Green Gaffes

REPLACEMENT WINDOWS

Last year I replaced all the windows in my house with that expensive double-pane energy efficient kind, and today, I got a call from the contractor who installed them. He was complaining that the work had been completed a whole year ago and I still hadn't paid for them.

Hellloooo,...........So, I told him just what his fast talking sales guy had told me last year, that in ONE YEAR these windows would pay for themselves! Helllooooo? It's been a year! I told him. There was only silence at the other end of the line, so I finally just hung up. He never called back. I bet he felt like an idiot.

Ensure Healthy Indoor Air with Airpod

After sealing and insulating your house to create a more energy efficient home, you also need to be sure you are creating and maintaining healthy indoor air quality. Enter the Airpod, which packs a high quality HEPA air filter into a compact, modern package. Perfect for bedrooms, office, or nursery, this affordable air purifier will have you and your loved ones breathing easy.

Quite often, poor indoor air quality is responsible for prolonged illness, difficulty sleeping, and respiratory discomfort, although it is often overlooked as the cause of these symptoms. With a high efficiency silent HEPA-Air filter, such as the delightfully designed Airpod by Blueair, you can filter out at least 99.97% of impure airborne particles in your indoor environment, which will in turn improve your family’s health.

Compared to air filters with comparable performance rates, the Airpod uses approximately 60% less material in its design and manufacturing. The Airpod costs less to run than a single light bulb, and it does not generate ozone byproducts like Sharper Image’s Ionic Breeze.

Air filtration units used for large areas of space (approx. 200 sq ft-600 sq ft) range anywhere from $150 to $800, which means it can be quite costly to purchase such units for every room in your home. The Airpod allows for good air quality in your smaller personal spaces: it covers up to 50 square feet and costs just $99.95 at most retailers.


The sleek design and easy mobility allows the Airpod to go work with you, so that you can filter out those unwanted particles floating in your office air. The Airpod is perfect for your child’s playroom/area as well. The easily movable unit can dock next to your baby’s crib while he’s sleeping, and then transfer to wherever you go to nurse, cuddle or play with your baby.

Eco-friendly Car for Everyday

Tesla Motors has announced the release of the Model S, an eco-friendly luxury sedan with all-electric technology for the rest of the world who needs a real car, not just a sportscar. Most people don't realize (or have forgotten) that the Roadster was always mainly seen as a tool to generate the excitement and support to release a moderately priced sedan, and here it is.


The Tesla Model S and Roadster

With a range up to 300 miles and 45-minute QuickCharge, the Model S can carry five adults and two children in quiet comfort – and you can charge it from any outlet, without ever stopping for gas. The mass-produced electric vehicle offers performance, efficiency and unrivaled utility for a base price of $49,900, making it the only car you’ll ever need.

The Model S offers 100 percent torque, 100 percent of the time without jerky shifting and a fraction of the noise and harshness of internal combustion engines. This smooth and constant power delivery, combined with the sporty handling of the chassis and suspension, leads to a superior driving experience. Performance of 0-60 mph in 5.6 seconds and a 120 mph top speed nearly equal the Roadster, but with sport sedan dynamics. All-wheel-drive available allows you to take this energy efficient car almost anywhere.

The Model S powertrain features a liquid-cooled, floor-mounted battery pack and a single-speed gearbox, delivering effortless acceleration, responsive handling and quiet simplicity -- no fancy clutchwork or gear-shifting required. Energy efficiency is exceptional - the Model S costs about $4 to fully charge, a bargain even when gasoline is $1 per gallon. Eco-friendly design and luxury are nicely balanced in this sedan, including expected features like Pandora Radio or the 17 inch touchscreen with in-car 3G connectivity let you consult Google Maps to find your way.

Limited range is one of the biggest complaints with electric cars, and it looks like Tesla has been listening. The Model S has three battery pack options which offer a range of 160, 230 or 300 miles per charge. With the 45 minute QuickCharge or a 5 minute battery swap, you can drive from LA to San Francisco, Washington to New York or take even longer road trips in about the same time as in a conventional car.



I can personally see using this car as my everyday car with clients, commuting, and family road trip vacations. The base price is more attainable for most people, and should help ensure it will fly off the factory line.

New Hybrid Sportscar from Toyota

Another exciting development in eco-friendly transportation may be on the horizon in the form of a sporty car based on tried and true hybrid technology from Toyota. As a long-time loyal Toyota owner who likes a sporty car that can deliver performance and economy, I am thrilled to see this breaking news.



Toyota executive vice president Masatami Takimoto has reportedly confirmed the MR2 sportscar will soon be hitting the road, remade from its older version into a Prius-inspired hybrid vehicle. The new MR2 will draw inspiration (and technology) from the iconic Toyota Prius, with the goal of creating a mass market hybrid sportscar that is as fun to drive as it is green. No actual renderings of the car have been released, but based on rumors and existing concepts for the ft-HS concept car, it is expected to be a sporty, low-slung coupe cross between the old MR2 and the Prius.

Toyota’s development of the MR2 will not compete directly with the Tesla Roadster, but rather creates a car that can do a reasonable 0-60mph in seven seconds and get an incredible 60mpg, presumably at a much more achievable price point. We are all familiar with Toyota’s efforts to create a mass market electric vehicle. The Prius, after all, is the best known green car on the market. So looking to capitalize on such technology while creating a sportier, much more dynamic looking vehicle has great implications for both a consumer market and the corporation’s innovation.

Based on the automaker's current line of eminently reliable, practical and fuel efficient machinery, it's easy to forget that Toyota has a past full of exciting sports cars. A couple of years back, Toyota decided to highlight the fact that it knows how to built a sporty-looking vehicle with the FT-HS concept, which mated a performance-minded hybrid powertrain with edgy, low-slung bodywork.

If indeed true, this new sporty hybrid would go up against Honda's expected CR-Z hybrid hatchback. Unlike its rival from Honda, though, the MR2 would feature rear-wheel drive, and that's something to get excited about.

Truly ZERO-VOC paint - in any color

Benjamin Moore has released Natura, the first ever truly Zero-VOC paint that is virtually odorless, and has fewer VOCs than any other paint on the market. With zero VOCs in both the base and the colorants, you can match virtually any color without sacrificing the green benefits. They put their Green Promise seal on this product- assurance that it meets or exceeds the strictest industry standards with excellent performance.

One of my clients used this to paint their entire interior, with rave reviews. It goes on easily, dries fast, has excellent coverage and great durability. Best of all - with no odor, you can still live in your rooms while you're painting. You can breathe easy, knowing the air is free of the harmful and toxic compounds found in standard paints (which is what we know as "that new paint smell").

Benjamin Moore has gone beyond the EPA standards to evaluate not just VOCs, but all the elements that affect indoor air quality. Natura exceeds the LEED criteria for the environmental safety.

The Natura range includes a primer plus three sheens—flat, eggshell and semi-gloss—and, of course, the infinite selection of colors. Offered in quarts and gallons, Natura is $49.99 a gallon, MSRP.

For more information on Natura and its availability, visit www.benjaminmoore.com. The site includes a retailer locator to help find where the paint is sold nearest you, or ask your designer to specify Natura on your home.

**Update:
The April 2009 issue of Dwell compares 4 popular lines of eco-friendly interior paint - Benjamin Moore Natura, YOLO Colorhouse, AFM Safecoat, and Mythic. All rated farily well, but the Benjamin Moore was clearly the winner, both from an expert's view and the editor's. It ranked espeically high on color choice including darks and brights.

World's fastest hybrid car?

If you like very cool looking sports cars that really deliver in speed, like I do, but you don't want to pay the price of pathetic gas mileage, like I do - then you'll love this.

Italdesign, a renowned sportscar designer, unveiled the Namir at the 79th Geneva Motor Show, a vehicle that they claim will be the fastest hybrid car in the world. Boasting a scorching top speed of 187mph with 370hp, and able to travel over 1,200 miles without a refill or a charge, this just might be the answer to your speed racing fuel-efficient dreams.

The Namir hybrid concept was designed with the help of Frazer-Nash. Pictures of the concept car have been leaking out for weeks now.

The press release reveals that the Namir hybrid will have a lithium ion battery pack, with overall power of 270 kW, equivalent to 370 hp. They claim the car will get a fuel efficiency of about 92 miles to the gallon. And with the car’s 50 liter gas tank, the car can travel up to 2,000 km without a refill or a charge.

The top speed of the Namir is 187 mph. Compare that to the last year’s hot hybrid sports car, the Fisker Karma, whose top speed is only 125 mph, or the Tesla Roadster (my personal favorite) whose top speed is also electronically limited to 125 mph. Looks like the Karma and the Tesla will be crawling along in comparison.

No word on cost of the vehicle, or if it will be available in the US, but by the looks and sound of the concept, this is certainly set to be the new hot car.

I love the innovative windshield design and the tough look of the exterior of this car.

My only question is how do you see out the rear window?

What is the cost of Green Design?

There is a new survey out that discovers eco-friendly design doesn't cost nearly as much as people commonly believe. The survey asked 1400 professionals, and found that most people thought green design costs were 300% higher than they actually were, or about 17% of the total construction cost. The reality is that most buildings only cost 5% more than standard construction, and some are less than that.

To read the survey from The World Business Council for Sustainable Development, visit http://www.wbcsd.org/DocRoot/LgTO9cOXAeq991jXcwx0/EEBSummaryReportFINAL.pdf

For more info, see the article THE COSTS OF GREEN ARCHITECTURE by Jorge at Inhabitat.com.