Green Options » steel

Children with Birth Defects Win Landmark Suit in England

Jennifer Lance — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 14:41:44 +0000

As a parent of a child with birth defects, I often search for causes and suspect chemicals in our environment are to blame. For our family, we will probably never know, but that is not the case for the Corby group. Families in the Corby group blame the “massive demolition, excavation and redevelopment” of a former British Steel plant for their children’s birth defects. Many of these children have missing or deformed hands and feet. A recent high court decision ruled in their favor that the “atmospheric soup of toxic materials” was caused by negligence of Corby Borough Council.

The 2009 Great American Cleanup Starts Today

Sonya — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 19:53:01 +0000

Are you looking for a community, environmental project for your family? Keep America Beautiful is launching its 2009 Great American Cleanup today with its campaign “Green Starts Here”.

The Great American Cleanup begins today with a national launch event in Waveland, Miss., which will help restore a hurricane-ravaged town along the Gulf Coast. It will continue through May 31 with additional national events being held in New York City on Earth Day and Nashville on May 14.

Millions of volunteers will work to rid streets, waterways and public spaces of litter and illegal dumpsites. Communities will green up parks, schoolyards and other public spaces and hold recycling drives and educational events.

China Transforms Steel Slag Dump Into ‘Ecological Paradise’

Andrew Williams — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 14:02:28 +0000

Less than an hours drive from downtown Shanghai, Chinese conservationists have created a mile long wetland nature reserve in an area that, just three years ago, was littered with mountains of steel slag more than ten yards high.

In an amazing tribute to Chinese ingenuity, the Paotaiwan Wetland Park is now home to thriving populations of Egrets and Wild Water Bamboo, and has just been awarded the coveted China Habitat Environment Award.

“The 50-hectare wetland is a precious treasure for the ecosystem here,” says Yang Xin, president of the Shanghai Baoshan Greening Management Bureau. He calls wetland “the kidney of Earth,” a purifier and filter that protects water resources.

Solar Paint on Steel Buildings Will Produce Big Power in 3 Years

Jennifer Lance — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 22:41:36 +0000

A new photovoltaic paint is being developed by UK university researchers and the steel industry and should be ready for use in three years. The solar paint consists of a layer of dye and a layer of electrolytes. It is applied to the steel as a liquid paste in four layers. “If the solar cell paint can be successfully brought to the market, it could spell big changes when it comes to the future production of electricity,” said Steve Fisher of the Corus Group, the Anglo-Dutch steel manufacturing group investing in the project. The solar paint will be more efficient at capturing low radiation light than conventional solar cells, so it is suited to all climates.

Image: Corus Group

Via: Renewable Energy World

Green Style Spotlight: Tarma Designs

Victoria Everman — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 12:15:50 +0000

Most people might not think that jewelry is a necessary accessory like, say, a bag. On the other hand, it is a wonderful way to express your personality and passions, adding another unique dimension to your daily wardrobe. Particularly, those with active lifestyles, such as surfing, rock climbing, hiking, biking, canoeing, running, snowboarding, and yoga, tend to shy away from jewelry since there is an increased risk of losing your favorite pieces while outdoors. Tarma Designs, based in Northern California, has found a seamless way to merge hesitant, active people with functional, stylish jewelry - all with a environmentally and socially-conscious angle as well.

Tarma is a company that designs, manufactures and sells unique, high quality, personal art that celebrates the spirit of adventure and a love of the outdoors. Guiding our enterprise is a commitment to meaningful social and environmental issues. We understand that everyone’s journey is exquisitely their own. Our personal art provides those who invest in it with a visual representation of their life’s journey and a demonstration of commonly shared values. For the Tarma family, our guideposts reflect our most closely held hopes, dreams and intentions. Our belief is that businesses have a social and ethical responsibility. We will strive to live by our guideposts, to do our part, and set a good example for others to follow. Social and environmental issues are at the forefront of public concern. Our goal is to deliver creative products that we 'adventurists' enjoy backed by an environmental and socially responsible company.

Two separate collections are available in Tarma Designs' online store: Active and Artisan.

The Active Collection brings natural shapes and your favorite outdoor activities to life in casual jewelry for women and men. Crafted from recycled 316 stainless steel, accessory cord and nylon webbing, all Active pieces come with a high polish that's durable and fashionable. The Artisan series is all about discovering new people, places and cultures. We travel the earth and bring back a little taste of our adventures with this distinctive artwear. Free spirited and made to be worn, every piece is custom crafted by skilled artisans. Wear these handcrafted pieces with the pride in which they were created.

80% of the stainless steel used is recycled, and the steel can be recycled 100% in the future. All packaging contains no less than 95% recycled content and no bleaching processes are used. "For the Artisan products, we work closely with non-profit organizations that are members of IFAT, the International Federation of Alternative Trade, a coalition of the handicrafts and agricultural producer organizations and alternative Trade organizations (both importers and exporters) around the world. Our suppliers adhere to IFAT(International Federation for Alternative Trade)'s standards of fair trade and to its objectives."

The Artisan collection is meant mainly for women, but the Active collection contains a wealth of pieces for both sexes. From the Artisan collection, earrings range from $15-25, rings are $15, pendants range from $25-32, and necklaces range from $35-56. From the Active collection, earrings range from $12-25, pendants for men and women range from $18-$30, wristbands for men and women range from $18-$30, and bottle openers range from $22-25.