort Worth, Arlington, El Paso—also scored the worst on public transit, bike-friendliness, and ability to walk to work. The big winners there are also among the most expensive places to live, like San Francisco, New York, San Jose, and Boston.

Tags: portland, seattle, green, sustainable

In search of Moby-Dick

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 13:03:55 GMT

clipped by: balthazarus
clipper's remarks: Interesting... how whales inspire us humans...

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

In search of Moby-Dick

From a commodity hunted for its bone and blubber to a potent symbol of the environment, the whale has long held value.

The whale is perhaps the most mysterious animal known to man. For centuries it inspired awe and fear, and was hunted for its oil, blubber and whalebone. Now it is a symbol of an ecological threat, a barometer for a world out of kilter.

Ancient myth regarded the whale as an uncanny monster, a creature beyond comprehension. A whale might swallow a single human being, such as Jonah, or an entire city, as one Greek myth imagined

The poet William Blake wrote of a terrifying vision, "the head of Leviathan, his forehead was divided into streaks of green and purple like those on a tyger's forehead... advancing towards us with all the fury of a spiritual existence".

Nothing prepares you for the sight of a 50 foot, 50 ton humpback whale leaping out of the water

it is as if the animal has freed itself from gravity

hunting of whales

peak in the 20th Century

Tags: whales

stakeholders: Community Economic Development Clinic @ UB Law

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 22:28:52 GMT

clipped by: rachaelkeriwilliams

Clip Source: law.buffalo.edu

Playing safe in the East Side

In another high-impact project, clinic students worked with an East Side group called Fruit Belt United to rehabilitate a dilapidated children’s playground. Bringing together partners including Home Depot, the City of Buffalo, and KaBOOM!, a national playground technical assistance and funding initiative, the clinic helped to create a safe play space for neighborhood children who would otherwise have no place to play within walking distance. The next steps with the East Side group may include opening an after-school community center.

Growing green

The Community Economic Development Clinic has worked with the Massachusetts Avenue Project’s Growing Green Program. Growing Green is an urban, organic agricultural training program that develops life-skills and provides meaningful work to low-income, at-risk youth. Growing Green develops models for community revitalization through sustainable urban agriculture, youth entrepreneurship, and food systems development.

Tags: stakeholders, legal, local, kids, green, assistance

Lower Than A Snakes Belly

Sat, 13 Sep 2008 01:21:09 GMT

clipped by: tebvox

Clip Source: www.weirdasianews.com

50 Poisonous Snakes Found in Man’s Condo

A Tokyo man has been arrested for housing more than 50 poisonous snakes, including cobras with highly toxic venom.

The arrest occurred after he recovered from being bitten by an eastern green mamba, which is considered one of the world’s most poisonous snakes.

Biting the hand that feeds you is a maxim that snakes apparently don’t understand or have no regard for.

Nobukazu Kashiwagi, aged 42, called an ambulance and was rushed to the hospital in critical condition from his condominium in the Jingumae district of the city.

He was arrested after recovering from a bite on his finger for violation of the Law Concerning the Protection and Control of Animals.

No one seems to know why Kashiwagi kept these snakes in plastic boxes all over his home.

Maybe they are afraid to ask.

Tags: snake, poisonous

Wk2 Picks

Sat, 13 Sep 2008 01:12:20 GMT

clipped by: bobbclips

Clip Source: cbfp07.football.sportsline.com

Home

Pick

Away

Jacksonville (-5.5)
50%

Buffalo
Sun 1:00

Buffalo
50%

Carolina (-3.5)
50%

Carolina
Sun 1:00

Chicago
50%

Detroit (2.5)
50%

Green Bay
Sun 1:00

Green Bay
50%

Minnesota (1.5)
50%

Indianapolis
Sun 1:00

Indianapolis
50%

Washington (-.5)
50%

New Orleans
Sun 1:00

New Orleans
50%

St. Louis (8.5)
50%

New York(NYG)
Sun 1:00

New York(NYG)
50%

Kansas City (-3.5)
50%

Kansas City
Sun 1:00

Oakland
50%

Cincinnati (-1.5)
50%

Tennessee
Sun 1:00

Tennessee
50%

Tampa Bay (-8.5)
50%

Atlanta
Sun 4:05

Atlanta
50%

Seattle (-8.5)
50%

San Francisco
Sun 4:05

San Francisco
50%

Arizona (-6.5)
50%

Arizona
Sun 4:15

Miami
50%

New York(NYJ) (-2.5)
50%

New York(NYJ)
Sun 4:15

New England
50%

Denver (2.5)
50%

Denver
Sun 4:15

San Diego
50%

Cleveland (5.5)
50%

Pittsburgh
Sun 8:15

Pittsburgh
50%

Houston (-4.5)
50%

Houston
Mon 8:30

Baltimore
50%

Dallas (-6.5)
50%

Philadelphia
Mon 8:30

Philadelphia
50%

*MNF Total:

Lame you can believe in

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 14:57:29 GMT

clipped by: spirithiker
clipper's remarks: Few voters know that Obama would cut taxes of the vast majority of Americans by far more than McCain would.

Few know Obama would guarantee everyone access to health care or that McCain’s health plan might endanger coverage many already have.

Few know that Obama has a coherent program to create new jobs through public investment in roads, bridges, transit and green technologies.

Few know that McCain’s economic plan is worse than President Bush’s.

McCain would add $8.5 trillion in new debt over the next 10 years.

Political campaigns are supposed to be an opportunity to tell the public what you are about, it should not be used as an opportunity to attack the other party.

To both candidates: Get your message out, make us 'feel' we have to vote for you and not against the other guy. Let the American public decide which one is good or bad for us.

Stop the manipulation and the attack politics.

Clip Source: www.truthdig.com

It has been hard to remember lately that the country is in the midst of one of the most consequential presidential elections of our lifetimes.

The campaign is a blur of flying pieces of junk, lipstick and gutter-style attacks. John McCain’s deceptions about Barack Obama’s views and Sarah Palin’s flip-flopping suggest an unedifying scuffle over a city council seat.

The media bear a heavy responsibility because “balance” does not require giving equal time to truth and lies. So does McCain, who is running a disgraceful, dishonorable campaign of distraction and diversion.

But Obama bears responsibility, too: His task is to remind Americans that the stakes in this election are far higher than the matter of who said what and when about Palin. He isn’t doing it.

The excitement Obama created at the beginning of the year has vanished

McCain is now contesting the terrain of change—and doing so at celebrity rallies of his own.

Tags: politics, mccain, obama, bush, campaign, media, democrats, republicans

6X8 freezer

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 03:49:23 GMT

clipped by: texleader
clipper's remarks: 6243

Clip Source: www.atlantafixture.com

Amerikooler

6’ x 8’ x7’7” Walk-in Freezer

New & proprietary AK-Green Dot 225 EPS Insulation for Coolers and Freezers

20 Year R-value insulation warranty. R-value does not drop like urethane

20 years of constant energy savings. Refrigeration works significantly less when compared to a urethane box in a period of 20 years

Standard metal finish is special Acrylic Coated (AZ55) 26 gauge Galvalume stucco embossed walls and ceiling, resistant to oxidation, stains and easy to clean

Floor is Aluminum w/Primer Backer(600 lb/sq. ft.) uniformly distributed

Heavy Duty fiberglass door frame 36” x 76” clear opening – flush, magnetic self closing – freezer door with heater wire and pressure relief vent.

NSF, UL, MEA-NY, Oregon, City of Houston, listed

CALL FOR ADDITIONAL SIZES AND PRICES

8X12 cooler

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 03:48:08 GMT

clipped by: texleader
clipper's remarks: $6297

Clip Source: www.atlantafixture.com

Amerikooler

8’ x 12’ x7’7” Walk-in Cooler

New & proprietary AK-Green Dot 225 EPS Insulation for Coolers and Freezers

20 Year R-value insulation warranty. R-value does not drop like urethane

20 years of constant energy savings. Refrigeration works significantly less when compared to a urethane box in a period of 20 years

Standard metal finish is special Acrylic Coated (AZ55) 26 gauge Galvalume stucco embossed walls and ceiling, resistant to oxidation, stains and easy to clean

Heavy Duty fiberglass door frame 36” x 76” clear opening – flush, magnetic self closing – freezer door with heater wire and pressure relief vent.

1 HP Medium-Temperature (9,500 BTUH @ 35F Box) Hermetic Remote Indoor Unit / R-22 – (5) Five Year Compressor Warranty 208-230V-1-60 / 8A

NSF, UL, MEA-NY, Oregon, City of Houston, listed

CALL FOR ADDITIONAL SIZES AND PRICES