Green living today: shipping container homes, sustainable Christmas trees and American cities running out of water

Green living news and features from around the web:

Green living in an amazing shipping container home (Greenpacks): “More than 70% of the materials used for the house are recycled – bringing the cost of one square foot to a mere $100!  The shipping containers that form the house are individually paneled in cedar wood over a steel frame shipping container. The windows are doubled glazed and filled with argon. The bathroom is slate and interiors bamboo.  The house arrives almost 95% prefabricated, and can be set up with all of the necessary installations in less than two weeks.”

Christmas trees become more sustainable (Construction Digital): “Homeowners in the Los Angeles area can choose to rent a living tree. The Living Christmas Company delivers rented live, locally-grown potted trees to your home. After the holidays, you need only take off the ornaments and tinsel and they pick up the tree and return it to the nursery to thrive until the holiday season the following year.”

Recycled paper clamshells wrap your remains to go (Greenopolis): “…Some coffins … are made from chipboard or MDF and contain formaldehyde and other environmental pollutants, which eventually leach into the ground.  That's why one company designed a coffin from long-fiber recycled paper - to bring a new level of green to funeral industry. The line of coffins (and urns) from DanCof, in Denmark, is a durable, lightweight, and practical solution to reducing our need for trees to bury our dead, by re-using a resource that's already had one life - paper pulp.”

The ten biggest American cities that are running out of water (24/7 Wall St): “The water problem is worse than most people realize, particularly in several large cities which are occasionally low on water now and almost certainly face shortfalls  in a few years. This is particularly true if the change in global weather patterns substantially alters rainfall amounts in some areas of the US.”

Green gadget: pedal powered food processor (Energy Digital): “Thetard’s design uses the power of the human leg to propel the energy created from typical, electric power food processers into a flywheel stylishly housed in a wooden case. The uses are endless for this eco-friendly device, with attachments in various sizes and shapes to simulate traditional kitchen utensils and accessories including a coffee grinder, blender and more. While a bit like living in Amish country, this non-electric addition to the kitchen is sure to suspend most conversations.”

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