Bright Ideas

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August 2007

Cave-dwelling Division

Driven by high fuel costs triggered by the Arab oil embargo of the early 1970s, one family finds energy freedom by going underground

For the last 30 years, the Davis family of tiny Armington, Illinois has been building earth-sheltered homes – waterproof cement “caves” surrounded top, bottom and on three sides by several feet of dirt. They’re energy-smart and tornado-proof snug.

Geothermal works: Dig 6 to 8 feet down anywhere in the world, and the ground temperature will be the average ambient air temperature for wherever you happen to be. In central Illinois, for example, that’s about 55 degrees F. Earth homes stay naturally warm in the winter and cool in the summer, requiring much less energy to heat and air-condition.

The idea for the very first Davis “cave” came when home-heating oil prices spiked due to the Arab oil embargo of 1973. Andy Davis, a self-taught engineer, began thinking of digging his way to energy freedom. Friends and neighbors rallied ‘round his Flintstonian determination, gathering stones from all 50 states to embed in the cave’s walls. With homey touches such as faux fur kitchen cabinet covers, and a faux fur door, the Davis family moved in three years later. When the heating bill came to less than $2 for the whole winter (which is what the oil and gas to run a power saw used to cut the wood for a Franklin stove cost), Life magazine sent a photographer. Since then, Andy’s son Marty has improved on the basic design, building hundreds of earth homes all over the country, and consulting on countless more. Tube skylights now bring daylighting into interior spaces, while better dehumidifiying systems and bentonite clay keep everything nice and dry. Although construction costs average between 30% to 50% higher than conventional structures, the savings in energy costs are at least 50%. And if you opt, as many do, to put a garden on the roof, it comes with a side (well, a top...) of salad.

www.daviscaves.com
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April 2007

PLANTING TREES DIVISION

On warm days, a single mature tree can provide the cooling effect of 5 room-size air-conditioners. On cold days, a tree can act as a wind-break, reducing heating bills. Tree leaves absorb air-borne dust particles and CO2, a Greenhouse gas. And trees can boost property values by as much as 10%.

Tree Planting Tips

- Start by digging a hole 3 times the width of the root ball and exactly as deep as the root ball. - Cut any twine or wire holding burlap around the root ball. Get rid of as much as you can, and fold the rest down. - Fold the burlap down so it doesn’t get in the way of spreading roots (90% of most trees’ roots are found in the top 18” of soil, growing laterally). - Do not mound up soil or mulch around the tree trunk. Bark that’s too moist rots. - Build a 3” to 4” deep “saucer” of mulch around the tree. It should be deeper at the edges to better help funnel rain.
- If you use wires to help stabilize a young tree, make sure to use a soft webbed material to cushion anything touching branches. Also, make sure there’s enough play in the wires to allow the tree to sway and move. - If you wrap the trunk – a good idea for very young trees – make sure the wrapping is on by Thanksgiving and off by Mother’s Day, otherwise you can get bark rot from being too moist in the summer.

Copy adapted from City Trees: The City of Chicago’s Guide to Urban Tree Care, written by Janet A. Ginsburg, illustrated by Susanne Roubik, and edited by Suzanne Malec for the Chicago Department of Environment.  A new web-based version will be available soon -- and we’ll link to it as soon as it is! _______________________________________

February 2007:

RECYCLED BOTTLES: COUNTERTOPS & FLOORING DIVISION

Inspired by terrazzo, a traditional Italian flooring material made from scrap marble, glass terrazzo adds sparkle , elegance, and environmental smarts to modern interior design.
Each year more than 35 billion glass bottles are shipped to food and beverage producers in the U.S. for packaging condiments, wine, soda-pop and water. Once the contents are consumed, the bottles are tossed. For most it’s a one-way trip to the dump: Over the last decade, glass-recycling rates have dipped about a third to just 20%. That may change with a new trend in home décor, marrying the grace, beauty and sheer sturdiness of terrazzo with the sparkle and luster of glass. First, used glass bottles are sorted by color, cleaned, and ground into pebble-size pellets that are then set in a matrix of either concrete or, more often, plastic, to which color can be added. The results are both stunning are remarkably tough. Ballpark costs run between
$65 and $75 per square foot installed, which is similar to Corian, cheaper than stone or granite, but more expensive than wood or tile. Upkeep is minimal but specific: No abrasive chemicals and occasional polishing. Plano, Texas-based EnviroGLAS also offers a product – EnviroMODE – made from recycled tubs, sinks and toilets. Glass terrazzo is also popular for floors. Other manufacturers include IceStone, based in Brooklyn, and Vetrazzo near San Francisco --which manufactured the countertops for Ed Begley, Jr’s, “Living with Ed” show on HGTV.
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January 2007:

Solar Powered Refrigeration Division

Chilling vaccines with sunlight may sound unlikely, but that’s exactly what the Solarchill refrigerator does.

The technology, developed by the Danish Technological Institute (DTI), combines environmental friendliness (no ozone-depleting or global warming-causing chemicals) with super-efficient refrigeration capable of keeping vaccines cold for 5 or 6 days instead of 3 or 4 hours, which is typical of most field coolers. This is important for public health efforts in developing countries where power grids are unreliable and vaccines worth millions of dollars are lost to spoilage each year. A single unit, expected to retail for less than $2,000, would be able to serve a population of 50,000. SolarChill fridges have been field tested in Senegal, Indonesia and Cuba. Although the focus is on public health, there are obvious veterinary applications as well. The technology is expected to get WHO approval in 2007, then made publicly available for commercial development. In addition to DTI, development partners include Greenpeace, PATH, GTZ Proklima, UNICEF, UNEP, and WHO.

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Micro Fuel Cell Division

Kiss those recall-prone laptop lithium batteries good-bye.

For early adopters, “outlet liberation” could come as soon as the end of 2007 with Samsung’s new methanol micro fuel cell docking station, capable of keeping a computer unplugged and humming for 160 hours at a time. This is the first major consumer application of a technology that could revolutionize how electricity is packaged, distributed, and sold. Analysts predict that within 5 years as many as 80 million consumers will be using micro fuel cells to power cell phones, PDAs, laptops and other portable electronics.
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December 2006:

floor division

With Flor carpet tiles, create original carpet designs and be eco-smart

You purchase by the tile, then mix and match to create your own custom designs. Tiles are delivered to your door in what looks like pizza boxes. Installation is easy (really...). They’re eco-smart, too, made mostly from recycled materials. And the company, a division of Interface, takes back used carpet tiles to recycle again. florcatalog.com