Category: Sustainable

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Trees and cooling the world…

Posted on by Lenny Variano

Living Carbon, located outside of San Francisco, is a biotechnology company that has produced genetically modified poplars. This genetically modified poplar can grow at an accelerated rate and in so doing consume more carbon dioxide from the air. To date this is all experimental and the company has only been successful in growing these plants in greenhouses. Over a five-month period indoors, these poplars grew 50% faster. Photosynthesis is the process in which enables plant life to thrive. The hope is that these genetically modified trees will use this process more efficiently in turn absorbing more carbon dioxide from the air.  At present only a small field trial is under way to see how these trees grow outside the greenhouse. There is resistance from researchers who fear that these trees, since they are genetically modified, will cross pollinate with other trees. The positive side is that these trees can hopefully replace the problem we are facing with deforestation from the lumber industry.

https://www.livingcarbon.com/post/photosynthesis-enhanced-trees-grow-faster-and-capture-more-carbon

Builders turn to Hemp…

Posted on by Lenny Variano

The Pierre Chevet Sports Hall on the outskirts of Paris, Croissy-Beaubourg, is one of the first buildings constructed using hemp blocks. The project was able to be realized due to the cooperation of architects, building manufacturers, construction companies and town leaders. Hemp blocks are a combination of lime, hemp fibers and a chemical binder. It has been given the name “hempcrete” since it can be poured just as traditional concrete. Texas A & M University was given a $3.74 million dollar grant by the Department of Energy to develop 3D printed hemp buildings. Smaller objects are already being produced using hemp but the high cost of developing these building materials must be overcome. There is also the stigma of the word hemp being connected to drug use. Hemp buildings can provide a space that is resistant to fire, mold, and extreme weather conditions.  In Cape Town, South Africa, a 12-story building has already been constructed. The costs of the bricks are much higher, but construction takes considerably less time which decreases the expense of the overall project. As of now hemp buildings need to be a hybrid using traditional support systems (ex. iron beams) but the bulk of the building can be rendered using hemp.

https://www.buildwithrise.com/stories/building-with-hempcrete

Ditching Plastic Waste…

Posted on by Lenny Variano

Only about 5% of what we put in our recycle bins gets recycled. After which most can only be reused once or twice. Startups as well as major brands are looking into how we can refill our containers thus eliminating the need to recycle. Three-quarters of Americans surveyed said they would prefer to reuse their plastic containers. If 20% of what we recycle was reused it would cut down the amount dumped into our oceans by half. Until now there existed only a small number of refillable boutiques. Windex now introduced concentrates that dissolve in water. Dove is producing deodorant sticks that fit into existing holders. These are small experiments that hopefully will change the minds of Americans who generate 500 lbs. of plastic waste per person per year. Household cleaners are the first and easiest to produce in this concentrated manner. A 1-oz. bottle or tin will hold what can be turned into 16 ounces. The tin and glass containers are much more easily recycled as opposed to plastic. What companies such as Clorox are looking into is reducing the amount of plastic that is used in packaging. They are hosting seminars in the hope of inspiring manufacturers on the benefits of using refillable containers.

Responsible Building and Nature…

Posted on by Lenny Variano

When Expedia, the online travel group, built their headquarters in Seattle they hired Surfacedesigns to restore and incorporate nature as a big part of the development. This meant two bays filled with garbage had to be replaced with new soil for reseeding of natural growth. There is a shift in the view of developers in so much as they are not just preserving nature but, in some cases, restoring it according to the founding partners of Surfacedesigns. The waterfront was to have a bike path, a soccer field and driftwood benches to view the ocean. The aim of Expedia was to move away from a manicured look to one of a more natural setting. Similar projects are under way along the Brooklyn waterfront where a pair of high-rises “River Ring” will include tidal pools and marshes to encourage herons. In the Rockaways a nature preserve is to be created from an old parking lot. Many developers now feel it is their duty to build responsibly which means working with and around nature.