Non Toxic Vision

Got old computers??

According to the Silicon Valley Toxic Coalition (SVTC) about 40 % pf heavy metals found in landfills come from discarded electronic equipment. So it is ever more important to recycle you old computers and electronic equipment. Here are some tips so your computer won't end up in a landfill:

• Computers for Schools: in Chicago refurbishes old equipment and provides it to schools at a fraction of the cost of a brand new computer. www.pcsforschools.org
• Recycles.org: find individuals who may need a used computer or other electronics. www.recycles.org
• The National Cristina Foundation: welcomes full desktop systems for refurbishments and donation to people who are disabled or financially underprivileged. www.cristina.org
• Dell: accepts your PC for a fee regardless of brand, or for free with the purchase of a new dell www.dell.com
• Apple: buy a new Apple compter and Apple will take your old system (regardless of brand) free of charge. It also offers options for those not buying a new one. www.apple.com/environment/recylcling
• HP: at a price tag of USD 13 to USD 34 HP takes any brands. All hardware is either recylced or reused. www.hp.com/recycle

Hearst Tower - New York

Designed by Prizker Prizewinning architect Sir Norman Foster this skyscraper is one of only two NY office buildings to receive LEED Gold certification.

Here are the specs, that make this building so unique:

the innovative triangular frame saved 2,000 tons of steel. 90 % of the used steel contains some recycled material.

• less than 10 % of the USD 500 Mio. construction costs comes from imported material
• Rain that falls on the roof is routed to a 14,000-gallon reclamation tank in the basement and is used in the cooling system and to supply the water feature in the main lobby - Icefall. Collecting rainwater reduces the tower's sewer runoff by 25 %.
• The exterior glass has a special coating that lets in natural light but keeps out UV rays, thus preventing the inside to rise to uncomfortable levels.
• daylight sensors control the artificial lighting on each floor, based on the available natural light. They also monitor acitivity levels and turn off lights when offices are vacant for a set amount time.

natural Home Magazine

Natural Home offers today's health-conscious, environmentally concerned homeowners the information they need to practice earth-inspired living. Created for readers that are educated, eco-savvy homeowners whose values and purchasing patterns mirror the Cultural Creatives, a growing market of 50 million individuals who care deeply about healthy living, natural products, and a sustainable economy. With streaming video about great remodeling projects the website is very informative and handy. www.naturalhomemagazine.com

Paint your Home

Safecoat’s top of the line paints are durable coatings that use some of the highest quality, most highly refined ingredients available. A unique formula eliminates the aromatic solvents, heavy metals and formaldehyde preservatives found in typical paints. The result is a non-polluting coating that also acts as a sealer to help reduce offgassing from the surface below.

Safecoat offers specialty primers for new wallboard, previously coated surfaces, and metal.  Finish paints include Flat, Eggshell & Semigloss – both low and zero voc versions – a super durable Cabinet & Trim Enamel (Eggshell and Semigloss finishes) for high abuse areas, and an All Purpose Exterior Enamel.  Safecoat paints can be tinted to virtually any color. www.safecoat.com

A Pill for a Cow

Ok - this sounds really funny if would not actually be really serious at the same time. I received this information in the recent EarthEasy newsletter:

New pill developed to reduce cow burps, fight against global warming
This is not a joke. Methane from cows account for 4% of greenhouse gas emissions. pill converts methane to glucose, and benefits the cow while reducing methane release. more info: http://eartheasy.com/article_cow_methane_pill.htm

Vernon Leibrant

Washington state artist Vernon Leibrant works with already-fallen trees and turns it to perfection. He has always turned bowls in uncluttered, universal forms and specializes in the creation of high quality wooden bowls and platters of all sizes, small to very large. Working with a variety of woods local to the Pacific Northwest, Vernon crafts each bowl to draw out the natural beauty of each species. Each bowl is sculptural, functional, and food safe. www.vkleibrant.com

Loomstate Jeans

Through the use of the best quality 100% organic cotton, grown free of pesticides, herbicides and synthetic fertilizers, Loomstate is focused on making beautiful clothes and supports organic farming - an industry vital to the welfare of the planet. Above all the jeans look supersexy and fit great. www.loomstate.org

New Resource Bank

Eco-entrpreneurs now have a banker on their side. Peter Liu, founder of New Resource Bank in San Francisco, CA is financing environmentally savvy, resource-efficient ventures. The bank operates as a full-service community bank, and anyone is welcome. Deposits are used to finance loans for environmentally conscious projects, incl. alternative energy, clean tech, organic farming and sustainable home and office construction. A lending program enables green builders to get lower interest rates, while home owners can finance solar-panel installation for about the same cost as their monthly electricity bill. Get your new loan from www.newresourcebank.com

Suntech Power Holdings

Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. specializes in the design, development, manufacturing and sale of photovoltaic (PV) cells, modules and systems. Founded in 2001 by Dr. Zhengrong Shi, a PV technology scientist, Suntech has rapidly developed into a leading solar energy company.
Selling its products in almost every major market in the world, Suntech is among the new breed of successful domestic China-based companies with global ambitions. Suntech Power is also the solar technology provider for the Beijing Olympics 2008. The stocks are traded on the NYSE - ticker symbol: STP. More information on the company: www.suntech-power.com

GOOD Magazine

Ben Goldhirsh founded GOOD Magazine and Reason Pictures in 2004. Starting from the back of a small office in Los Angeles, momentum has been building steadily as a growing team works to craft their vision of GOOD. Both companies seek to create entertaining media that attracts broad audiences to content that matters. Subscribe to GOOD Magazine and 100 % of your money will be contributed to any one of 12 organizations. The goal is to get 50,000 subscribers and $1 million dollars to give to one of the organizations. As of today there are 13,799 subscribers and USD 275,980 reached. Help realize their goal at www.goodmagazine.com