Recycled Computer Keyboard Wall Tiles Image Credit: © Sarah Frost

Season’s greetings and welcome back for another edition of our weekly green news highlights. This week: Ian Somerhalder’s passionate plea to Congress to protect endangered species and prevent extinction; Ford announces the Focus Electric 2012, the first five-passenger, all electric vehicle (EV); and recycled art decorates walls with old keyboards.

Ford announced yesterday that “their world-class Michigan Assembly Plant is starting production of the 2012 Focus Electric, expected to be the first five-passenger, all-electric car to achieve more than a 100 miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe) fuel efficiency rating.”  With the Focus Electric battery recharging in a little over 3 hours using a 240 volt charging station, cutting in half the charging time of the 2012 Nissan Leaf.   “Focus Electric is designed to offer enough range to cover the majority of daily driving habits of Americans. It’s expected 100 MPGe is better than Chevrolet Volt and all electric vehicles with seating for five. Faster charging with 240 volts also can extend range as drivers can more quickly recharge between stops – up to 30 miles per charge hour – so they can more than double the vehicle’s range with multiple charging stops during a busy day of driving.” 

Another benefit is Ford’s environmentally-friendly Michigan Assembly Plant. “Renewable energy collected by the solar panels directly feeds the energy-efficient microgrid, helping power the plant. When the plant is inactive, such as holidays, the stored solar energy will provide power during periods of insufficient or inconsistent sunlight.”  The plant is also equipped with “10 electric vehicle charging stations that recharge the electric switcher trucks that transport parts between adjacent facilities – saving an estimated 86,000 gallons of gas a year.”

In 2011, the Western Black Rhino, a prized African species, became extinct.  Vampire Diaries Actor and animal rights activist Ian Somerhalder wrote an article for the Huffington Post which included his own plea to congress to reauthorize the Multinational Species Conservation Funds. He asked the disturbing question: “who will join the extinction list in 2012?” Apparently elephants, tigers, rhinos, great apes, and marine turtles are all at risk of joining the extinction list.
 
Somerhalder explains “The House of Representatives is currently stalling on a bill that would reauthorize funds to protect all of the aforementioned animals, a bill that has received strong bi-partisan support for over 14 years. This should be an easy choice.“  Agreed, wildlife conservation should be a priority especially when we are talking about saving millions of animals.  He goes on to say “And, for every dollar spent by the U.S. government for these conservation funds between 2006 and 2010, the program raised two dollars in matching funds from private or international donors, making this a very sound investment of taxpayer dollars. Even eliminating the program altogether would only save $19 million over the next ten years: a mere drop in the bucket compared to our national debt of $15 trillion.”  An excellent point, $19 million is a tiny crumb in the $15 trillion US national debt pie.  Please click here to pledge your support and send a letter to Congress.

Sarah Frost has created something really unique by recycling and upcycling computer keyboards into entire walls tiled with old keyboard keys.  Frost states, “My work examines our culture through the collection of its remains, such as discarded consumer objects. Rather than making representations to create an art object, I accumulate cast-off objects that already exist. I choose them for their history, evidence of use and what they imply about their users. I then re-present these items in a different form and context for a particular site. I find the traces of the personal left on these objects – evidence of habits, experience, emotion and personal taste – poignant in the absence of their owners and any further use.”  What an amazing sentiment behind her inspiration for upcycling genius.  I look forward to seeing more of Sarah Frost’s work.

Will you be considering a Focus Electric Vehicle in 2012?  How about joining Ian Somerhalder’s plight to protect endangered species?  Stay tuned for more green news.
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