Becky Striepe | greenUPGRADER

New AT&T Cell Phone Charger Eliminates Vampire Power

by Becky Striepe on March 19th, 2010

Even after we unplug our phones and other small electronics, the charger still takes a bit of power from the wall as long as it’s plugged in. The phenomenon is called vampire power, and it’s responsible for billions of dollars per year in wasted energy. In fact, if we cut out vampire power all together, we could save enough energy to shut down 26 coal-fired plants. For smaller devices, AT&T is close to releasing a solution for fighting that energy suck.

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Posted in Gear+Gadgets, Innovation 2 Comments

How to Turn a Blown Out Bike Tire into a Fancy Headband

by Becky Striepe on March 17th, 2010

Last week, Beth talked about recycled shoes made from TVs instead of leather or vinyl, and I've been coveting them ever since. I love a good leather alternative, especially one that isn't vinyl, so you can imagine my delight when I came across Becky Stern's detailed video tutorial on making a headband out of a spent bike tube. Her tutorial is based on one for making a chain link leather necklace, but in a stroke of genius she subbed a blown bike tire for the leather. The results are stunning! Check out the video:

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Posted in DIY 2 Comments

Plant Based Plastics that can be Recycled Over and Over

by Becky Striepe on March 16th, 2010

Bioplastics have their problems, but scientists working with IBM and Stanford University may just have the answer. They've developed a plant-based plastic that holds up to recycling and could have a ton of practical applications from medical to automotive.

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Posted in Concept+Design, Innovation 1 Comment

Drink Recipes for a Green Saint Patrick’s Day

by Becky Striepe on March 15th, 2010

Imagine if we picked sustainably-produced beer and whiskey over the conventional stuff? We’ve got some drink suggestions and a list of organic stouts to help you do just that!

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Posted in Food+Drink, Living 0 Comments

Postcarden: From Greeting Card to Edible Garden

by Becky Striepe on March 10th, 2010

Oh, greeting cards! You make us feel so torn. Yes, conventional greeting cards have a super-short lifespan, but there’s something about getting a card in the mail for special occasions.

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Posted in Concept+Design, Innovation 2 Comments

Eco-Friendly Counter Tops Made from Cement and Reycled Glass

by Becky Striepe on March 9th, 2010

IceStone's Cradle to Cradle certified surfaces are not only free of petrochemicals and VOC's, they're beautiful, too!

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Posted in Home+Decor 3 Comments

The Cleaning Power of Vodka

by Becky Striepe on March 8th, 2010

Getting that green cleaning regiment together means gathering lots of household ingredients from lemons to baking soda to vinegar to... vodka?

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Posted in DIY, Living 3 Comments

Repurposed Pallet Adirondack Chair

by Becky Striepe on March 4th, 2010

What do you get when you try to solve a neighborhood problem from an industrial design perspective? Designer Shelton Davis did just that and came up with an amazing repurposed chair built from pallet wood that otherwise would have headed for the landfill.

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Posted in Concept+Design, DIY, Innovation 7 Comments

Bokashi: Fighting Smelly Compost and Dirty Water with Microbes

by Becky Striepe on March 2nd, 2010

The more I read about bokashi the more amazing it sounds! Sometimes used in kitchen composters, this mixture of bran, molasses, and microorganisms is stellar at breaking down food scraps. The key ingredients are bokashi effective microorganisms.

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Posted in DIY, Living, Yard+Garden 1 Comment

Drinking Local: DIY Wine From Dandelions

by Becky Striepe on March 1st, 2010

If you're getting your veggies from a CSA or farmers market and working hard to reduce your food miles, it feels counterintuitive to purchase wine from hundreds or thousands of miles away.

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Posted in DIY, Food+Drink 1 Comment