Heritage Belt by Tanner Goods

“Buy It For Life” means acquiring and using products that are built to last a lifetime. Amidst the thousands of disposable goods and cheaply-constructed gadgets that provide continual fuel for consumerism, there remain some products that promise enduring excellence. The movement to embrace high-quality, long-lasting goods promotes less consumption, less waste, and (often) less money spent in the long run.

Buy It For Life products don’t have to be purchased brand new; in fact, many are purchased secondhand or inherited. During times when the Buy It For Life concept was culturally pervasive, products were crafted with greater care and more durable materials. Though the initial investment may have been higher, products like these were meant to outlast their purchasers. Some were discarded even though they had plenty of life left, but many survived and remain useful today.

Buy It For Life: Cast Iron Pan

Cast iron cookware from the mid-20^th century is one example of the Buy It For Life philosophy. Cast iron has been used in cooking for hundreds of years; its practicality and endurance have been proven. Even when cooking shifted from the open flame to the stovetop, cast iron remained useful in new forms such as the flat-bottomed skillet. Cast iron skillets produced by companies such as Wagner and Griswold during the 1950s are still in use today. An eBay search for vintage cast iron cookware reveals a thriving market for these old pots and pans. The reliability and quality of Buy It For Life items never becomes obsolete.

Brand new products from young companies rarely qualify as Buy It For Life because they aren’t time-tested. Buy It For Life relies upon history and reputation. Lifetime warranties help but are not necessary. Price is not the most important criterion, though overall value matters because Buy It For Life products are meant for practical use; they are not museum pieces.

We will be featuring Buy It For Life products on our review site Reactual.

Economists Doug Mitarotonda and Ahmad Faruqui of The Brattle Group recently teamed up with economists at Global Energy Partners to study and forecast American energy consumption. Their surprising conclusion is that the United States will be consuming 5-15% less electricity by 2020.

In a white paper describing their research, the economists term the upcoming era of energy efficiency one of “integrated demand-side management (iDSM)”. iDSM posits that utility companies will make use of tiered pricing and other monetary incentives in order to coax customers into using less electricity. iDSM also takes into account the growing number of energy-efficient appliances hitting the market as well as the trend of greater consumer awareness of personal energy usage. The scientists predict these factors will result in lower American energy consumption across the board.

There is no doubt that appliances are becoming more efficient and that demand-control mechanisms like tiered pricing can incentivize consumers to curtail their electricity usage. The upcoming white paper cites results from a survey of 50 energy experts to back its prediction. But skepticism is understandable. American demand for energy has always consistently grown.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration’s International Energy Outlook 2011 predicts around a 20% rise in global energy demand by 2020. Non-OECD nations will be responsible for most of this growth, but OECD nations are still forecasted to contribute to—not counteract—increased demand.

Additionally, the investment in and proliferation of energy-saving appliances—which have higher initial costs to consumers—may remain sluggish in the absence of strong economic growth.

The small town of Mutriku in the Basque region of Spain is the first in the world to open a commercial wave power plant. The Basque government energy agency Ente Vasco de la Energía (EVE) debuted its €2.3 million ($3.1 million) project in July. The project is funded by taxes. It is estimated that the wave power plant will produce about 300 kilowatts, enough to provide 10% of Mutriku’s energy needs. Voith and Siemens provided the 16 columns as part of a joint venture.Wave energy technology has been produced on an experimental scale for years, and several methods have been tried. There have been underwater turbines that are driven by water like wind turbines are driven by wind, and there have been systems where a rising and falling buoy drives a piston. The power plant at Mutriku employs another approach: 16 oscillating water columns.

Here’s how the technology works. The 16 hollow columns are installed on a breakwater in the city’s bay. Each column is open to the water below sea level. As the waves rise, the air inside each column (above sea level) is compressed and forced out of a small opening at the top. This pressurized stream of air spins a turbine, which in turn drives an alternator to produce electricity. As the waves recede, the pressure inside the column drops, drawing a stream of air through the same upper opening and providing another impetus for spinning the turbine. No water comes into contact with the turbines during the process.

Oscillating Wave Column

Wells Tubine For Harnessing Wave Power

The bay at Mutriku should provide plenty of wave energy. The local harbor has been beset by rough waters for years, and plans to update the breakwater system were well underway when the idea of integrating a wave power station arose. The oscillating water column technology was a good fit with the established breakwater blueprint.

Catalina Island is the only place in California where the number and size of road-going motor vehicles is regulated by law. For residents of the island who want to bring a personal car, this means signing up at the bottom of a 14-year waiting list. Tourists are not permitted to ferry a vehicle from the mainland, even for temporary use. These policies keep the total car count below 1,000.

Because the principal settlement and center of activity, Avalon, is only about one square mile in size, walking works in most situations. Visitors in need of luggage help find hotel shuttle and taxi services readily available. There are two trolley routes within Avalon, and vans and shuttle buses are available for charter trips outside the city. Golf carts are a popular way of making short trips as well as exploring the mountainous area of the island’s interior. Bicycles are another reliable option.

Catalina Island lies 22 miles off the coast of California near Los Angeles. This 76-square mile escape has two major settlements: the main city of Avalon (about 4,000 permanent residents) and the town of Two Harbors (about 300 permanent residents). Around one million tourists arrive via boat or helicopter each year. Popular activities include hiking, mountain biking, camping, snorkeling, scuba diving, parasailing, and bus and boat tours.

Most of the island is controlled by the Catalina Island Conservancy, a non-profit organization that attempts to preserve Catalina’s natural beauty and ecosystem. Despite this, the beach at Avalon is listed on the Natural Resources Defense Council’s list of the 10 most chronically polluted American beaches. The city’s century-old sewage system is to blame; its clay and metal pipes have deteriorated to the point that they no longer contain much of the human waste produced. The sewage that escapes the plumbing system enters the groundwater and finds its way to the coast. The waters appear pristine, but water quality tests tell another story.

Over the summer, the city of Avalon is launched at $5.1-million project to address the problem—the latest effort in a series of measures taken over the last decade.

An article on Catalina Island

Official Site: Catalina Island

Biking on M-185 -- the only US state highway with no motorized vehicles

Mackinac Island lies between the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan within the Straights of Mackinac, a strip of water separating the peninsulas as well as connecting the Great Lakes of Huron and Michigan. This 3.8-square mile island is part of the state of Michigan and has evolved from a strategic commercial and military center into a modern resort with National Historic Landmark status.

One fascinating feature of Mackinac Island is its car-free policy. The ban on motor vehicles began in the late 19^th century, and exceptions are made only for emergency vehicles, service vehicles, and snowmobiles. Residents and tourists get around via horse-drawn carriage, bicycle, and foot travel. Outside of downtown, roller skates and inline skates are also permitted. Encircling the island is an eight-mile car-free highway, and crisscrossing roads are also in place.

Getting to Mackinac means taking a ferry, private boat, or small plane. In winter, snowmobiles can traverse the frozen water between the mainland and the island.

Covering 80% of the island is Mackinac Island State Park. The park provides a cost-free and quiet respite where visitors can enjoy a variety of plants and wildlife. The conservation efforts of the park are a major reason why cars have remained prohibited. In downtown, the absence of motor vehicles boosts the charm and authenticity of the historic architecture.

When summer comes, the island’s 600 permanent residents are joined by a daily swell of over 10,000 tourists. Popular attractions include art galleries, War of 1812 battle reenactment, Lilac Festival (June), lighthouse, hiking, sailing, horseback tours, shopping, and sampling the famous local fudge. Another prominent attraction is the Grand Hotel, a 385-room lodge with the world’s largest porch (660 feet) and a 500,000-gallon swimming pool.

Find out more on the official website of Mackinac Island.

A 600-station bike sharing system is slated to debut during the summer of 2012 in New York City. The network of 10,000 bicycles is being set up in Manhattan and Brooklyn, and future expansion into Queens, Staten Island, and the Bronx is possible. New York City Bike Share is privately sponsored and operated. The NYC Department of Transportation regulates site selection and participates in community outreach, but the funding and operation is managed by Alta Bicycle Share.

The Bixi Bikes To Be Used In NYC Bike Sharing

Here’s how it will work: All of the 600 stations will have a kiosk with touch-screen interface, a map of the entire system, and a row of locked bicycles. Stations will be solar-powered and open 24 hours a day. You’ll have to be a member to unlock a bike. Registered members sign up online and are issued a key fob to unlock a bike. Casual members sign up using the station touch screen and are given a code to unlock a bike. Riders can return their rentals to any NYC station with an available space.

Membership and usage fees have not yet been determined. Expect a tiered membership fee structure as well as a tiered hourly usage fee structure.

New York City has created a webpage where visitors can suggest station sites for the bike share system. The page is already loaded with hundreds of suggested sites. Throughout 2011 and 2012, Alta Bicycle Share will be hosting press conferences and demonstrations in an effort solicit feedback as the project proceeds. Check out their News page for updates.

Here’s a video introducing the program:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Images via: Downtown From Behind

When the largest economy in the European Union derives 20% of its energy from renewable sources, it is a milestone worthy of international attention. Germany’s renewable energy consumption jumped 2.5% within the last year, sending the total consumption of green power in that country to 20.8%. Since 2000, Germany’s use of renewable energy has increased 15 percentage points.

Driving this change is government action. After the Fukushima nuclear disaster, the German government reversed its policy of supporting nuclear power and declared it would work to phase out all of its nuclear energy by 2022. Along with the demotion of nuclear power, there has been a promotion of renewable power via a feed-in tariff mechanism. Germany’s feed-in tariff was established in 2000 under the Renewable Energy Sources Act. The Act encourages investment in renewable energy by providing companies with long-term contracts and defraying the higher implementation costs green technologies require.

The majority of German citizens support the increased taxes needed to finance feed-in tariffs. Germany plans to achieve 35% renewable electricity use by 2020.

Solar power has become the driving force in the growth of renewable energy in Germany. Solar’s 3.5% of total electricity production is 76% higher than it was last year, and solar now produces more renewable energy than hydropower. The bulk of German green energy is generated by wind and biomass sources.

There is some conflict over the growing infrastructure of German renewable electricity, which will require over 1,800 miles of new power lines by 2025 as well as new sites for windmills and solar panels. Despite their comfort with financing these projects, German citizens are not keen on seeing them built in their back yards.

The wave of interest in solar power across Europe has now touched Greece, and in a big way. The Mediterranean country of over ten million inhabitants plans to construct Earth’s biggest solar farm. Estimated to cost €600 million ($822 million), the project will cover 1,285 acres of depleted coal mines in the northern city of Kozani.

Greece remains in the midst of financial crisis, with high unemployment and monumental debt. Hoping to spur economic growth and create jobs, Greece is seeking an outside investor for its state-run solar project. Investment in renewable energy is a key long-term strategy Greece is using to lift itself out of a years-long recession.

The solar project at Kozani will also lesson Greece’s dependence on lignite coal, a heavily-polluting energy source that accounts for about half of Greece’s generated electricity.

Total output of the completed solar installation is estimated to be 200 megawatts (MW). Germany is expressing interest in purchasing some of the new Greek solar power. The German government is actively trying to step away from nuclear power and is seeking alternatives to energy sources from politically unstable countries. Greek Prime Minister Georges Papandreou promised 10,000 to 15,000 MW of solar energy to Germany in a recent press conference. Papandreou will visit Germany later in the month to formally discuss the issue with German leadership.

There is also talk of a joint Greek-German project to build up to 49,400 acres of photovoltaic farms at a cost of €20 billion ($27.4 billion). This ambitious project would produce anywhere from 30,000 to 60,000 jobs in struggling Greece.

The world in 2010 added 16 gigawatts of new solar power, a number that is expected to be surpassed by the sum of 2011 projects.

A recently-published study by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) ranks the top 20 cities where going car-free will save the most money. Number 14 on the list is Washington, DC, which has nearly 200,000 car-less households already.

The APTA’s report claims that the average DC resident would save $10,282 per year in transportation-related costs by giving up his or her vehicle and traveling solely via public transport. The APTA considered up-to-date gas prices, parking rates, and bus and train fares in its calculations. The annual figure equates to around $857 per month in savings.

The $857 in monthly savings takes into account car payments, insurance, repairs, fuel, and parking fees. If you think that number is on the high side, consider the $1,218 monthly cost of owning a private vehicle in the first city on the list: New York. Rounding out the top five are Boston ($1,127), San Francisco ($1,095), Seattle ($999), and Chicago ($978).

The study provides us with some idea of the high and often hidden costs of owning and operating a personal vehicle. Car pools, trains, buses, taxis, bicycles, and walking are just some of the many alternatives with the potential to save significant money. But the convenience and necessity of a car are inarguable facts for many individuals, and it is difficult to put a price tag on these things.

The American Public Transportation Association is a non-profit organization that actively promotes the use of public transport in the United States.