Articles by Tag Feed

Know Your Green Acronyms!

Matt McDermott — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:00:00 GMT

A quick guide to some of the more commonly used acronyms and abbreviations used on Planet Green and TreeHugger

Green Glossary: Global Warming Potential

Cara Smusiak — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:30:00 GMT

The term Global Warming Potential refers to the heat trapped by a gas compared to the same amount by weight of carbon dioxide. GWP measures the impact of greenhouse gases on global warming and climate change.

Green Glossary: Hope

Mickey Z. — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 06:30:00 GMT

In March 2009, John Vucetich, assistant professor of animal ecology at Michigan Technological University, and Michael Nelson, associate professor of environmental ethics at Michigan State University, penned an essay titled "Abandon Hope."

Green Glossary: Nature Deficit Disorder

Mickey Z. — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:33:00 GMT

"Pediatricians nowadays see fewer kids with broken bones from climbing trees and more children with longer-lasting repetitive-stress injuries, which are related to playing video games and typing at keyboards," writes Sally Deneen<. Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods, calls this "nature deficit disorder." As a fourth-grader quoted in Louv's book explains: "I like to play indoors better, because that's where all the electrical outlets are."

Green Glossary: Marmoleum

Mickey Z. — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 06:00:00 GMT

Marmoleum is a floor covering, available in sheets or tiles, are made from natural flax, rosins, wood flour, and are backed with jute. According to TreeHugger, such floor coverings are "warm and comfortable, 100% biodegradeable. Healthy to produce and install, they'll remain so during their useful life, and even in disposal.

Green Glossary: Phthalates

Mickey Z. — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 10:22:00 GMT

Phthalates, also called "plasticizers," are a group of industrial chemicals used to make plastics like polyvinyl chloride (PVC) more flexible or resilient and also as solvents. Phthalates, according to the Environmental Working Group (EWG) are "nearly ubiquitous in modern society, found in, among other things, toys, food packaging, hoses, raincoats, shower curtains, vinyl flooring, wall coverings, lubricants, adhesives, detergents, nail polish, hair spray and shampoo." I'll bet you can guess what's coming next. Yep, once again, man-made = problems.

Green Glossary: Lyocell

Mickey Z. — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 06:00:00 GMT

Wise Geek provides the details: "Lyocell is a fabric most know better by its brand name Tencel. It has a soft finish, packs light and is made from cellulose (vegetable matter), or wood pulp, typically a mix of hardwood trees like oak and birch. This makes it a natural fabric, and it is noted for its durability and strength, in addition to its eco-friendly manufacturing techniques." They explain that lyocell is made "by chipping wood, breaking down the wood fibers with the non-toxic chemical amine oxide, and then placing the material in a spinneret. The spinneret produces long fibers, which are then dried and woven into cloth.

Green Glossary: Planned Obsolescence

Mickey Z. — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 06:30:00 GMT

Planned obsolescence is the "art of making a product break/fail after a certain amount of time. Not so soon that you will blame the manufacturer, but soon enough for you to buy another one and make more profit for them."

Green Glossary: Planet Bike

Mickey Z. — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 06:00:00 GMT

Planet Bike, they say, began as "a social experiment that dedicated itself to doing business in a different way. Instead of being just another company that develops and sells products with profit as its end goal, Planet Bike wanted to help bring about positive change for people, their communities, and the environment." They also make useful, quality bike gear.

Green Glossary: Ingeo

Mickey Z. — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 06:00:00 GMT

Let's begin with (a quick definition of bioplastics ): "A form of plastics derived from renewable biomass sources, such as vegetable oil, corn starch, pea starch, or microbiota, rather than fossil fuel plastics which are derived from petroleum."