Here’s a great design concept just in time for summer when gatherings move outdoors and you want the music to move with you. Finnish designer Pekka Salokannel has created the portable and solar-powered Gramo Speakers that allow you to hook up the music inside or outside while skipping the need for electricity.

The speakers are outfitted with three layers of solar PV panels that charge a built-in battery pack so even in the dark, the speakers can keep the party going. If you need to move the speakers further than your patio, they fold flat so that they can be easily carried in a pocket or bag. The volume is be controlled by soft-touch controls on the speakers.

The Gramo is designed to work with your computer, iPod, or iPhone.

Since the speakers are still just a concept, there’s no information on the sound quality or pricing. Regardless, it’s a wonderful design. I hope to see these, or something similar, available soon.

via Ecofriend

AP - Reports of debt slavery reached record numbers in Brazil last year, and most of the cases were connected to the nation’s booming sugarcane ethanol sector, according to a report released Wednesday by a watchdog group.

We knew that the use of biomass as an energy source was growing, but we didn’t know it had gone chic. L’Oreal Cosmetics has announced that they are installing a biomass system at their factory in Libramont, Belgium where they produce many of their brands’ haircare products.

The plant will feature an anaerobic digestion system that will capture methane from waste that comes from nearby cattle farms. When the system’s installation is completed at the end of the summer, methane will be used to generate 85% of the plant’s power. Even better is that this is just a single step in the cosmetics giant’s plan to cut their factory and warehouse emissions in half by 2015 (based on 2005 levels).

In order to meet their goal, the company will be installing additional on-site renewable energy systems like solar PV and solar thermaland buying more green power from suppliers.

The company also hopes to cut their water use by 30 to 35 percent in the same time frame by using rainwater capture and steam-cleaning technologies.

It’s great to see a large beauty company like L’Oreal making substantial commitments to reducing their emissions and water use. Now, to get them to make significant changes in their packaging and ingredients…

via Business Green

AFP - Meeting a widely-supported goal to tackle global warming means that humanity will be able to burn less than a quarter of the proven reserves of fossil fuels by 2050, a study released on Wednesday said.

AP - Walt Disney Studios is turning box-office cash from its nature documentary “Earth” into seed money to plant trees in the rain forest.

(Photo: Giorgio Fochesato / iStockPhoto)

America’s air is markedly cleaner than it was nearly 40 years ago, when the Clean Air Act was passed. Toxic chemicals, smog and soot are less pervasive today. But science has also taught us, since then, that lower levels of pollutants do serious harm — to our lungs, our hearts and circulatory systems, and to the development of our children. Science has shown that, despite significant reduction in acid rain, mountain streams are still struggling to recover from decades of abuse, leaving water there toxic to much fish and plant life.

In other words, as the American Lung Association’s 10th annual State of the Air puts it: “Air pollution continues to threaten the lives and health of millions of people in the United States despite great progress since the modern Clean Air Act was first passed in 1970. Even as the nation explores the complex challenges of global warming and energy, air pollution remains widespread and dangerous.”

The report, released this week, focuses on the two forms of air pollution most dangerous to lungs: Smog (a.k.a. ozone) and soot (a.k.a. fine particulates). Particulate pollution was analyzed in two ways — short-term and long-term levels.

Ozone forms on hot sunny days when smokestack and tailpipe pollution interacts with heat and sunlight. The result is ozone, a major component of smog. It’s the same molecule that, in the upper atmosphere, protects our skin from harmful radiation from the sun; but at ground level it scars lung tissue, causing permanent damage and making it unhealthy to exercise or, for sensitive individuals like the young, the elderly and those with lung disease, even breathe. Particulates can come in the form of familiar dust and soot, but also in the form of chemicals that form as tiny droplets after being spewed out of tailpipes and smokestacks.

More than 175 million Americans — six in 10 — live in counties where high ozone levels were detected — nearly twice as many as were at risk in 2008. That increase is largely due to new government calculations that account for new scientific understanding of risk of exposure at lower levels for shorter durations.

Even as cities have taken steps to reduce pollution sources, global warming is producing more hot sunny days, extending the ozone pollution season (April heat wave, anyone?) and increasing the number of days likely to produce unhealthy levels of ozone pollution.

Of the 25 most-polluted U.S. cities, 16 had worse ozone pollution than one year ago, according to the American Lung Association. Thirteen had worse particulate pollution.

The Cleanest Cities in the U.S.

1. Fargo-Wahpeton, ND-MN This is the only city area to appear on the American Lung Association’s list of cleanest cities when measured by all three criteria — ozone, short-term particulates and long-term particulates. The others on this list appeared on two of the three.
2. Billings, MT
3. Bismarck, ND
4. Cheyenne, WY
5. Colorado Springs, CO
6. Farmington, NM
7. Ft. Collins, CO
8. Honolulu, HI
9. Lincoln, NE
10. Midland-Odessa, TX
11. Port St. Lucie, FL
12. Pueblo, CO
13. Redding, CA
14. Salinas, CA
15. San Luis Obispo, CA
16. Santa Fe-Espanola, NM
17. Sioux Falls, ND
18. Tucson, AZ

25 Cities With The Worst Air Pollution: Ozone (Smog)

1. Los Angeles/Long Beach/Rierside, Calif.
2. Bakersfield, Calif.
3. Visalia-Porterville, Calif.
4. Fresno/Madera, Calif.
5. Houston/Baytown/Huntsville, Texas
6. Sacramento, Calif./Arden-Arcade/Yuba City, Nevada
7. Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas.
8. Charlotte/Gastonia/Salisbury, N.C.
9. Phoenix/Mesa/Scottsdale, Ariz.
10. El Centro, Calif.
11. Hanford/Corcoran, Calif.
12. Las Vegas/Paradise/Pahrump, Nevada
13. Sand Diego/Carslbad/San Marcos, Calif.
14. Washington, D.C./Baltimore, Md./No. Virginia
15. Cincinnati, Ohio/Middletown, Ky./Wilmington, In.
16. Philadelphia, Pa./ Camden, N.J./ Vineland, De.
17. St. Louis, Mo. / St. Charles / Farmington, Il.
18. New York, N.Y. / Newark, N.J. / Bridgeport, Conn.
19. Knoxville/Sevierville/ La Follette, Tenn.
20. Birmingham/Hoover/Cullman, Ala.
21. Baton Rouge/ Pierre Part, La.
22. Kansas City, Mo./ Overland Park, Ks.
23. Atlanta, Ga. / Sandy Springs / Gainesville, Ala.
24. Merced, Calif.
25. Memphis, Tenn.

25 Counties With The Worst Air Pollution: Short-term Particulates

City data unavailable at the moment.

1. Allegheny, Pa.
2. Fresno, Calif.
3. Kern, Calif.
4. Riverside, Calif.
5. Jefferson, Ala.
6. Los Angeles, Calif.
7. Salt Lake, Utah
8. Sacramento, Calif.
9. Cache, Utah
10. Cook, Ill.
11. Wayne, Mich.
12. Marion, Ind.
13. Tulare, Calif.
14. Lane, Ore.
15. San Bernardino, Calif.
16. Baltimore City, Md.
17. Kings, Calif.
18. Orange, Calif.
19. Union, N.J.
20. Stanislaus, Calif.
21. Washington, Pa.
22. Merced, Calif.
23. Jefferson, Ky.
24. Philadelphia, Pa.
25. Santa Clara, Pa.

25 Cities With The Worst Air Pollution: Long-term Particulates

1. Bakersfield, Calif.
2. Pittsburgh/ New Castle, Pa.
3. Los Angeles/Long Beach/Rierside, Calif.
4. Visalia-Porterville, Calif.
5. Birmingham/Hoover/Cullman, Ala.
6. Fresno/Madera, Calif.
7. Cincinnati, Ohio/Middletown, Ky./Wilmington, In.
8. Detroit/Warren/Flint, Mich.
9. Cleveland/Akron/Elyria, Ohio
10. Charleston, W.V.
11. Huntington/Ashland, W.V./Ky./Ohio
12. Louisville, Ky./Jefferson County/Elizabethtown/Scottsburg, In.
13. Macon/Warner Robins/Fort Valley, Ga.
14. St. Louis, Mo. / St. Charles / Farmington, Il.
15. Weirton, W.V./ Steubenville, Ohio
16. Atlanta, Ga. / Sandy Springs / Gainesville, Ala.
17. Indianapolis/Anderson/Columbus, In.
18. Rome, Ga.
19. Canton/Massillon, Ohio
20. Yor/Hanover/Gettysburg, Pa.
21. Lancaster, Pa.
22. New York, N.Y. / Newark, N.J. / Bridgeport, Conn.
23. Hagerstown, Md./Martinsburg, W.V.
24. Houston/Baytown/Huntsville, Texas

See how your city’s air quality ranks.

But most people are not in those clean counties. One in eight lives in a county where all three pollutants reach unhealthy levels, according to the American Lung Association. Among them, at least 4 million children and 10.9 million adults with asthma are exposed to unhealthy air. At least 20.4 million adults over age 65, and 44 million children under the age of 18 are exposed to unhealthy air. And at least 4.4. million people with chronic bronchitis, and 2.1 million people with emphysema are exposed to unhealthy air.

Air pollution isn’t just a risk factor for lung disease, but heart disease and diabetes, too, research shows. At least 24.5 million people with cardiovascular diseases and 5.2 million people with diabetes are exposed to unhealthy air.

What can be done? The American Lung Association recommends these actions:

• Clean up coal-fired power plants.
• Clean up dirty diesel engines currently on and off the road.
• Clean up dirty ocean-going vessels.
• Tighten ozone and particulate exposure standards to reflect current science.
• Require all counties with high air pollution levels to crack down on sources.
• Drive less by combining trips, walking, biking, carpooling and using public transportation to limit your contribution to air pollution — especially on hot, sunny days.
• Don’t burn wood or trash, to avoid releasing particulates in smoke into your neighborhood’s air.
• Encourage your school district to retrofit old school buses with modern pollution controls, and to stop idling in school parking lots.
• Conserve energy, because every bit of electricity saved means less pollution from the power plant supplying your electricity.

More from The Daily Green

How to Purify Indoor Air

Choose Low-VOC Paint for Clean Indoor Air

How to Clean Up Dirty Diesel School Buses

The Most Fuel-Efficient 2009 Cars and SUVs

How to Burn Less Gas, and Clean the Air

Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc

I’d be lying if I said I’ve never dreamed of writing a New York Times bestseller. My little book, The Ultimate Cheapskate’s Road Map to True Riches, has sold okay, at least well enough that the publisher has me writing another one. But in terms of total sales, mine has never even entered the same solar system as books on the NYT list.

Obviously, part of the reason for that is the fact that I write for and about cheapskates. Most of the folks who contact me to say that they liked my book eventually get around to admitting that they borrowed it from the library rather than bought a copy of their own. That’s fine with me. I’m a big supporter of public libraries and, of course, libraries pay for the copies they loan out. Libraries are inherently green institutions, a perfect example of what being a Green Cheapskate is all about.

But then there are those readers who write to say that they loved my book so much they spent every lunch hour for the past two weeks standing in the back of Barnes & Noble reading the whole thing. Those are always the fans who conclude with, “PS - I can’t wait to read your next book!” Ah, but for the economic realities of publishing.

Maybe I’m just trying to assuage my NYT list envy, but I had a touching email from a reader last week that made me feel even better than if I’d landed a berth on the Times‘ prestigious roster. She wrote to tell me that my little book has occasionally had one of the longest waiting lists on the website PaperbackSwap.com, a terrific website where you post books you want to get rid of and send them off to folks who want them. You receive “credits” for the books you send to others, and then redeem your credits for books others are looking to giveaway. Books need to be in good condition, and you pay only for the postage on books you send out (usually about $2.50 per book).

There are lots of other book exchanges on the web as well (some may charge membership and processing fees), including:

• bookmooch.com
• bookins.com
• SwapTree.com
• titletrader.com
• campusbookswap.org
• novelaction.com

In the current economy — with cash tighter than a drumhead — maybe there should be a new New York Times bestseller list, one composed of those books with the longest waiting lists at the public library and on sites like PaperbackSwap.com. That would be a list of the favorites among readers who are smart enough to understand that there’s a greener — and cheaper — way to read the books they want to read.

Of course, that doesn’t mean I’d turn down a slot on the Times‘ current list if they come knocking.

More from The Daily Green

30+ Ways to Save Money by Going Green

10 Surprising Uses for Vodka

10 Easiest Green Tips

7 Superfoods You Should Be Eating

23 Breathtaking Natural Swimming Pools

Jeff Yeager is the author of the book The Ultimate Cheapskate’s Road Map to True Riches. His website is www.UltimateCheapskate.com.

Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc

(Photo: Craig Veltri / iStockPhoto)

Whether you enjoy ketchup with fries or — like some Americans — a few fries with a boatload of ketchup, there’s no denying the ubiquity and popularity of the distinctive red condiment. Ketchup has been satirized, politicized (W Ketchup anyone?) and considered for reclassification as a vegetable. Many folks can’t even agree how it should be spelled (catsup or catchup perhaps?).

We’re guessing we’re not the only ones who squirrel away unused packets of ketchup in desks and cabinets after a quick meal on the go. (Or who have aging, half-empty bottles of the stuff crammed in the back of the fridge.) And since we hate to waste things here at The Daily Green, we got to thinking about ways to creatively reuse extra ketchup — we mean besides the obvious choices of making recession ketchup “pizza” or “spaghetti.” Shudder……

By the way, wonder what’s in ketchup? Typically tomato concentrate (duh), the ubiquitous corn syrup or another sweetener, vinegar, salt, spice and herb extracts (including celery), spice and garlic powder. Some brands also include allspice, cloves, cinnamon, onion and other vegetables.

While none of us should be eating too much salt or corn syrup, it’s hard to argue with the fact that the ingredients list is decidedly non-toxic, especially when you compare it to the chemical-laded conventional cleaning products and shampoos that it can replace. 

So check out these great alternative uses for ketchup, which will save you money and time:

Shine your copper

Whether you have copper-bottomed cooking pans, architectural detailing, or shiny knick-knacks, forget mucking about with costly and potentially toxic metal polish pastes. Why not use some of those old ketchup packets stashed away in your kitchen drawers?

Here’s a very simple recipe from Michael de Jong, TDG’s Zen Cleaner and author of the Clean series of simple living books:

Massage ketchup over the copper and watch it dissolve the tarnish away (thanks to the acid). In the event that you have stubborn spots, add a pinch of table salt while you polish.

Get those auto parts gleaming

According to The Cymbal Book by Hugo Pinksterboer, some folks have seen decent results getting their cars to shine by rubbing with ketchup. The book notes that the condiment does a good job cutting tarnish, but not so well in removing dirt. Sounds like you may need a multi-step process, with some soap and water as well.

Give it a try and let us know if it works for you.

Fight Skunk Odors

If you’ve lived in a rural or even suburban part of North America, chances are you may have had a run-in with a skunk one night or evening. Or perhaps your dog has. Although some experts have cautioned that the technique may not actually work well (beyond a masking sensation), many people still swear by tomato juice as a way to remove potent skunk odor. Michael de Jong points out that in the event you don’t have any tomato juice on hand you can try using plain ketchup instead.

Get back prettier hair from chlorine damage

According to de Jong, ketchup can also be used to correct limey-hair-highlights-gone-green, which can sometimes occur from exposure to chlorine found in swimming pools (another good reason to check out natural pools as a refreshing alternative).

How? Restore your normal hair color — or at least the one you paid dearly for — by applying full strength ketchup to your hair. Smoosh it in, let it linger for about 20 minutes and then wash it out thoroughly.

Soothe wounds

Unused ketchup packets pile up across America by the
millions, as hurried diners and service staff often grab huge handfuls,
only to end up using a few. Lisa posted over on Seacoast Online that she freezes leftover ketchup and soy sauce packets to use on her children’s “small booboos and bumps.” She claims, “The kids LOVE them.” Apparently even the mere appearance of the packets often makes their hurts go away.

Want to make your own ketchup? Check out this link for a unique cranberry ketchup recipe, or get zillions of other ketchup ideas from Delish.

Get more green cleaning recipes from Quick and Simple.

More from The Daily Green

7 Smart Uses for Vinegar

10 Surprising Uses for Vodka

10 Easy Green Cleaning Recipes

Extraordinary Homes Made From Shipping Containers

Amazing Sculptures Made from Cardboard

13 Cool Things Made From Recycled Bottles

Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc

Photo credits: Istock, George Doyle/Getty Images, http://www.cockeyed.com, Stockxpert

Q. Hi Umbra,

You’ve made several mentions of living off the grid in previous columns, and I was wondering where someone should find such things? It seems as though there are secret communities and communes that everyone seems to know about but me. How would you find an off the grid community, or go about living off the grid yourself?

Anica
Corvallis, Ore.

A. Dearest Anica,

No one is hiding anything from you, don’t worry. You just haven’t met any off-the-grid folks. By the way, if you do find anything that could qualify as a secret community, off the grid or no, I would bicycle fast in the other direction. Especially in Oregon or Southwest Washington.

You have two distinct questions, but of course pursuing either may result in an answer to both. Living off the grid mainly refers to finding some way to produce your own electricity and hence eschew reliance on the public electric grid. This is done firstly through reducing the need for electricity, and secondly through alternative power generation via wind, solar, or hydro. So, to go about living off the grid, I would start researching the potential for wind, solar, or hydroelectric power at my own home. If I were a renter, I would start looking for a home to buy in an area where one of these things was possible. I wrote about micro-wind and solar some time ago, and mayhap it will soon be time for this column to touch on microhydro as a home power source.

Meanwhile, let’s say you do own a home, and you want to start researching whether you can afford a solar array, or put up a wind turbine. You can start with my old columns, which could give you some basics on whether you have enough sun or space for a turbine, but then I would immediately start an internet hunt for solar interest groups or vendors in Oregon in general, and in Portland, Corvallis, and Eugene. I would also keep a sharp eye out at co-ops, natural food stores, libraries, and other places frequented by well-meaning environmentalists who like to post fliers, and I would read those very fliers, hoping for workshops about anything related to off-the-grid living.

The larger “off-the-grid” scene could include workshops on growing your own food, raising your own animals, serious energy conservation, home energy efficiency … things like that. I would go to available workshops, or events, or festivals, and if I were feeling less shy than usual, I might even work up the nerve to talk to someone who looked friendly. If there were a solid-looking solar or wind group on the internet, I might pump myself up to give them a phone call and start getting information. If you want to meet likeminded people, workshops are a good place to start, whether or not they are directly related to your specific needs. Eventually you’ll meet enough people, and they’ll know people, and you’ll find that the secret club has let you in.

In terms of entire communities living off the grid, or at least less reliant on the grid: if the word of mouth and flier technique above does not lead you to them, then you’ll need to formally look for “intentional communities” that have an off-the-grid focus. Start with Communities Magazine and see where it takes you. Some of those Oregon intentional communities could be pretty darn fun to visit (this one has hot springs).

One crazy human wonderful thing I learned about over the winter is kind of related to off-the-grid communities: the Haul of Justice. It’s a group of bicycling volunteers who originally joined together in Eugene and now do yearly rides in various parts of the country, helping anyone who needs assistance. Thanks to my off-the-grid, intentionally communitizing best bud for the inspiring reading about these bicycling wonders, who are now in their own off-the-grid community in Missouri. See, it’s no secret cabal, it’s just human connection—I know my friend, she knows all these people … you will soon know such people too.

Best of luck in your quest for an ungridded life.

Zingily,
Umbra

AP - Brazil is expanding satellite monitoring of deforestation to the entire nation.