Art + Design
From jell-o mold to fun and functional clock
Multi-functional items in your kitchen.
On the Tuesday before Christmas I met a friend in Harvard Square to check out the annual craft fair at the local UU Church. As usual, it did not disappoint us. It was inspiring to see all the creativity from local arts and crafts people. These clocks made from old plates and tins were one of my favorites. You can purchase one of these beauties at www.artstargirl.etsy.com.
Below is Kennie Kaumzka from Metal Magic. (My flash does not do his work justice.) He makes these candle and electric lanterns out of ordinary household tin cans. Using an ocy-acetylene torch with a pencil-thin flame, the original designs are burned into the cans without drawing or stenciling. As Kennie states, “The lit candle lanterns, uniquely hand crafted, envelop a dark room with flickering magincal patterns.” So if you want to create some instant atmosphere – check out these lamps. www.tincanlights.com
This is the kind of stuff we love to see at D2E. Local artisans making useful and beautiful things out of recycled materials. Sustainable art – can’t get much better than that.
Kennie at his booth of magical lanterns.
Recycled Art by John Bassett
John Bassett will tell you he’s fascinated by light, structure, line, texture, balance, and color … in that order. Growing up in a family of both artists and thinkers, it’s not surprising that he can articulate his creative process in such exacting terms. What might surprise people is that he can also beautifully articulate what he does for an audience of five-year-olds. And for someone who has recently exhibited his work at the Children’s Museum, he’s has a lot of practice doing just that!
Big question first: So what are you doing to reduce your global footprint?
I make art from recycled stuff.
That works! Now, onto what we’re all wondering: How do you explain your profession to a five year old?
“I melt bottles and make things for people to look at.”
Have you always been a glass artist?
No, I actually worked most of my life as a carpenter, but I’ve been doing glass since 1979.
What is it about glass that you find so interesting?
I’m happiest in the rich, associative world of recycled glass and other found objects. I find myself focused on that most conventional quality of glass—its transparency.
Any early influences?
I was a kid who drew and painted. My uncle, Richard Bassett was a painter, but I think it was really my grandmother’s gardener who was my biggest influence. His name was Joseph LeBeau. Today, he might be considered a “naïve artist.” He also made fantastic, wonderful moving toys for kids using brightly painted Popsicle sticks and discarded lumber. He gave them all away. I have only a very small toy he made and don’t know if there are any others left. I think the kids who enjoyed his toys were the only people who appreciated what Joseph made.
That seems sad.
Joseph LeBeau’s story isn’t really sad, I think. He was loved and is still remembered by me and probably by his family and a few other kids. A lot has changed for the better since the 1940’s and 50’s when he made his toys. People have learned to see and to value naive artists and the things—buildings, signs, manufactured stuff—we see every day. And people have also learned to value kids’ art. I remember when I was an architecture student about 1963 going into a public elementary school in Cambridge and asking for kids drawings and paintings. Teachers were surprised by my interest and many didn’t save the art—and neither did the kids. That wouldn’t happen today.
I’ll bet Joseph be happy that kids are enjoying you’re work.
I think he would!
Visit John at www.basglas.com.
Interview by Anna Goldsmith of the Hired Pens.
To LEED or not to LEED
We at D2E have been fans of the Forbes Loft project for a while now, so it was great to see this article in the Globe today by Erin Ailworth. Besides outlining all of the innovative features that will help Forbes be a great example of sustainable living, the article also bring up an interesting point about the LEED certification. Though this certification was created to avoid greenwashing and to help consumers identify a real green building from one that just markets itself to be one, Forbes is not going to seek LEED certification. They have decided that they would rather put that money and time into the building and let it speak for itself. Like any new venture in life, there are kinks to be worked out and it seems that LEED has some growing up to do.
“This is, in part, why LEED even exists today,” Hicks said. “If you look back in the early ’90s, there were all these buildings being built that were saying they were green and all they had were photovoltaics on the roof. And that’s not a green building. Green buildings are more comprehensive than that.” – Tom Hicks quoted in the Globe article
On the other hand…
Galinsky said the Forbes Park team is “not anti-LEED,” but he doesn’t believe the project needs the certification. The LEED process can be “slow, confusing, and frustrating,” he said, adding costs to a project’s bottom line. Galinsky said he would rather use that money on conservation and renewable-energy efforts.
Take a look at this article on Grist.org by Auden Schendler.
We’re concerned that LEED has become costly, slow, brutal, confusing, and unwieldy, a death march for applicants administered by a soviet-style bureaucracy that makes green building more difficult than it needs to be, yet has everyone genuflecting at the door to prove their credentials. The result: mediocre “green” buildings where certification, not environmental responsibility, is the primary goal; a few super-high-level eco-structures built by ultra-motivated (and wealthy) owners that stand like the Taj Mahal as beacons of impossibility; an explosion of LEED-accredited architects and engineers chasing lots of money but designing few buildings; and a discouraged cadre of professionals who want to build green, but can’t afford to certify their buildings. A growing number of LEED veterans have, or soon will, throw in the towel. LEED is broken. This article explores what went wrong, and begins a discussion of how to fix it.
We are not architects here at D2E. We are critical consumers trying to navigate this gray zone – looking for ways that we can live a more sustainable life. So the complications with LEED certification just make it harder for us. We’d like to think that if a building is deserving of a LEED stamp of approval, it would be easy to aquire. It is unfortunate that this is not the case and this is more reason for us to host D2E. We research each exhibitor and they have to pass our criteria before we allow them to participate. We do the homework for other critical consumers that are busy with their families and jobs, as they should be.
Sustainable Carpets
Today Down:2:Earth has compiled a helpful list of sustainable carpet companies that are healthy for your home. The main problems with carpets is that once used, they generally end up in landfills. And some carpets contain backings with PVC’s which contain petroleum and are a danger for your health, especially if they are in your home. Now that I think of it, whenever we find something that is bad for the environment, it is bad for us humans as well. So let’s clean house!
Thankfully technology has brought the carpet industry a step further by implementing manufacturing processes that allow for more environmentally friendly productions. As consumers it is our responsibility to know how some companies are more sustainable than others, while understanding what goes into their manufacturing process, and the energy involved producing these carpets.
While these questions can’t always be easily answered we have done some research to help you make up your mind for the purchase of your next carpet.
Lees Carpet/ Mohawk Carpets
These two companies have partnered up and are a leading sustainable carpet company. Some of their technologies, like Lees’ Duracolor stain-resistant dye technology, will keep your carpet clean and make it last longer. Durability is something we look for. Most of their carpets are either made from recycled bottles or from recycled carpets – even better! Their backing system contains no PVC’s and they make them from recycled materials such as window shield wipers. They even use tires to make outdoor carpets. Mohawk company shows to have a social commitment as well as an environmental commitment by donating 25 cents per square yard sold from selected carpets for cancer research. They pretty much recycle everything in their manufacturing process from beginning to end. Wow – we applaud this.
Milliken Flooring Company
Are sustainable in their attempt to reduce their energy consumption and water usage by 50% in their manufacturing process. Since 1999 they have had zero waste dumped into landfills. Their carpets have no VOC off gassing and their backings are PVC free. Milliken’s Earth Square is a closed loop system where all carpets are made of 100% post consumer product.
Shaw Carpets
This company re-uses their carpets at a larger scale. They have a system where carpets are collected, brought to a central location where they are sorted into different fiber streams and then recycled to become new carpets. Their green label plus assures there is no off gassing emitted from their carpets. The fibers that they use for their carpets are nylon, polypropelyn, wool, and nylon type 6 which is used in their recycling system. As a company Shaw carpets has come up with green edge initiative which is a list of all the things they do as a company to be sustainable. For instance using dyes that are less toxic and need less water, and using epic hardwood floor made from recycled wood.
Interface Flooring Systems
Was the first company to come up with modualr carpet systems, this concept in environmental in and of itself because it eliminates the need to replace an entire carpet floor if there is only one section that is damaged. As a company they came up with Mission Zero which seeks to eliminate any sort of environmental damage the company may be causing by 2020. Finaly Interface uses recycled vinyl backing for their carpets which some claim is damaging to your health. They have great designs to boot – and we love that.
That’s all for today, tune in next week to find out about more sustainable items for your home.
Sustainably Yours
Nathalie Zegarra
DIY is alive and well!
We had to share this great innovation that has been making it’s way around the web. We discovered it on inhabitat, which is a great blog on sustainable innovation and design. They found in on flickr and unfortunately we do not know who created this wonderful contraption.Spreading the love,
D2E team
Policy and Art are alive in Boston
While reading the Globe this morning, in my effort to be more informed of our policy makers, I was again heartened to read not only about progress in our local government and non profit sector, but also I read about some great art. So this Monday morning I am feeling all warm and fuzzy about living in a city and state that is taking action and growing culturally. In this morning’s Globe I found two articles I’d like to pass on. One about Green Collar Jobs and one about a local heavy metal artist, Skunk who makes robotic sculptures out of old bicycle parts.
In regards to the green collar jobs, our job panel from this past year’s show was a direct response to Van Jones’ call for action. We at down:2:earth are trying to use our show as a forum for discussion and a resource center. So we brought together some young people working in the green sector with Galen Nelson from the City of Boston to talk about opportunities and to inspire people. We were surprised to see how many people over 20 years old attended the workshop, and that taught us that we should expand our job related event this year. D2E can’t be the answer for every sustainable issue, but we offer a great opportunity for people to talk and learn. So please let us know if there is an issue that you want to be covered. We are working on our programming for the April 2009 show, and we want to hear your thoughts.
On Social Justice from today’s article:
“We’re going to need to see a lot more of this stuff on a much larger scale than we have before,” says Penn Loh, executive director of Roxbury’s Alternatives for Community & Environment, an organization focused on eradicating environmental racism that is also a member of Community Labor United. “This could be as big as the New Deal and the restructuring of the economy after the stock market crash and the Great Depression. We’re at a turning point in human history.”
On Skunk:
We love Skunk.
Sustainable Flooring
Down:2:Earth has compiled a list of what flooring types are eco-friendly and sustainable.
First let me share with you some facts on why flooring isn’t good for the environment:
Traditional flooring negatively impacts the environment because it uses valuable natural resources and harmful chemicals. Its production can use wood and water at an extremely fast pace that often leaves the resources unsustainable. The production can give off dangerous petroleum by-products and the treatments and finishes for the wood can give off many volatile organic compounds that include carcinogens such as formaldehyde.
Some alternatives and why they’re better:
CONCRETE
Many homes have concrete bases underneath their floors. One new eco-friendly flooring trend is to leave the concrete exposed, stain it, seal it, and leave that as the floor. It never needs waxing, is easy to clean and removes the need for carpeting. It can also be energy friendly: during the day, concrete absorbs heat from direct sunlight, conserves it, and releases it through the night. Despite what many may think, concrete does not have to be dull. Check out this design on concrete from Transparent House.
BAMBOO
Bamboo’s vitality makes it a sustainable and eco-friendly alternative to traditional flooring. The plant is fully grown within three to five years whereas a hardwood tree can take 40 or 50 years to mature. If the plant is cut correctly and responsibly in a manner that leaves enough of the stalk and roots intact, the plant can regenerate. Also, the plant doesn’t need lots of chemicals such as fertilizers or pesticides to grow. An important aspect of Bamboo, however is the that it grows in warm wet climates in Asia which means it has to be transported all the way from Asia which which has a significant ecological foot print. Nothing is perfect, but these are some better options to consider.
CORK
Cork can be a renewable and recycled alternative to traditional flooring. It is either harvested from a tree as bark and the tree re-grows the bark for the next harvest or it is made from the waste from wine cork factories. Cork is an excellent insulator so it conserves heat and has exceptional memory, meaning it retains minimal marks when dented. Air pockets in cork make the product soft to walk on and reduce the wear and tear on the floor since the cushioning prevents shoes from grinding on the flooring. A unique advantage is its noise-canceling, which is great for music studios.
RUBBER FLOORING
It is important to note that there are two types of rubber, one is synthetic made with petroleum, and the other is natural rubber, which is removed from the sap of the rubber plant. These rubber plants are found in sub-tropical climates like Brazil. The rubber is compressed then sold. It is important to know what part of the world the rubber comes from and it’s manufacturing process because some rubber floorings may contain PVC, plasticizers, or halogens. Rubber flooring is ideal for high traffic areas, although not so much for kitchens where grease and water become slippery.
RECLAIMED WOOD
Reclaimed wood is wood that has been taken from existing buildings, which is then refinished and recut. It can come from old barns, factories, warehouses, boxcars, wine barrels, and from the bottom of riverbeds. Reclaimed wood is great for several things that range from making furniture to installing new floors. At the same time reclaimed wood can be regarded as reliable because it has already weathered the elements, so one can be sure of its stability. See this great example.
Good luck with the renovation! Hope this week’s issue of sustainable home was helpful, until next week.
Sustainabily yours
Nathalie Zegarra
B.Y.O.B
Sustainable Tip of the Week- Bring your own bag
If you haven’t heard the facts about the plastic bag issue, it’s worth investigating.
- According to the EPA, over 380 billion plastic bags, sacks and wraps are consumed in the U.S. each year.
- According to The Wall Street Journal, the U.S. goes through 100 billion plastic shopping bags annually. (Estimated cost to retailers is $4 billion.)
- Plastic bags are made of polyethylene
- Polyethylene is a petroleum product
- Production contributes to air pollution and energy consumption
- Four to five trillion plastic bags are manufactured each year
- Americans use over 380 billion polyethylene bags per year
- Americans throw away approximately 100 billion polyethylene bags per year
- A plastic bag can take between 500 to 1000 years to break down in the environment.
- On average, we use each plastic bag for 12 minutes before discarding it. It then can last in the environment for decades.
- Plastic bag litter is lethal in the marine environment, killing at least 100,000 birds, whales, seals and turtles every year. After an animal is killed by plastic bags, its body decomposes and the plastic is released back into the environment, where it can kill again.
Until now Germany, Australia, China, and Uganda are some of the countries that have banned, or are working towards banning plastic bags. Although the U.S. has not banned plastic bags yet there are several companies taking a responsible approach to the issue.
What can we do? Say goodbye to plastic bags and say hello to stylish cloth bags…
EcoVixen made in the U.S from recyclable cotton. Left. ” You don’t want to return as a bag do you”?… Don’t mess with Karma. Right. I’m not made in China. Made in the United States…and proud of it.
For a proud and responsible Bostonian. A product of Sea Boston USA made from 100% Cotton Canvas.
ECOBAGS EarthTone Cotton String Bag Set. These colorful cotton string bags are great to store away in your purse, great for your produce.
Verde Bags were created by Gina Sample as a stylish statement against plastic grocery bags.
Happy Bags has a wide variety of bags with fun designs on them, some of them are even made from recycled water bottles.
Mini Maxi Shopper. Lorelei has this one and can vouch for how efficient it is. “I keep it in my purse because it can fold up to be a wallet sized pouch, and when I need it come grocery time, it’s there.”
This concludes our sustainable tip of the week. Tune in next week for more!
Sustainably yours
Nathalie Zegarra
Boston Green Building Resource
We were able to talk to the vendors one on one and ask about their products. The event had a great turnout and was very informative. Kudos to our friends at the Nexus center who did a wonderful job organizing the event.
Here are some photos of the exhibitors.
Boston Green Building
Museum of Science – Green Trail
See you at the next event.
Nathalie Zegarra
Paint without Poison
If you are a homeowner or just renting something we all do is paint our house. Most people think about the color they would like and nothing else. They don’t think about the company they are buying the product from, or how the paint is made, or even what chemicals it may contain, and whether these are harmful to your health.
Sound familiar?
Take for instance Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC). These compounds are solvents that are found in most paints and are emitted through fluids such as paints, varnishes, cleaning liquids, disinfectants, which all release organic compounds. These compounds have proven to be a public health hazard, and are a contributing factor to the ozone.
At d2e we think it’s important to question how sustainable your paint products really are, for this reason we have compiled a list of sustainable paint companies for your home.
Old Fashioned Milk paint contains only natural ingredients. The milk paint is made from milk protein, clay, earth pigments and lime. It is biodegradable and comes in 20 colors. It contains no VOC’s or harmful toxics whatsoever.
What makes Aura paints eco-friendly is that when it dries, it releases only one third as much in VOC then your regular paints. Aura features something called Colorlock which means it has full washability in all sheens, and has minimal odor, and one hour recoat time. Best part is these are available in 3,300 colors.
This company is run by Meredith Erinson was one of the first companies in the U.S that makes natural clay paints. These paints contain no VOC’s. Sustainability for this company comes for the shared responsibility of choosing premium raw materials to produce a product that does not harm the environment or the household in which it is used.
Green Planet Paints does not contain petroleum, in fact their paints are Soy-based and contain waterborne alkyd resins. Since it is a small company they produce small batches of customized paints so that the waste is minimal.
They have paints for both interiors and exteriors, what makes this company sustainable is it’s use of clay paints, milk paint and lime plaster finishes. They have both low VOC, and zero VOC paints. As part of their theme on sustainability they feature natural colors for the home which can be viewed on their website. These paints are Green Seal certified and are a non-profit organization setting standard for environmentally responsible products.
All of Mythic Paints are low VOC’s their paint is both sustainable, and still has high performance. Their patented technology is scientifically formulated to offer qualities of water-based paints without the need for toxic solvents. This is what avoids the bad smell. Their paint does not contain lead, mercury, formaldehyde, or other known toxic materials.
Until next week!
Nathalie Zegarra
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