water saving showerhead

This showerhead saves the hot water you wait for as it warms up. The showerhead comes with a smart ShowerStart technology that stops the flow of water to a mere trickle as soon as the water gets hot enough for a comfortable bath. It then waits for you to pull a cord to re-initiate the flow of water, saving 2,700 gallons of water annually and shaving $80 off your utility bills.
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kolding denmark: wastewater recycling

I have toured to The Kolding Pyramid, an urban renewal project on Jutland Denmark, a fantastic site. An early predecessor to John Todd's Living Machines is the bioremediation project conducted in Kolding Denmark begun in 1992. Unfortunately not adopted countywide or not setting a new standard for wastewater treatment in Denmark, the urban ecology project did prove useful and workable. No further development, experiments and adaptation of the technology is needed, the only barrier is implementation on a larger scale.

The purpose of the Danish study was ecological rennovation measures to beyond the Danish standard for an urban renewal location which preserved the existing buildings and street facade. A 'bioworks pyramid' for water treatment, fish-farming and house plant nursery was built on site. The project was an all inclusive sludge removal--grey and black water treatment facility in the inner courtyard of one city block.

More information on Kolding.
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rainwater hog: smart water storage

The Rainwater HOG is a compact solution for rainwater or greywater storage--being modular you can reach greater capacity by adding multiple units or placing them in different parts of your property.
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michelle kaufmann: ecologue videos

Great DIY projects from green architect Michelle Kaufmann. See more at Ecologue or click to links below.

Green Garden Chandelier

Water Catchment System



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living machines: wastewater recycling

These Living Machines by John Todd, seem as if they should be in a botanical garden and not the scene for waste-water management. The series of ecosystems work together to break down water contaminants, by filtering and cleaning waste-water with plants and fish. The concept was recently awarded a Buckminster Fuller Award for its elegant application in cleaning up Appalachia’s water supply.

Albeit new to America, in Europe they have been experimenting with this technology for a long time. A decade ago, I saw this same concept in practice in Denmark--which I will post about soon.

The technology uses “helpful bacteria, fungi, plants, snails, clams and fish that thrive by breaking down and digesting pollutants”, selecting and then cultivating diverse communities is key in order for all compounds to be treated. The result is clean water that is potable.
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rainwater catchment and recycling

R rainwater catchment systems collect rainfall from roofs while being filted, but H2O Designs does that with a modern water garden aesthetic.

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teenager discovers scientific breakthrough for plastic decomposition

Daniel Burd, an 11th grader from Canada thought that since plastic will eventually decompose after 1,000 years on its own--that there must be a factor causing it. For his science fair project, he looked for the naturally occurring microorganisms behind this decomposition.

Burd isolated two strains of bacteria (Sphingomonas and Pseudomonas) that work together to consume polyethelene plastic at record rates. The experiment yielded a culture of the two that rendered plastic bags 43% decomposed after six weeks-the only outputs being water and an infinitesimal amount of carbon dioxide. Thankfully, the method is inexpensive, energy efficient, and easily scalable for industrial applications. “All you need is a fermenter . . . your growth medium, your microbes and your plastic bags,” stated the young innovator. Thank goodness for the imagination and inquiry!


The Record

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Earth Day Tip #3

Visit the Smithsonian's special microsite "EcoCenter" devoted to unique Earth Day interviews, stories and easy to do tips to reduce your environmental impact. One easy solution? Conserve a little more water. Turn off the tap when you brush your teeth, stop rinsing the dishes before loading them into the dishwasher (it really will take care of all that stuck on mess!) and reuse graywater from laundry, dehumidifiers and other areas of your home to water grass or flowers.


Visit the Smithsonian site to learn a little more about how bamboo is changing the world of product design, how Ed Bagely, Jr. remains one of the greenest guys in Hollywood, how fuel choices are changing our landscape and how to free yourself of plastics. Happy Earth Day! Read More..

Green Buzz from KBIS

Green, green, green... it's everywhere these days. Of course, it's very important to do it the right way and we liked the messages many exhibitors were telling this year. Delta showed you just how many bottles of water you use when you take a shower - and how many you can save by installing their water efficient shower head. Toto-ology describes Toto's EcoPower faucets that are run completely on the gravity of water - no batteries needed. Grohe proclaims "Water is Life" and conserving it has never been so easy using their products that don't sacrifice performance for efficiency. Read More..