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A Greener Surfboard

Becky Striepe — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:00:31 +0000

The typical surfboard is far from eco-friendly, but a small company on the Oregon coast creates a greener surfboard by using lower impact materials and reclaimed wood.

To understand what makes a surfboard greener, you have to understand how to make a surfboard. The board has a few different parts:

The Blank - This is the core of the board. When you're building a board, you carve your shape out of your blank, which is typically polyurethane.
Fins - These are the pieces mounted on the back of the board. These are normally made from fiberglass, which isn't too bad from an environmental standpoint. Fiberglass becomes problematic when it breaks down, because those fibers are no good for your lungs, eyes, and skin.
Deck and Glass - This isn't actually glass. Conventional boards use polyester resin, which is a high VOC material. Board makers cover the blank with a layer of fiberglass, then seal the whole deal with lots of polyester resin.

So, how do you make a greener board? We've covered some green surfboards in the paste. Check out these wooden boards from Rayskin or Gary Linden's board made from agave. There's a new company on the scene specializing in a greener board: Tilley. Here's owner Jason Tilley shared a bit about how he makes his boards:

The core is EPS, rather than polyurethane. I did a little bit of research on EPS, and it gets mixed reviews from an environmental standpoint. It's hard to find places to recycle it, and EPS is a type of Styrofoam. What makes it better than polyurethane is that it doesn't contains CFCs or HCFCs, which are harmful to our atmosphere. Some even say that it improves landfill stability. While EPS doesn't strike me as a green material, it's got polyurethane beat.
Reclaimed wood. Instead of fiberglass to cover the board and make the fins, Tilley uses reclaimed local wood. This one's a no-brainer, right? Reclaimed wood for the win!
Epoxy. Since the boards are wood, they require less fiberglass over the deck than standard boards, and he seals his boards with epoxy which is lower-VOC than polyester resin. There's still an impact there, but it's definitely an improvement.

What really makes Tilley's boards a greener option is their durability. As Jason explains:

One of the main reasons in my mind that they are more eco-friendly is durability. They will not easily snap or ding like standard boards (because of the wood and the way it is used in a composite sandwich). They are gorgeous so they are very likely to end up hanging on a wall or re-purposed into a shelf or coffee table, not in a landfill. I wish I could tell you how many Polyester surfboards snap and end up in a landfill, some less than a year old. I got into building these boards because my own backyard was filling up with old polyester boards, and I was frustrated with the endless ding repairs and disappointed when a board I liked was a soggy dead mess after a few years.

You can check out Tilley's boards on their website. He's got some standard boards that you can order, or he'll do custom work to make a board that's just right for your style.

Green Living Tips from EcoStiletto

Becky Striepe — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 12:00:47 +0000

Have you guys checked out our pals over at EcoStiletto? We talk a lot around here about eco-friendly products and DIY ways to reduce your footprint, and EcoStiletto has some great resources for doing just that!

They focus on eco-centric fashion, beauty, health and celebrity advice, and there's also a column devoted to vegan style. Think lipstick without lead, conflict-free jewelry, and the hottest sustainable styles.

Because everyone wants to make a difference, but no one wants to give up the little things that they love.

EcoStilletto also has a free bi-weekly newsletter with green living tips, and new subscribers get entered to win more than $350 in sustainable swag each month. This week, they're giving away this awesome biodegradable (yes, really) watch--sign up, already!

3 Unique Ways To Generate Power In Your Home

LiveOAK Staff — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 14:22:47 +0000

Editor's Note: This is a guest post by Lorna Li.

Want to have some fun while also conserving energy and reducing your carbon footprint? These unusual power-generating systems are sure to make your friends and neighbors take notice.

Everyone knows that you can put solar panels on your roof, use a dual-flush toilet, or install a tankless water heater if you want to conserve resources in your home, but there's nothing exciting or unique about these green upgrades. The key to making conservation a regular part of home life is designing technologies that can be integrated seamlessly into the structure and decoration of the building.

Here are 3 unique ways that you can generate power, and an interest in sustainable living, just by making your home more beautiful!

Solar Ivy

Inspired by the ivy that decorates the exterior walls of older brick homes and reflects the organic essence of nature, Solar Ivy (also pictured at top) was designed by siblings Samuel and Teresita Cochran for a thesis on Sustainably Minded Interactive Technology in 2005. Lightweight and flexible, this "ivy" can be mounted on to a vertical wall, not only creating a pleasing aesthetic but also expanding the area of power generation. Each "leaf" features a thin photovoltaic panel, and 500 of them on a sunny wall can generate close to 250 watts of power.

R2B2

German designer Christoph Thetard has created a set of human-powered kitchen gadgets entitled R2B2. The complete set includes a hand blender, coffee grinder and food processor all tucked into a single wooden case outfitted with a pedal-powered drive mechanism. The appliances are powered by a manual pedal attached to a fly wheel and can reach speeds up to 400 rpm. Watch the video above to learn how you can help bring this brilliant design to market!

Power Pot

Did you know that most of the energy used to boil a pot of water on your stove is wasted in the form of excess heat? Earlier this year, a Japanese company called TES NewEnergyCorporation released a new product that can capture this wasted heat and use it to charge your portable electronics instead. The Hitochaja HC-5 USB power pot can generate up to 400mAh of juice -- enough to charge your iPhone in three to five hours, but with a price tag of around $280, this is probably one idea that's more unique than practical.

About the author: Lorna Li is the editor-in-chief of GreenMarketing.TV, where she regularly reports on renewable technologies and entrepreneurs in the solar financing industry.

Etsy Finds for Back to School

Becky Striepe — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 12:00:28 +0000

Can you believe that summer is so close to being over? School starts back up as early as the first week of August in some places!

Back to school shopping has traditionally meant hitting up the big box stores for school supplies, but you don't have to support huge corporations to outfit your child for classes. Instead of running to Target or Wal-Mart for school supplies, check out these eco-friendly finds from some indie crafters instead!

Take notes in style with an upcycled, hand-bound journal from Falling Coconuts.
Remaine Wicked has all of your toting needs covered with this messenger bag made from men's suits.
Keep on top of assignments with this recycled day planner from Little Mo and Friends.
Ditch the waste and pack your lunch in style with a custom Lunch Kit from yours truly!
Keep that bag organized with an organic pencil case by Sage + Kai

Have you guys been doing any early back to school shopping? I'd love to hear how you're keeping it green!

5 Easy Ways To Slash Your Energy Bills When It’s Hot Outside

Beth Buczynski — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 13:00:55 +0000

Conserving energy when it's 95 degrees outside is no easy task. This infographic shows the potential impact of strategic changes.

A study published by researchers at the University of Cambridge earlier this year found that global energy consumption could be reduced by a whopping 74 percent through simple behavioral changes and home upgrades like triple-glazing windows, installing thicker insulation, using saucepan lids when cooking on the stove top, eliminating hot-water tanks and reducing the set temperature of washing machines and dishwashers (NewScientist).

The infographic below is a handy guide to the Do's and Don'ts of energy efficiency, both at home and while on the go. With just these five steps, think about how much energy (and money) you could save!

Don't forget to share your own tips for staying cool and energy efficient in the comments!

Top Image Credit: Flickr – basykes

Infographic Created By WellHome Energy Audits and Insulation

Spotted: Bike Saddle Pouch from Bike Inner Tubes

Becky Striepe — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 12:30:36 +0000

I am pretty much in love with this bike pouch made from blown bike inner tubes!

The pouch in the photo is by Etsy seller Recyclist, but it looks like her shop is unfortunately empty. Don't let that dash your dreams of owning your own recycled bike pouch, though! You can whip up your own version with a little bit of sewing know-how.

To get started, you need to snag some blown inner tubes. Ask at your local bike shop! I bet they'd be happy to give them to you instead of throwing them in the trash. Once you have the tubes, open them up and clean them, then cut into strips and stitch them together to create your piece of fabric. You'll want to use a heavy duty needle for this project, like the sort you'd use to sew vinyl or leather.

To whip up the pouch itself, you can follow this awesome bike pouch tute from Evil Mad Scientist. His instructions call for cutting an 8" x 8" square, an 8" x 13" rectangle, and a 3" x 22" strip, so you'll need enough inner tubes to create those three pieces of "fabric."

Have you guys done any other bike inner tube crafts? I'd love to hear about what you're making in the comments!

Image Credits: Creative Commons photos via mistagregory

Everything You Need To Know About Smart Meters

Beth Buczynski — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 18:54:48 +0000

We talk about advances in smart meters and energy monitoring technology all the time, but how much do you really know about how these devices really work?

Smart meters have many advantages over traditional utility meters, and allow for much higher levels of energy efficiency when compared to older consumption tracking technologies.

This infographic will give you a better understanding of the differences between smart meters and traditional meters, and why they present an effective method for reducing inefficiency and conserving electricity.

Created by WellHome Energy Audits
Top Image: Flickr - nblumhardt