Our Green Streets Blog

For those who missed it, this last Saturday, March 28th, from 8:30 – 9:30 PM local time was Earth Hour.  For those who may be unfamiliar with Earth Hour, it was first marked in 2007, when The WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) and The Sydney Morning Herald sponsored a campaign to get 2.2 million citizens of Sydney to turn off non-essential lights and appliances for one hour to raise awareness of the need to address climate change. Read more of this >>

Architect and Builder Doug Eichelberger has an interesting way to use trash as a building material.  He has constructed several of the building at his Larkspur, Colorado ranch out of baled glossy paper and baled plastic bottles.  The buildings, finished in stucco, blend in well with the surrounding environment, disguising the truly green nature of these buildings.  Eichelberger sees buildings like those at his Lucky Ranch as a possible solution in developing countries around the world where trash is plentiful, and traditional building materials and methods prohibitively expensive. Read more of this >>

It's about time for compostable food packaging! Source: Environmental Leader & Stalk Markets

For those of us who get sick of opening plastic packaging that has no hope for recycling or composting, or for the anything even remotely related to being biodegradable, good news is arriving on the news wire, according to Environmental Leader.

“StalkMarket Products, a provider of compostable tableware and food packaging, has unveiled what it calls the world’s first Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) certified compostable Ingeo hot cup and lid system. BPI certification is based on standards set by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM).

“Replacing petroleum-based products with renewable materials, the containers are 100% compostable and are manufactured from Ingeo plant-based plastics from NatureWorks LLC.

“The containers meet the requirements of ASTM D6400 or ASTM D6868. The Planet+ line of compostable products withstand more than 200 degrees F of wet heat and compost in 60 to 90 days in commercial composting facilities, according to the Portland, Oregon company. Read more of this >>

This story comes from Environmental Leader:

Biomass gas will soon power this Xcel Energy Wisconsin plant, not coal.

Xcel Energy plans to install biomass gasification technology at its Bay Front Power Plant in Ashland, Wis.

Following all state regulatory approvals, engineering and design work is expected to begin in 2010, and the unit could be operational by late 2012. The company first announced its plans last October. Meanwhile, it has filed an application for a Certificate of Authority with the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin. Read more of this >>

Here are a few more photos from Doug Eichelberger’s Lucky Ranch.  These were all shot inside his barn.  The barn features a foundation of bailed recycled plastic bottles, and the walls are baled glossy magazines covered in stucco.

Read more of this >>