The Anheuser-Busch brewery in Houston, TX will have 55% of it energy needs met from landfill biogas. It’s a big move for the country’s leading brewer- AB holds a 49.2% share of U.S. beer sales and is a subsidiary of the world’s leading brewer, Anheuser-Busch InBev- and, if the program is a success, could bring the entire industry along with it. Landfill biogas consists of roughly 50% methane, a green house gas 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide, and is created when organic material decomposes in landfills. It can be converted into alternative fuels, heat, steam or used to generate electricity.

The project is a partnership between the brewery, Republic Services (a leading provider of solid waste collection) and Ameresco Services (the largest independent energy services company in North America). Pipelines connect the brewery to McCarty Road Landfill, the main recipient of refuse from the residents and businesses in east Houston and surrounding suburbs.

In the project’s press release, AB explains, “the benefit of this clean energy project is equivalent to planting more than 121,050 acres of pine or fir trees or taking 97,550 motor vehicles off the road. Additional gas from the McCarty Road landfill also is captured, processed and sold to a local utility.”

Check out our previous posts on various green initiatives by brewers.

[source: Anheuser-Busch, PR Newswire]

For those who haven’t seen Elephant Journal’s great interview series, “Walk The Talk” Show, it’s time to put it on your must view list. Waylon Lewis, the laid back host of the show (and brains behind the journal itself), has spoken with an impressive roster of guests on a remarkably broad range of topics.

Episodes of note include conversations with Graham Hill (founder of TreeHugger.com), Rick Peyser (of Green Mountain Coffee) and Bill McKibben (professor at Middlebury- my alma mater- author & environmentalist). Most recently, Lewis had an interesting chat with Michael Pollan (author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma) about the link between a healthy diet and the environment.

In that conversation, Pollan explains

“our eating decisions- what happens on our plate- represent our most profound engagement with the other species we share this planet with. We change the land more through our eating than anything else we do. We change the climate more than anything else we do. We change the composition of species on the planet more than anything else we do.”

Click here to go to Ele’s site and watch the rest. And while you’re at it, follow Waylon and co. on twitter.

Is the Wall Street Journal at war with itself? We’ve recently given the paper some credit for its evolving coverage of all things ‘green.’ In March of this year, Alan G. Robinson and Dean M. Schroeder debunked “conventional wisdom” that might suggest a company’s costs rise as its environmental impact falls, explaining that going green can be highly cost effective. Earlier this month, WSJ editors chose to lead with this headline: “It’s Time To Cool The Planet.” In the article, Jamais Cascio proclaims, “if we’re going to avoid climate disaster, we’re going to have start getting a lot more direct. We’re going to have to think about cooling the planet.”

But in an opinion piece offered last week by WSJ columnist Kimberly Strassel, the skeptics were once again given full voice. Strassel points to a climate-change bill in the Australian Parliament that may get killed due to what she calls the “growing number of Australian politicians, scientists and citizens [that] once again doubt the science of human-caused global warming.”

“Among the many reasons President Barack Obama and the Democratic majority are so intent on quickly jamming a cap-and-trade system through Congress,” Strassel writes, “is because the global warming tide is again shifting. It turns out Al Gore and the United Nations (with an assist from the media), did a little too vociferous a job smearing anyone who disagreed with them as “deniers.” The backlash has brought the scientific debate roaring back to life in Australia, Europe, Japan and even, if less reported, the U.S.”

She continues,

“The number of skeptics, far from shrinking, is swelling. Oklahoma Sen. Jim Inhofe now counts more than 700 scientists who disagree with the U.N. — 13 times the number who authored the U.N.’s 2007 climate summary for policymakers.”

Granted, this is an opinion column, and therefore not a work of journalism, but Strassel’s suggestion that Inhofe- of all people- is uncovering “the collapse of the ‘consensus’” strains credulity. The WSJ seems in conflict with itself, as its journalists begin to report on the reality that, as this global trend towards green innovation and sustainable business continues, the U.S. will either be buying it or selling it. Meanwhile, opinion columnists like Strassel insist that this “unconvincing green science” will do nothing for us but risk job losses. Which side prevails?

In a presentation at TED in January (but published earlier this month), Kevin Surace, CEO of Serious Materials, discusses his company’s (potentially) world-changing invention, a new eco-friendly drywall material. He introduces EcoRock, a clean, recyclable and energy-efficient drywall created by his team at Serious Materials and explains why it can make such a difference.

As he explains, 52% of the world’s CO2 emissions is tied to building construction. In fact, the CO2 emissions from just one house are the equivalent to driving your car around the planet six times. With that in mind, Serious Materials began R&D to develop a new type of drywall that could dramatically reduce those emissions. After testing 5,000 different mixes, Surace’s team hit upon a winning formula. Popular Science magazine named EcoRock ‘Green Product of the Year,’ for its re-invention of drywall.

As the company explains,

Traditional gypsum drywall has remained virtually unchanged since its invention over 100 years ago.  Our increasingly fragile world requires rapid innovation to meet the changing conditions of our environment.  EcoRock is an evolutionary leap in drywall— an advanced solution that offers superior performance today, without sacrificing the prosperity of tomorrow.  We call this ecolution.

It’s Cradle to Cradle Gold certfied, uses 80% less energy to produce gypsum drywall, is made of 80% recycled materials and is designed to be entirely re-utilized at the end of its life. Bring on more ecolution!

Aveda just added to its considerable green credentials. The MN-based manufacturer of skin and hair care products has announced a new recycling initiative aimed at reducing the number of plastic bottle caps that end up in landfills, beaches, rivers and oceans.

Most bottle caps are non-recyclable, typically made from a more rigid type of plastic that is different from the bottle itself. But with the help of its network of salons and stores and in partnership with community schools, Aveda is seeking to collect these old caps that would otherwise be thrown away. The company will send the collected caps to its recycler where the material will be recycled into new caps and containers. Not all lids make the grade- “if you can bend or break the lid with your bare hands,” Aveda’s site explains, “then it does not meet the rigid plastic definition.”

Aveda has been a leader in sustainable innovation. Earlier this year, seven Aveda products were given Cradle To Cradle certification. The company also recently received a DuPont Award For Packaging Innovation for a shampoo bottle made from 96% recycled content.

[sources: Aveda}

PepsiCo this week opened its first overseas “green” plant in China in the western city of Chongqing, part of the beverage giant’s continuing efforts to expand its reach in emerging markets, broaden its portfolio of locally relevant products and achieve a range of ambitious sustainability goals.

The Chongqing plant is the first “green” beverage plant ever built in China - and the first plant of any kind in the industrial center of Chongqing- to comply with rigorous LEED standards. The plant uses over 35 water and energy saving designs and utilizes the world’s most advanced technology, including an environmental management system that monitors water and energy use on every production line and every piece of individual equipment in real time.

The facility is designed to use 22% less water and 23% less energy than the average PepsiCo plant in China. To save water, the plant utilizes a high-pressure cleaning system, water-free conveyor belt lubricant and water-saving fixtures. Plant associates re-use water for landscaping and general cleaning instead of using potable water. To save energy, 75% of the plant’s indoor areas feature natural lighting, including a skylight in the packing area and warehouse. A roof garden insulates the office building and saves energy for cooling and heating.

The new plant is expected to help PepsiCo annually reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 3,100 tons; water usage by 100,000 tons; and overall energy use by four million kilowatt hours compared to the former Chongqing plant. It also will serve as an educational center to raise awareness of good environmental practices among students in the local community.

“This plant reflects our deep and long-term commitment to China,” said Indra Nooyi, PepsiCo chairman and chief executive officer. “It is also an important milestone in our green journey, on which we are partnering with the Chinese government, industry and others to continue to promote the health and longevity of our planet.”

[sources: PepsiCo, PR Newswire]

Has the credit crunch got you cutting up and throwing out your oversized collection of credit cards? Does your tight budget have you staying in at night and playing guitar at home? A company called PickPunch may have the gadget for you! The Indiana-based company has developed a hand held punching device that allows you to make your own guitar picks out of old credit cards.

Daniel Libeskind may be putting the ‘fab’ in prefab. One of the world’s most famous (and often controversial) architects, Libeskind has designed a 5,500 sq ft, two-story villa that can be shipped and assembled anywhere. The villa’s price tag will range from just under $3 million to as much as $4.2 million, and many in the industry see this as a game-changing moment for public perception of “out of the box” homes.

Libeskind, who is perhaps best known for designing the Jewish Museum Berlin, the reconstruction of New York’s World Trade Center site and the Denver Art Museum, has only designed a few residential projects. The villa will boast four bedrooms, four bathrooms, a 900 sq ft “grand room,” and a number of green elements, including both solar and geothermal systems, along with a rainwater catchment system that comes optional.

Libeskind explains on his site, “This is a cutting edge house. A house that has the highest sustainability components in the world. From its insulation, from its geothermal power, from solar energy. It is the really highest level in the world. But, sustainability goes beyond just the technical aspects. A house which is memorable, a house which is beautifully built, with fine materials, a house which will remain for a 100 years. That’s what makes this house sustainable.” But critics are quick to point out that with a house of that size (5,500 sq ft), it’s difficult to take Libeskind’s “sustainability” claims seriously.

But the chic quotient is new to the sustainable prefab industry, so to is this degree of exclusivity. It may be “prefab,” but buyers are assured of “regional exclusivity,” knowing they’ll have the only ones in their area. For more, check out Kevin Brass’s piece in last week’s NY Times.

[sources: NY Times, Inhabitat]

When one thinks of the Wall Street Journal, “environmental advocacy” doesn’t leap to mind, but, it seems, the paper has come around on the issue of climate change. In its ‘Environment’ section earlier this week, the WSJ offered this headline: “It’s Time To Cool The Planet.”

As one critic of the Journal noted in January, the paper often uses quotation marks around certain terms to, in effect, suggest that term is misleading. “A 2007 editorial on climate change complained that “political and media activists attempt to stigmatize anyone who doesn’t pay homage to their ’scientific consensus.’” As a matter of grammar, if not as a matter of fact, this is perfectly clear: The Journal believes no scientific consensus on climate change exists.”

Still, there it was in print on Monday, June 15th. In the article, Jamais Cascio proclaims, “if we’re going to avoid climate disaster, we’re going to have start getting a lot more direct. We’re going to have to think about cooling the planet.” Cascio explains that “many of us who have been watching this subject closely gone from being skeptics to advocates. Very reluctant advocates, to be sure, but advocates nonetheless.”

Policy makers have failed to meet the challenge. As a result, if we want to avoid an unprecedented global catastrophe, we may have no other choice but to reduce the impact of global warning, alongside focusing on the factors that are causing it in the first place. That is, while we continue to work aggressively to reduce the amount of carbon released into the atmosphere, we also need to consider lowering the temperature of the Earth itself.

He then advocates so-called ‘geoengineering‘ as a “more deliberate manipulation of the environment;”,

On a global scale, industrial activity for the past 150 years or so has changed the Earth’s atmosphere, threatening to raise average world temperatures to catastrophic levels, even if we were able to stop releasing carbon into the atmosphere immediately…

Geoengineering mainly takes two forms: temperature management, which moderates heat by blocking or reflecting a small portion of the sunlight hitting the Earth; and carbon management, which gradually removes large amounts of carbon from the atmosphere (as opposed to simply reducing the amount of additional carbon we’re releasing into the atmosphere). Temperature management is the more likely course of action, as it has the advantage of potentially quick results, while carbon-management techniques that would have a global impact might take decades or centuries to show results…

We can’t let ourselves slip back into business-as-usual complacency, because we’d simply be setting ourselves up for a far greater disaster down the road. Our overall goal must remain the reduction and then elimination of greenhouse-gas emissions as swiftly as humanly possible. This will require feats of political will and courage around the world. What geoengineering offers us is the time to make it happen.

As we suggested earlier this week, it’s possible that we’ve reached some sort of tipping point, that maybe we’ve moved towards a place where even Rupert Murdoch-owned companies acknowledge the need to love tomorrow TODAY!

[full WSJ article]

Being that it’s June 18th, which, as every Beatles nut such as myself knows, is Sir Paul McCartney’s birthday (67 years old today), we thought we’d give the poor man some press. The former Beatle (and vegetarian/animal rights activist) has launched “Meat Free Mondays,” in hopes of convincing people to give up eating meat one day a week. The initiative, which he created with his daughters Stella (fashion designer) and Mary (photographer), is aimed at reducing the significant amounts of carbon emissions related to the meat industry (from livestock gas to the gas used to transport the food).

As McCartney explains, “a couple of years ago the United Nations came out with a report that said for people to eat less meat would have a big impact on the environment. It’s all got a bit out of hand and I think people want to do their bit to bring it back into line, and this is an answer we’ve got involved in.”

Apparently, the McCartneys have stolen someone else’s thunder in the process. Chantal Cooke, co-founder of Passion for the Planet, had been preparing his July ‘09 launch of “Meat Free Days” for over 12 months with exactly the same aim. “Meat Free Mondays” launched two weeks ahead of Cooke’s initiative.  As Cooke explained, “it’s one of those weird situations where you are both pleased and fed up at the same time. I am thrilled that someone with the profile of Sir Paul is supporting the idea of having a meat free day,… [but] I can’t help but feel a bit deflated that a year’s worth of work has to be binned.”

As the “mother nature’s son” might himself say, ob-la-di, ob-la-da, life goes on.

In another example of “finally, someone’s using their head,” British supermarket chain Sainsbury’s has opened what it calls the first “people-powered” store. At one of the company’s stores in Gloucester yesterday, Sainsbury’s unveiled “kinetic road plates”, new green technology that will capture the energy of each car that enters and exits the parking lot, harnessing about 30 kWh each hour, enough to power its checkouts.

According to Alison Austin, Sainsbury’s environment manager, “this is revolutionary. Not only are we the first to use such cutting-edge technology with our shoppers, but customers can now play a very active role in helping make their local shop greener, without extra effort or cost.”

The Gloucester Quays location boasts some other innovative practices beyond the “kinetic plates.” The store plans to harvest rainwater to flush the store’s toilets and solar panels will heat up to 100% of the store’s hot water during the summer. As the store was being built, more than 90% of the construction waste was re-used or recycled.

[sources: The Guardian, via PSFK]

I’m still mulling over Jennifer Boulden’s piece in the Huffington Post, considering that balance between advocating “green tweaks” or “green leaps.” As I mentioned in the last piece, Boulden is the co-founder of Ideal Bite. For those of you who haven’t read Ideal Bite- what’s wrong with you?- it’s a site that provides daily tips for living green, promoting the positive and empowering value of “incremental environmentalism.” In her piece for the HuffPo, though, Boulden reveals a more ambitious philosophy emerging, a call for bolder action and bigger leaps forward. Will baby steps get us to where we need to be?

At LTT, we think about this a lot. Are “greener products” only “less bad,” rather than actually “good?” Should we be moving with a greater sense of urgency towards a “sustainable future?” To a point, and yes. But while we don’t believe in half measures, we do believe in the efficacy of realistic alternatives. But maybe Boulden is right, maybe we now have the necessary ingredients for creating a new framework. Maybe we’re reaching that tipping point, where individuals, governments and corporations are absorbing the message.

Every major brand is addressing this in some way or another- there are a lot of innovative companies out there that get it and others that are starting to get it. But whether it’s the size of the slow-moving ship, the nature of their industry or the state of the economy, “going bold” sometimes gets watered down to simply “taking action.”

But, still, we look to those big fish to reshape the priorities of their own industry. PepsiCo , a company we admire (we’ve covered a number of their initiatives), is an interesting contradiction. On the one hand, it produces a staggering amount of plastic bottle waste, and, because of its global distribution, produces waste (in the form of emissions and landfill fodder) everywhere you can imagine. On the other hand, PepsiCo is among the most progressive Fortune 50 companies in terms of corporate social responsibility, recycling (check out Aquafina’s partnership with Keep America Beautiful), industry-changing innovation (Frito Lay’s compostable bag) and so on, and that global reach can bring a message of sustainability to unlikely places. Other examples, companies like Timberland, Green Mountain Coffee and Whole Foods, have shown the broad appeal of integrating responsibility into a company’s core identity.

Whole Foods is adopting some innovative practices, from exploring renewable energies at stores, banning the use of plastic bags, or pushing the entire industry towards responsible aquaculture guidelines. Their Mid-Atlantic region recently established a commitment to diverting 90% of its waste from landfills by 2009. We had a chance to speak with Mark Smallwood, Whole Foods’ Green Mission specialist, who says the company is well on its way. To achieve this remarkable goal, Whole Foods is working to minimize packaging, enhance its composting programs and further develop its recycling. After a recent garbage audit, Smallwood says, “we found roughly 60% of our waste going to compost, 25% was being reused or recycled (including pallets, totes, milk jugs and so on) and 15% was going to landfill, mostly packaging.”

Boulden’s right, it does seem as if the pieces are positioned to fall into place for a new (sustainable) economy. But it takes a confluence of understanding, energy and innovation. It takes not just consumers demanding greener products but companies anticipating (like Honda and Toyota did a decade ago with hybrid/EV technology) how their industry needs to evolve. Baby steps or big leaps, the scene is set for us to “cook up a new type of economy.”

For more on Boulden, check out her piece on the Huffington Post.

The trash can hasn’t really changed in thousands of years. It’s not hard to imagine a first draft of Plato’s Republic ending up in something similar to the bin under Shakespeare’s desk. It’s just one of those things that achieved its useful/design equilibrium a long time ago. But BigBelly Solar is making a compelling case that it’s time for an update.

The Needham, MA-based company’s solar-powered trash compactor is catching on with municipalities looking to cut costs. The units cost between $3100 and $3900 (or lease for $70 to $90) depending on purchase volume, but the BigBelly says they typically pay for themselves in about two years. The can holds around five times as much trash as a traditional trash can, resulting in fewer collections, reducing money spent on man hours, fuel, and garbage trucks. According to BigBelly, the compactor, which has a wireless indicator that signals that the unit is ready to be picked up, cuts the need for trash pickup by up to 80%.

“We’re very excited to bring the benefits of on-site solar compaction to such a wide group of customers nationwide,” said Richard Kennelly, vice president of marketing for BigBelly Solar. “These compactors are made from recycled materials, and even work in areas that don’t receive direct sunlight.” Matt McKenna, CEO of the nonprofit Keep American Beautiful (see our earlier post about them) cites consumer reports that suggest “that convenience and accessibility of public trash and recycling receptacles are a major influence in encouraging them to dispose of waste properly and to recycle more.”

We’ll be seeing these contraptions popping up more and more. Jim Poss, BigBelly’s founder, was recently called one of “America’s Most Promising Social Entreprenuers” by BusinessWeek. And at last week’s U.S. Conference of Mayors, garbage heavy hitters Waste Management announced that it has become the exclusive waste and environmental services company distributor of BigBelly solar compactor technology in North America.

Watch this video of the BigBelly trash can.

When someone shows a talent for gardening, we say they have a green thumb. But many of the tools we use to keep a garden manicured, from weedkiller to gas-powered mowers and blowers, are anything but green. There are sites that provide some useful tips for more eco-friendly gardening, but, really, how many people will turn in their riding mower for a push mower? 

While production might be five years away, Husqvarna has unveilved a concept riding lawn mower that runs entirely on electricity and just might put the green back in gardening. The Panthera Leo runs on a lithium phosphate battery and can provide two hours of cutting time. The mower has five motors and is fitted with sound-absorbing cutting decks to minimize the noise. That’s good the planet and your neighbors!

[sources: Husqvarna, via CarTech Blog]

Ramping up its commitment to sustainability efforts enterprise-wide, Dunkin’ Brands, Inc., the parent company of Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin-Robbins, is the newest member to join the Ceres company network. Ceres, a leading coalition of investors, environmental groups and public interest organizations, works with companies to address a variety of sustainability challenges, including global climate change.

“Dunkin’ Brands has demonstrated positive steps towards creating an effective sustainability program,” said Ceres president Mindy Lubber. “There are significant opportunities for the company to integrate sustainability throughout its business and Ceres is excited to work with Dunkin’ Brands to help advance its social and environmental efforts.”

“We look forward to working with Ceres as we continue to build on our existing corporate social responsibility and sustainability program achievements,” said Nigel Travis, Dunkin’ Brands Chief Executive Officer.  “As we grow both domestically and internationally, our partnership with Ceres will be an integral component in further developing and delivering on our commitment to social and environmental goals.”

In a piece last year about the company’s growing effort to go green, we wrote, “Dunkin’ Donuts boasts tremendous brand loyalty and, subsequently, has the opportunity to bring a genuine eco-message to a broad customer base.” With more than 14,800 points of distribution in 44 countries worldwide, 8,835 Dunkin’ Donuts franchised restaurants and 6,013 Baskin-Robbins franchised restaurants, Dunkin’ has the opportunity to not only affect change but spread an important message of sustainability to their suppliers and brand loyalists.

A teacher of mine in high school was famous for interupting himself (and others) mid-sentence to demand we all take an “aesthetic break,” a moment to take in the view, a second to think about the flutter of life going on around us. This spot, from the quirky and talented MK12 design team, is for Swiss International Air. It’s a bit of a dream-like tangent from our normal fare, but, as trend/idea aggregators, we like to see how brands develop their own distinct view of the world (and their place in it). And, anyway, it’s time for an aesthetic break!

Just as it’s done with taxes (TurboTax) and bookkeeping (Quickbooks), the popular software company Intuit has just launched a free service aimed at helping small and midsized companies better understand their carbon footprint.

Green Snapshot pulls expense data from a company’s QuickBooks and estimates the carbon footprint of that business, providing customized recommendations of ways to go greener, save money and improve the efficiency of operations.

To create the app, Intuit partnered with Cooler, environmental software company, whose methodology, known as the Economic Input-Output Life Cycle Analysis (EIO-LCA) is backed by leading environmental organizations like the Natural Resources Defense Council, The Environmental Defense Fund and the National Wildlife Federation. The EIO-LCA calculates emissions based on financcial and economic data..

As Joel Makower writes in his piece for GreenBiz, “since the dawn of the green business movement, small and midsized firms have been largely left out of the picture. Regulators and activists have focused on large industrial players — the ones with the spewing smokestacks, drainpipes, and dumpsters — all but ignoring the roughly 98 percent of the companies around the world that have under 100 employees” Makower continues, “Will it work? Hard to know — the product is barely a couple weeks old — but you’ve got to like the strategy: a free add-on to a popular product that provides genuine value to customers and, just maybe, to Intuit itself, all the while burnishing the software company’s green cred.”

For more visit Intuit, and check out Makower’s full article.

As a follow up to our post last week about a Memphis-area Burger King declaring on its signage that “Global Warming Is Baloney,” it’s worth sharing Leo Hickman’s conversation with the marketing director of the BK franchise-owner responsible for the signs, Mirabile Investment Corporation.

One of our favorite journalists and a features editor for the UK’s Guardian, Hickman wanted to see if he could get more information from both MIC and Burger King Corp on the growing controversy.  Burger King Corp was quick to tell him “the statement that was posted on several restaurants’ reader boards in the Memphis area and the view expressed by the franchisee on this issue does not reflect Burger King Corp.’s (BKC) opinion or view.” He then reached out to MIC’s marketing director, J.J. McNelis, and, as he explains, his phone call proved to be “one of the more memorable calls [he's] made as a journalist.” It was clear he was dealing with a rogue franchisee.

Hickman writes,

Chris Davis, the Memphis Flyer writer, had said that his calls for a quote had remained unanswered. So I decided to see if a little English charm could draw the evidently coy MIC out of its shell and, to my surprise, I was patched straight through by the operator to J.J. McNelis, MIC’s marketing president. What proceeded was one of the more memorable calls I’ve made as a journalist…here, for your delectation, is the full transcript of the call I had with the soon-to-be-legendary J.J. McNelis. As another well-known burger chain would probably say, we’re lovin’ it:

Me: How does your company react to this story?

McNelis: We’ve certainly observed what’s been going on. A quick answer to what our reaction is would most accurately be described as amusement.

Me: Why do you say that?

McNelis: It’s pretty amusing the amount of fervour that some of the people bring to their arguments on this issue.

Me: People who believe in global warming?

McNelis: No, people on all sides.

Me: Where did these signs come from? Was it the managers in each restaurant that put them up?

McNelis: I don’t have those details.

Me: Have they all come down now?

McNelis: I think so. It’s the best I can tell.

Me: BK Corp issued a statement saying that ‘global warming is baloney’ wasn’t their view and that they had asked you to take them down. Is that your understanding of it?

McNelis: I can’t speak for them. I would think they would run from any form of controversy kinda like cockroaches when the lights get turned on. I’m not aware of any direction that they gave the franchisee and I don’t think they have the authority to do it. The franchisee can put on a sign whatever he wants.

more…

Look, Liam Gallagher doesn’t care what you think. The Oasis front man and his brother Noel have made a career of not caring, offstage and on. Oh, I’m not an Oasis hater. Their first two records were pretty good, and I’m morbidly fascinated by their brand of hooliganism and self-adulation.

Liam has just launched “Pretty Green,” a clothing line “owned and designed” by the singer. He describes “Pretty Green” as an “up-front, straight talking, classic clothing range.” He explains, “clothes and music are my passion. I’m not here to rip anyone off, and I’m not doing it for money either. I’m doing it cuz there’s a lack of stuff out there of the things I would wear.”

But is there anything “green” about the clothes themselves? Apparently not. Is this green-washing then? Well, the name is taken from a song by The Jam, but, in an era when retailers and marketing execs are scrambling to meet consumer demand for greener products, greener manufacturing and corporate responsibility, it does seem a bit cynically misleading. I mean, heck, he just got ten minutes of my time.

As Candace Lombardi suggests on CNET, Tremont Electric’s “Personal Energy Generator” gives a whole new meaning to term “power walking.” Harnessing a person’s kinetic energy, the PEG allows you to recharge your handheld electronic devices while you walk, run, or bike.

We’ve been tracking the innovation of kinetic energy harvesting (KEH) with great interest. Last year, I wrote (wistfully) “someday we’ll put nanogenerators in almost everything. Imagine capturing the energy of a tennis match in the handle of your racket. Imagine storing the energy used to type on your keyboard all day long. Imagine nanogenerators in your ski pants that could power your iPod.”

Aaron LeMiex, Tremont Electric’s founder and PEG’s inventor, has brought us closer to that reality. The device doesn’t store the energy like a battery- instead, Lombardi explains, “it’s more of a kinetic energy real-time converter that must be plugged in to the device as it’s moving for the kinetic energy to be transferred as electricity immediately to the device.”

At 9 inches and weighing about 9 ounces, the PEG isn’t exactly ‘nano,’ but unlike some other KEH devices, you don’t need to wear this one. Simply slip it in a backpack, go for a walk, and in about an hour your portable device is charged up to 80%. It’s compatible with 90 percent of portable electronic devices including BlackBerry, iPhone, iPod, LG Chocolate, Magellan GPS, Nintendo DS Lite, Palm Treo, and most cell phones from Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, Sanyo, and Sony.”

[sources: Tremont Electric, CNET]

Sony Ericcson bolstered its green credentials earlier today, introducing two new phones made from old CD cases and water bottles. The GreenHeart C901 (top left) and Naite (top right) have all the features you’d expect on a new release (camera, video streaming, bluetooth,…) but are made from at least 50% recycled plastic and colored with “eco-friendly” water-based paints. The company claims that “thanks to these innovations, the overall CO_² footprint over the full life of the C901 GreenHeart™ and Naite is reduced by 15%.”

Both phones come with a low-power charger and an in-phone e-manual which reduces paper usage by 90 per cent and are part of the company’s GreenHeart™ program, aimed at elimating the use of hazardous chemicals from the product design and manufacturing process.

Both new GreenHeart™ phones build on Sony Ericsson’s industry leading ‘green core’, the result of a long standing commitment to eliminate the use of hazardous chemicals from the product design and manufacturing process..

In earlier posts, we’ve profiled efforts by other phone makers to green their products. Earlier this year, Samsung released it Blue Earth phone, and Motorola put out its MOTO W233 Renew. As Sony Ericcson pointed out, given the volume of products moved each year, the industry needs to tackle the issue of waste and efficiency. More than 1 billion phones are sold globally each year, along with boxes and other materials.

In yesterday’s post, we reviewed the “old school meets new school” qualities of the Baylis Eco-Media Player, a pretty sweet little green gadget. Just wind it up for a minute and the on-board generator will power the player (MP3, movie, photos, flash light, radio…) for 45 minutes. Today’s post is more “new school meets new schools,” as we hear news that Energizer has partnered with XPAL Power to create a compelling line of portable charging solutions for a variety of devices. As Darren Murph writes in his piece for Engadget, “the rechargeable power packs and emergency chargers — over ten of ‘em in all — will all ship by July of 2009 and will include devices for PMPs, PNDs, portable DVD players, netbooks and digicams.”

from the Memphis Flyer

I was just defending Burger King to my wife. We were watching Conan’s first show (on DVR- do they count folks like us in Nielsen ratings, by the way?) and a Burger King ad came on. “Oh god!” she grumbled. She was remembering the Whopper she’d ordered the previous day on our drive up from Boston. “Burger King makes the worst burgers on the planet!” she continued. Call me crazy, but I’ve always enjoyed the Whopper, maybe not over a Big Mac, but the worst burger on the planet? Well, BK has some ’splaining to do!

A reporter for the Memphis Flyer, Chris Davis, recently spotted a Burger King in Tennessee with a billboard that read “Global Warming Is Baloney.” He called up the restaurant to see if it was some practical joke. It had to be, right? Read on…

Davis calls BK:

Davis: Hi, I’m calling from the Flyer about your sign. Does Burger King really think global warming is baloney?
Davis: [Hangup]
Davis:(calling back): Your sign out front says global warming is baloney.
BK: I don’t see that sir.
Davis: Well it does.
BK: I don’t see that sir… I change the signs and that sign’s been up for a week.
Davis: Well, I have pictures that I took this afternoon [cross conversation ensuring I'm calling the correct BK. I am]
Davis: So there’s no question that your sign said it and so did one in Midtown. I want to know if it was on purpose or if it was a prank someone pulled on you.
BK: Let me get the manager. [several minutes of dead air then the same or very similar voice picks up.]
BK: Who were you holding for?
Davis: A manager, about the sign. I have pictures of the sign and people have called me upset. I just want to know if it’s a mistake or not so I can report it. [rehash of previous conversation]
BK: Let me go outside and look at the sign and I’ll call you right back. [exchange of contact info]

from the Memphis Flyer

[phone rings, I answer]
BK: The sign was put up yesterday.
Davis: And it’s not a mistake?
BK: No.
Davis: It reflects the opinion of BK international?
BK: Yes. Would you like to talk to the home office? I can give you a number.
Davis: I’ve got the number, I’ve already contacted them. Thanks.

While McDonald’s seems to be searching for ways to incorporate some green thinking (from supply chain to restaurants), Burger King looks to be way off the mark. As Davis explains, “when it comes to climate change, BK doesn’t have the best reputation. Climatecounts.org, a not-for-profit organization that rates companies based on attitudes toward global warming, describes Burger King as “A choice to avoid for the climate-conscious shopper.’” He hasn’t heard back from corporate, and, for now, I’m starting to agree with my wife.

[source: Memphis Flyer, via Leo Hickman]

The Eco-Media Player Revolution

The good people at Baylis sent us their new Eco-Media player, the terrific Revolution. While it may never dethrone the iPod, the Revolution deserves some attention for somehow being both innovative and old school. Trevor Baylis, the British inventor best known for inventing a wind-up radio in the 1980s in response to the need to communicate information about AIDS to people in areas of Africa with no electricity, has steered the concept towards today’s generation of music players. The Revolution is a wind-up MP3 player that features video playback, a photo viewer, an FM radio, a voice recorder, a line input recorder, a text reader, expandable memory, and a flashlight. You can even use it to charge your cell phone.

Just 1 minute of winding will provide around 45 minutes of music play, and a full charge (via USB) will provide 48 hours of play time. The on-board generator makes it perfect for camping, long flights, or anytime you’re nowhere near a plug. But it’s also a nice bit of “green innovation.” We’ve enjoyed having one, and, if you’re looking for a fun “green gadget,” the Revolution is a good option. Terrapass offers it here for about $200.

Here’s a cheese-ball video of Baylis- is that Top Gun music in the background?- introducing the device to “a new generation.” But it’s hard not to root for Baylis and think…English inventor? Driving an old sports car? O.B.E.? Awesome!