There are certainly a lot of newer "green" consumer guides popping up and it is hard to judge, really, who and which would be best for your personal use. To be honest, the things I typically purchase don't really necessitate much more information then already on hand, I don't buy a lot of things, mostly due to the fiscal liability school and my extravagantly beer based lifestyle has placed me under.
However, if you do happen to have an income of the disposable nature, and perhaps would like yet another source for finding out about consumer goods with a dose of environmental news then you may like to check out the daily green. At the very least they have a pretty good list of links and some random tips and news that show up.
Currently they are in Beta and I think plan to go "live" in about four months but there are still probably plenty of things to check out in the mean while, such as articles discussing which is more dangerous to birds, cats or wind turbines.
In non related at all news, my computer at home shall be considered officially toasted. I am debating whether I should purchase a new one or just try to see how long my laptop will last before it to decides that it would not be a lap warmer anymore. By this I mean that I will try to keep up with posting, but it is difficult without a reliable and convenient manner in which to do so.
I also realize that the labels sorter thing is not working in a reliable manner. Again, since I am without a decent computer it is hard to make adjustments to said technology. Please bear with me as I attempt to sort this mess out.
Because apparently that isn't what people are interested in. Yesterday there was the protest about the Ameritrust Tower and previously to that Mr. Bradley of Design Rag sent me a link to Mr. Donovan D. Rypkema's remarks at the Seattle 2007, Downtown Revitalization, Sustainability and Historic Preservation National Main Streets Conference.
All I can say is that not only is it very TIMELY but very wonderfully put together. It sorts of paints a sad picture on city governments not interested in preserving existing usable structures but also cast a poor light on the EPA's response to "greening" the country.
Anyway, my computer is down so I off to attempt to fix it. Go download the .pdf and read the dang remarks outside this weekend while you enjoy the weather and think about how you can get your local government officials to start thinking about creating a susatinable local economy.
Sunday, May 5th, 2007
Between E 53rd and E 55th - South of St. Clair;
next to the Goodrich Gannett neighborhood center at 1368 E. 55th
10am - 2pm
I always wonder, when I pass empty lots, exactly what the paperwork/legwork required would be to turn the area into a community garden, perhaps for food, perhaps just to add beauty. Then I wonder what steps one would have to take to create a garden. Well, the fine people at the New Agrarian Society are hosting a 'hand's on workshop' to cover that very topic!
excerpt:
That’s right. It’s the latest craze in urban agriculture: turning parking lots and empty blacktop into thriving gardens and greenspaces. Sound too good to be true? Come see how it’s done and help build an asphalt Market Garden with Wonder City Farms run by sisters Emmy and Jessica Levine. Wonder City Farms formed in 2006 to grow fresh produce on vacant lots around Cleveland. The workshop will be the urban equivilent of an Amish barn-raising, except we will building down instead of up. The more hands, the merrier. PLEASE BRING GARDEN TOOLS, WORK GLOVES, COMPOST, NEWSPAPER, FOOD SCRAPS, and A POTLUCK DISH TO SHARE FOR LUNCH! Check out the Blue Pike Farm Open House in the same neighborhood after the event, details below. For more information, call 216-334-7478.
Awesome!
It looks like there is ANOTHER |re|design Cleveland charrette up, this one aimed towards more neighborhoody identification goodness. I suppose nothing can be left un-'re'designed if targets range from a parking garage facade (architectural), bridge design (engineering) and now a waste receptical charrette (industrial design?).
I am mostly excited because this is the third incarnation and it now appears that it actually may continue to be a monthly like submission thingy. That could end up rather interesting if it does. I am thinking that there are quite a few people around town that would love an excuse to sketch something up and showcase their thoughts.
Anyway, get out there and submit something, dammit!
ps. sorry for no post yesterday, had to catch up on sleep deprived to me due to that damned Cleveland Competition. I hope some of you bums submitted stuff to that.
Thursday, May 3rd, 2007
East 9th betwixt Euclid and Prospect
(That is right smack in front of the Ameritrust Tower)
Here is the release:
TAXPAYERS PROTEST COUNTY COMMISSIONERS’
SPENDING $32 MILLION TO CREATE EMPTY LOT
A coalition of good government and fiscal responsibility advocates,
environmentalists and historic preservationists will assemble at 5:00 pm
on Thursday, May 3, 2007 outside the Ameritrust Tower, located at East
9th Street between Euclid and Prospect Avenues, to protest the Cuyahoga
County Commissioners' plan to raze the building.
Last year the Commissioners purchased the 29-story tower designed by
world- renowned architect Marcel Breuer for $21 million. Demolition,
including asbestos abatement, is estimated to cost $11 million. On the
surface this appears to be a $32,000,000 expenditure to create an empty
lot. Upon closer examination the costs associated with the commissioners
plan exceed this.
The coalition is picketing in order to call attention to the fact that
Commissioners Tim Hagan and Jimmy Dimora ignored input from their fellow
Commissioner Peter Lawson Jones and architectural experts who objected
to the proposed project from the standpoint of its cost and the loss to
Cleveland's skyline of one of its historically significant buildings.
The coalition is opposed to the demolition of the tower, whether the
site is used to create a new county administration center or not.
Total cost for building the new county administration complex has been
estimated at $164 million with contracts of $10 million and $13.5
million already awarded to R.P. Carbone Construction and Robert P.
Madison International, Architects. It is likely that the estimated cost
is too low and will increase during construction.
Dimora and Hagan have said they want the new administration building to
be “green” or “sustainable”. Destruction of the Ameritrust Tower, and
the resultant waste of its “embodied energy” effectively cancels-out any
legitimate claim the project may make to environmental responsibility.
The “embodied” energy contained in the structure can be estimated at 15
gallons of gasoline per square foot; equal to approximately $11,000,000.
Discounting the other environmental costs associated with the demolition
of the tower, this figure brings the total amount of wasted public funds
to well over $44,000,000.
Now, the event is a "black and white" affair, wear monochromatic clothing, office attire, etc. Show a little white collar support. While I think that a lot of the people going would be in the architecture profession and therefore only be wearing black (its SLIMMING!) - and I don't have any black and/or white only clothes (since I am only an INTERN) the turnout will hopefully raise some eyebrows.
I originally vamped on an idea with some chaps about dressing up like buildings (envision painted refrigerator boxes) and then having someone with a philly cheese-steak hanging out of their mouth bash on the dressed up fellahs with a foam baseball bat.
Many were not amused with that idea, they said it was too literal. Perhaps we can save it for a later date.
There are certainly a lot of newer "green" consumer guides popping up and it is hard to judge, really, who and which would be best for your personal use. To be honest, the things I typically purchase don't really necessitate much more information then already on hand, I don't buy a lot of things, mostly due to the fiscal liability school and my extravagantly beer based lifestyle has placed me under.
