Image by Danilo Rizzuti

Upon first hearing the term “passive house,” one might think, “Aren’t all houses passive?” I mean, they do just kind of sit there. They don’t really make a scene or step on any toes. In reality, the homes we live in are often inflicting some kind of footprint onto the environment with high energy consumption. The U.S. Energy Information Administration states buildings are responsible for 48% of greenhouse gas emissions each year and that 76% of all electricity generated by power plants in the United States goes towards the building sector.

A passive house, on the other hand, seeks to conserve energy, while also functioning as a livable home. PassiveHouse.us says:

“A Passive House is a very well-insulated, virtually air-tight building that is primarily heated by passive solar gain and by internal gains from people, electrical equipment, etc. Energy losses are minimized. Any remaining heat demand is provided by an extremely small source. Avoidance of heat gain through shading and window orientation also helps to limit any cooling load, which is similarly minimized. An energy recovery ventilator provides a constant, balanced fresh air supply. The result is an impressive system that not only saves up to 90% of space heating costs, but also provides a uniquely terrific indoor air quality.”

Or, in other words, it’s a building which follows the German Passivhaus standard for energy efficiency, one which focuses on reducing its ecological footprint resulting in ultra-low energy for heating and cooling. The U.S. is taking interest in this standard, however slowly. As of 2010, there were under 20 houses in the U.S., but across the global map there are around 25,000.

Inhabitat reposted an article on their Facebook and Twitter pages of an amazing Williamsburg, NY passive house above a creative shop. The space had been transformed from a standard Brooklyn apartment to a modern, energy efficient home, and the effects are quite stunning. A family in Utah also completed the project last year, to suit their family’s needs. The family bungalow is now an open, welcoming area, perfect for entertaining. See more at OurPassiveHouse.org.

For more information on the passive house movement, visit the Passive House Institute website as well as Passipedia – there is a wiki for everything. And now, more photos!

Researchers at the Woods Hole Research Center, the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Geological Survey created the map pictured above, an inventory of the United States’ concentrations of biomass. The darkest greens on the map show areas with the densest and most robust forest growth.

According to the NASA Earth Observatory, the map provides perhaps the most detailed “view of forest structure and carbon storage ever assembled for any country.”

The purpose of the map is to take an accurate, current inventory of the nation’s forests in order to know how best to manage and preserve forests.

Trees fill our air with oxygen. They provide shade on sunny days, prevent erosion and slow a harsh wind. They provide us with raw materials, food, medicines and more. What actions have you made in your daily life to protect our forests?

Over the Knee Socks-Mod Stripe

This week’s eco-Monday gift is a true stocking stuffer! The Over the Knee Socks-Mod Stripe make a colorful, fun gift for the person on your holiday list who enjoys cute, warm gifts like this.

The sock colors are subtle but bright enough to make everyone break out into a big grin when they see you strutin’ your stuff. They are cozy and very comfortable to wear, and they are made with ECO2cotton by In2green (recycled cotton from pre-consumer textile table cutting waste). The original material is refiberized and spun back into yarns! The bonus is the innovative colors that are achieved thorough this absolutely unique process. Of course, these socks are also made in the USA.

Bamboo Dreams Ribbed Bath Towels

Save cash this holiday season by winning your gifts! Through November 17th, enter to win two Bamboo Dreams ribbed bath towels in the color pewter.

These beautiful towels will make you feel like you are in your very own home spa. They are wonderfully absorbent and very durable.

Organic Bug has them available in a variety of sizes including:

Bamboo Dreams Lightweight PashBu in Sky

The Bamboo Dreams Lightweight Pashbu is one of our favorite accessories! It is that little, fashionable extra piece of clothing that goes well in many seasons and climates. It will add warmth on a brisk winter day when worn around your neck at a scarf. If the temperature is warmer and you’re heading out in your little black dress, drape it elegantly over your shoulders.

We’re having another GIVEAWAY!

Green Toys

With winning awards from, Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, Dr. Toys, and Fat Brian, Green Toys’ line of classic toys uses recycled plastic milk containers to make safe, eco-friendly children’s toys that do not contain phthalates or Bispenol-A (BPA), and meet FDA food contact standards. All that plus, they in turn save energy and reduce greenhouse gases. Being “green” also means doing business locally. All Green Toys Inc. operations are located within close proximity of one another in California, which helps reduce its carbon footprint by avoiding long transportation distances.

All Green Toys products are packaged in recycled corrugated boxes with no plastics, cellophane or twist-ties, and all the toys are 100% recyclable too. So, not only are they earth-friendly they are ready for your recycling bin. Made in the USA from Recycled Milk Jugs

Watch a video that highlights how Green Toys are made in an eco-friendly and healthy way!

Photo by Flickr User Theogeo

Over 50 percent of Americans drink coffee on a daily basis, and among those coffee drinkers, most drink three cups a day. It adds up to at least  330 million cups of coffee a day. That’s a lot of coffee grounds. While many people throw these grounds out in the garbage, doing so only sends them to a landfill where they will decompose and release methane, a greenhouse gas.

If you have a compost pile or are lucky enough to live in a green city like San Francisco that collects compost items with the recycling and garbage bins, the grounds can be composted. The grounds are very nutrient-rich for plants that thrive in acidic soils such as tomatoes and carrots.

Used coffee grounds can also be used in do-it-yourself beauty products. To create a face cleansing mask, mix coffee grounds with mashed up avocados. For your hair, rub coffee grounds through wet hair. Rinse well. The grounds should add shine and softness to your hair.

It is also believed that used coffee grounds can repel ants and other pests. Place the grounds near entry points in your house where the animals may be able to get in, or you can use the grounds in a garden where certain pests hang out.

Coffee grounds may also be used to scour dirty dishes and as a replacement for baking soda as a deodorizer in a refrigerator.

Mix the grounds in water to create a natural brown dye.

Another favorite tip is to sprinkle the grounds over fireplace ashes. When cleaning out the ashes, you will have much less dust.

Don’t drink coffee but still want to try some of these reuse options? Ask your local coffee vendor for grounds. Even chains like Starbucks have begun putting out their used coffee grounds in packages for customers to take free of charge.

Photo by Flickr User ProgressOhio

While on our side of the Atlantic, New York state is ready to lift the current ban on fracking in the state, the French government voted Saturday to outlaw hydraulic fracking. France became the first country to pass a law banning this environmentally damaging  method of extracting natural gas and oil from the ground. The law passed parliament with 176 Senators in favor and 151 against.

Fracking is a controversial method of extracting oil and gas by injecting a mixture of water, sand and chemicals under high pressure into dense rock to break the rock and release the oil and gas. Environmental groups vehemently oppose the practice, saying it causes severe damage to the environment.

Existing permits in France will be revoked, and those companies caught breaking the law will face harsh fines or imprisonment.

Oil companies in France strongly disagree with the ban. The Union Francaise des Industries Petrolieres, or UFIP, said in a statement that “the law will prevent an evaluation of shale hydrocarbon resources and their impact on the French economy.”

Photo by Flickr User Rev Stan

The concept of a living wall is quite simple. It is a vertical arrangement of plants and vegetation that is present on an indoor or outdoor wall in order to improve air quality. These walls may be used as an art exhibit, home decoration or for environmental reasons.

The environmental benefits of a living wall include:

• Improving air quality by reducing dust and oxygenating the air
• Providing food and shelter for outdoor wildlife
• Helping to reduce soil erosion
• Reducing wind speeds and thus reducing the amount of heat lost in a home

To build your own living wall, first decide whether you want an indoor or outdoor wall. Indoor living walls can significantly improve the air quality of a house or indoor space.

Choose plants that can adapt well to this type of environment as well as be able to filter out toxins. Some plants that perform this function well include:

Aloe Vera Plant

• Chinese Evergreen
• Aloe Vera
• Spider Plants
• Mums
• Golden Pothos
• Gerbera Daisy
• Common English Ivy

When deciding on the plants, also take into account whether the plants will be in direct sunlight, partial shade or complete shade and choose plants best suited for the environment of your wall.

If the wall is indoors, it is a good idea to set up a system for air circulation. This may be as simple as a wall or box fan to move the air around and through the wall, allowing the plants to filter new air.

Vines work well when planted at the top of the wall or near the bottom so they may climb up or work their way down the wall. Air plants may be attached to the wall, or plants that require soil can have their roots wrapped in moss or planted in soil shelves along the wall.

Once everything is planted, water, appropriate sunlight and patience are key to seeing the wall flourish.

Here is a link to 11 Incredible Living Walls located around the world!

The “A Billion Acts of Green” campaign saw an influx of green pledges last week for Earth Day. The goal of the campaign is to inspire individuals and organizations to perform green actions that support a reduction in carbon emissions and a sustainable way of life. It is sponsored by the Earth Day Network.

The Earth Day Network hopes to register one billion pledges before the 2012 Earth Summit, which is held in June 2012. There are just over 100 million pledges so far.

Some of the 100 million pledges include:

• “I pledge to fertilize my grass and plants using compost and not chemicals.”
• “I pledge to water my garden using rain barrel water.”
• “I pledge to recycle liquor bottles.”
• “I pledge to use paper carefully and make other people do this sincerely.”
• “I pledge to help one million children make rainbows of vegetables and fruits on their lunch trays every day at school.”
• “I pledge to switch off the tap while brushing.”
• “I pledge to take shorter showers.”
• “I pledge to lower my use of bottled water.”
• “I pledge to eat more local food.”
• “I pledge to eat a sustainable, healthy, pure vegetarian, vegan diet.”
• “I pledge to turn down the heat in the house every night.”

Have you made a pledge yet? What would your pledge be? Please post on our comments and record the pledge on the A Billion Acts of Green page.