Instead, green development commitments will be asked for. Photo: David Schroeter via flickr. This week saw some public chest puffing and finger pointing by both the United States and China regarding what each thought the other should be doing in regards to climate change commitments. And at the end of the week it looks like all o…

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US Won’t Demand China Commit to Binding Emission Reductions Targets, Envoy Says

Raising living standards is laudable in any country. But to do that at the expense of ecosystems both locally and globally, which could easily happen without serious emission reductions commitments, does no one any good. Photo: Paolo Vasta via flickr. Yesterday I went on about how comments from the US regarding how China ought to making deeper commitments to reduce their CO2 emissions . My take was that no one really has a right to point fingers on this issue, every…

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China Will Not Commit to Binding Emissions Reduction Targets, Official Says

Can this be? Two of my favourite concepts in one building? In an urban setting like Brooklyn, yet. Cohousing is based on the idea of “intentional neighbourhoods” where people consciously commit to living as a community. Or as Meaghan wrote in our first post on the subject: “In some ways, they hark back to the ideas of a kibbutz, a co-op, or commune, but in a more modern, Euro-style, not-so-hippy way.” And Passivhaus ? It is a European standard for building that uses 90% less energy while maintaining healthy air quality. Together…

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Brooklyn Cohousing Project to be Designed on Passivhaus Principles

Air pollution impacts bicyclists in China. Image credit: Acid Cow , excerpted. Chinese government agencies are reported to be considering taxing polluting businesses, including, but apparently not limited to, carbon dioxide. According to a story in the Himalayan Times , “‘Collecting environmental taxes from (polluting) companies is one of the directions of China’s tax system reform,’ Zhang Lijun, deputy head of the Environmental Protection Ministry, to…

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China Pollution Tax Considered (Again)

China’s impressive target for renewable energy could be getting a serious upgrade. “We are now formulating a plan for development of renewable energy,” Zhang Xiaoqiang, the vice-chairman of China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), told the Telegraph , in London. “We can be sure we will exceed the 15 per cent target. We will at least reach 18 per cent. Personally I think we could reach the target of having renewables provide 20 per cent of total energy consumption.” The upping of t…

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China’s Stunning New Renewable Energy Standard: 20 Percent by 2020

Teapots, No Tempest The upshot of U.S. climate envoy Todd Stern’s three-day visit to Beijing to discuss an agreement on greenhouse gas emissions? The two countries are still talking. Both sides have, not surprisingly, agreed to “push forward the Copenhagen climate change conference to yield positive results,” China’s foreign ministry spokesman said Tuesday, adding that both sides will continue to boost cooperation. An agreement between the two countries — something Stern has called a deal-breaker for a new climate accord at Copenhagen — still rests on two big, unresolved and interrelated questions….

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China-US Talks: Tea, a Photo Op and Two Big Question Marks

When one designs a boat, trailer, mobile home or RV, it can be fabulous test-beds for designers to show how one can live with less space, how to squeeze every cubic inch out. They also have to deal with many restrictions in weight, shape and dimension. They can also challenge our assumption that we have to live in a fixed location, when one might have a smaller footprint if we lived in smaller spaces and were not so tied down. The ” two-storey campingcar ” built by three Japanese students is full of clever ideas, and a great demonstration of how to get more out of less….

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Tiny Transformer RV Camper Turns From Truck To Two Storey House

Eco Factor: Amphibious bicycle made using recycled plastic. We’ve been reading about some ingenious ways to take to the open waters in the recent past. Though most of those ways are either too impractical or too expensive, DIYers in China are showing us a way which could allow anybody with a bicycle to ride on water. Li Jin has designed a human-powered bicycle, with which she rides on the water in Wuhan of Hubei Province in China. The DIY amphibious bicycle is made using eight water gallons, which are closed on top to serve as pontoons preventing Li from drowning. Adjustable vane wheels provide the driving power. Apart from allowing Li to cross the lake, the bicycle can also be used on the road without any modification. Images courtesy: CFP Via: OnlineWebLibrary

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Eco Rides: DIY amphibious bicycle made from recycled water gallons

Dawn Pickering, founder of San Francisco-based Pickering International, Inc. opened the doors of her fabric import and wholesale company in the early 90s. Since then Pickering’s offerings have expanded into nine distinct fabric categories specializing in textiles made from sustainable and organic fibers and certified by recognized green standards like GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard). I caught up with Dawn recently. What fabrics do you currently offer and who are your customers? We currently offer hemp, soy, bamboo, organic cotton, organic linen, silk, wool, tencel blends and recycled fiber blends. Our customers come from the apparel, footwear, accessory, baby and children’s and home fashions/home furnishing industries. Where are your fabrics sourced? Our fabrics are all milled in China. The raw materials also come from China, with the exception of the organic cotton which is Turkish, and the wool which is Australian. What’s the biggest misconception regarding manufacturing in China? China has been known as a very polluted country due to its speedy industrial growth. How is it possible for it to produce certified organic and eco friendly textiles in the meantime? Well, the truth is that the government has implemented strict environmental protection laws in the recent years. All the textile mills and dyeing houses must meet the set standards or face severe penalties. The eco movement has taken root steadily in China as consumers are more informed on environmental issues than before. With a growing demand from both domestic and international markets, China is producing a commendable amount of eco textiles because all the natural resources are readily available right there. How do you stay true to your fair trade practices? Our management team visits our manufacturers at least twice a year to verify that they are continuing to adhere to our company’s Manufacturing Inspection Guidelines. These guidelines are in line with the principles described by the Worldwide Responsible Apparel Production website. We personally check and confirm that workers operate in a well-maintained, healthy and safe environment; that they are well-trained for their jobs; that they are treated with respect; that they are paid fairly and have health insurance, sick leave and maternity leave; that there is no child labor and more. Have you considered working more with U.S. mills for organic cotton or Canada for hemp? We have not considered working with U.S. mills for organic cotton because the price point makes it unappealing to our customer base. Canadian hemp has traditionally been geared toward oil production so the hemp is harvested at a later stage of its life cycle. Though there have been discussions about growing hemp for fabric there, and some funding provided for development of that industry we have yet to see Canadian hemp fabrics appear on the market. We would certainly be open to sourcing there if and when that happens. Do you support research for alternative fabrics? Absolutely. Talk about Patagonia and Nike and how they’re implementing eco-fabrics slowly. Looking at the future, what will the impact of large corporations like Target, Payless, Kohls and Wal-Mart (in addition to Patagonia and Nike) investing in sustainable fabrics be? As a small business owner this is a hard question to answer. These companies tend to have very tight margins and a price-sensitive customer base so they may be limited in how much of their product lines they can convert to sustainable fabrics. There was some concern that the needs of companies like these would outstrip worldwide organic cotton production but according to recent information from Organic Exchange the opposite is true. In your opinion, can the U.S ever be a leader in sustainable fabrics? We aren’t as familiar with the U.S. market. It makes sense that each region should focus on producing fabrics from the raw materials that come from that region. One of the benefits of working with China is the range of raw materials to choose from. The most readily available raw material here in the U.S. is probably plastic, so a good place to start might be recycled PET & recycled poly. Image: telmo32

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Sourcing Sustainably

Children always think the town they grew up in has been there since the dawn of time, just like they think their parents are giants that will never die. As we grow older, we discover that where we live is quite often merely as old as our grandparents, or an antique car. Sometimes this can be a startling revelation, but it couldn’t possibly match the awe that must be felt to realize the city you live in has existed for 10,000 years! Damascus (images via french irish , ben taher ) The Capital of Syria, it’s generally agreed upon that Damascus is the oldest continually inhabited city in the world. With its population estimated at over 4 million people, this city is as crowded as it is old, and it’s believed to have been settled nearly 12,000 years ago! At that time, mankind was barely out of the Stone Age. Plovdiv (images via Emilofero , horstgeorg ) While only the second largest city in Bulgaria, behind the Capital, Sofia, Plovdiv has its own fame. This city has been inhabited by man since at least 4,000 BCE, with some believing it to be closer to 6,000. It’s easily one of the most overlooked cities in the world, as it’s stunningly beautiful and packed full of historic artifacts and monuments. Beirut (images via SwaitoSlaw WojTkowiak , Ageel ) This city makes the news these days for its on-again off-again involvement in regional strife, but it used to be called the Paris of the Levant, even though it out-dates Paris by thousands of years. Beirut has been a city of Man for at least 5,000 years, and theories suggest it could actually be more like 20,000, making it the oldest city on Earth. Jerusalem (images via ashi , cbrodzky , Ula… ) No other city in all of human history has ever been so hotly contested for such a long period of time. Jerusalem is called Holy by billions of people world-wide, and has been for centuries. While the city’s involvement with major religions may only span roughly 3,000 years, the settlement itself is believed to have been founded over 6,000 years ago. Tel Aviv (images via Sam Rohn , erniePhoto , Sharona R ) A mash-up of culture clash in the desert 100 years ago led to the official birth of this city, but people had already been living there for at least 4,000 years when Tel Aviv got its name. Jaffa, the original Arab settlement, still remains there today as a sprawling desert suburb to the high-rising modern metropolis. Athens (images via grafwilliam , brandnewbrain , saxonfenken ) The historic birthplace of reason, Athens has been a crown-jewel for civilization for over 3,000 years. The true age of the city is not known but suspected to be greater than 3,500 years, and its ruins attract droves of tourists year-round, as evidence of truth for all the stories we read about in grade school. Lisbon (images via francisco antunes , el memo , victor nuno ) Another grossly overlooked European Eden, Lisbon has been standing for roughly 3,200 years. It’s believed to have been founded by the Phoenicians, and led a long life of being repeatedly conquered by wave after wave of new armies for 2,000 years. After all it’s been through, it remains remarkably gorgeous, and packed with all the history it’s soaked up from its experiences. Xi’an (images via danny f5 , stubzee , Heaven’s Gate (John) ) Home of the famous terra cotta armies of the ancient Qin Dynasty, Xi’an has steadily grown over the last 3,100 years to be a much-loved jewel of modern China. It’s popular among natives and tourists alike, for its rich cultural heritage sites as well as its thriving industries. The city is now also home to China’s growing Space Industry. Rome (images via stuckincustoms , semeraro , mserarolsbcn ) The Eternal City hardly needs an introduction. Suffice to say, this marvel of civilization began life with a mythical story, and it continues to amaze all who see it with a similar mythical presence and beauty. Believed to be founded in 753 BCE, the story of Romulus and Remus is still held as canon. While the figures may be purely mythical, there has yet to be any other explanation more plausible than the fraternal legend. Delhi (images via sanmang , wili ) A truly amazing place, Delhi holds several of greater Asia’s most valuable historic sites. The Indian city is thought to have been populated for 3,000 years now, and shows no sign of ever stopping. It’s in Delhi that one can find the famed Taj Mahal, and the sprawling metropolis holds more than 15 million inhabitants. To date, it is the eighth largest city in the world by population.

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10 of the World’s Most Beautiful Ancient Cities