You are currently browsing the category archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ category.
The “Warning Sign” T-shirt designed by Nien Lam and Sue Ngo (two students at NYU) detects above-average concentrations of carbon monoxide. The pink lungs flash blue when the sensors when the colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas is at a dangerous level.
HAT TIP: ecouterre.com
Governor Brian Schweitzer recently branded the word,‘VETO’ into Montana Senate Bill 109 (among several others) which would have greatly rolled back Montana’s renewable energy standard. Watch:
This is wonderful.
MNN (mother nature network) recently published the showing how each of the 50 states “shines and suffers in regard to science, nature, public health or social justice.” See how your state rates (click image for larger version):
Now we have yet another reason to support stricter emissions standards: A recent University of Southern California study demonstrates that freeway pollution (tiny particles made up of burning fossil fuel and worn pavement and car parts) causes significant brain damage in mice. The damage appears similar to the kind that causes memory loss and Alzheimers and researchers think that humans are likely to suffer similarly. Especially children.
NOTE: In the coming election(s), please help defeat House and Senate Republicans who oppose strengthening emissions standards (make that “help defeat anyone who opposes strengthening emissions standards).
HAT TIP: reuters.com.
Richard Branson is at it again. Over the course of 2011 and 2012, the recently unveiled Virgin Oceanic one-person sub will journey to the deepest part of each of Earth’s five oceans.
Scientists from Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the University of Southern California, the University of Hawaii and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute are partnering with Mr. Branson on this unique and exciting expedition. The first dive will be to the deepest place on the planet: the bottom of the Mariana Trench – 11 kilometers (7 mi) straight down. Details at www.virginoceanic.com.
With the mantra of “Curating with a Conscience” the design- and socially savvy bunch at Holstee have created an online shop featuring some of the most innovative sustainable creations from around the world. From cool wallets made from upcycled plastic bags collected from the streets of Delhi, to stainless steel water bottles that benefit international efforts to increase the availability of clean water… Holstee offers a variety of brilliantly designed items that reward organizations employing fair working conditions, using progressive materials and production procedures, and distribution methods that minimize impact on the environment. Plus, 10% of all sales at Holstee are used to empower entrepreneurs in the developing world through micro-lending programs. Go Holstee!
Vintage Japanese poster. Speaks for itself:
Day jobs have a way of compromising our efforts to realize our artistic/environmental ambitions and well, um, you know. Which brings us to Matthew Moore and the Digital Farm Collective. Uncompromising. And humbling. Take five minutes and thirty-one seconds and watch. It could change your view of, well – everything:
Environmental dilemma department:
The tea party movement has announced it wants to cut the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) by 90%. But hunters depend on land provided by the CRP for game birds such as pheasants and grouse (without protected land, they can’t survive).
So what’s a gun-owning, tea party hunter to do? And if you’re anti-hunting, where do you stand?
HAT TIP and more info: treehugger.com
As you know, we’re big advocates of locally sourced food, and it doesn’t get much more local than your back yard. So if you’re one of those considering keeping a chicken or two to provide fresh eggs, we found a coop design we just had to crow about. The nogg transcends ideas of what a chicken house usually looks like, and is beautifully built out of ecologically sound cedar.
We’ve posted about tidal electricity generators in the past, but just found out about this innovative project in Wales that looks and operates like an underwater windmill. Each unit has two rotors mounted like wings to a large column that is anchored to the sea floor. The rotors drive a generator in a manner similar to a wind turbine. Each rotor can be pitched up to 180 degrees to harness both the ebb and flow of the tide. Should the rotors need maintenance or repair, the whole assembly can be moved up the column above sea level. Very cool.
HAT TIP/MORE INFO: earthtechling.com
Nokero (which stands for “no kerosene”) manufactures solar-powered light bulbs designed primarily for the hundreds of millions of people in developing countries who have little or no electricity and get their light from kerosene lamps (a fire and air pollution hazard).
When you donate a Nokero N200 to the recovery effort in Japan, the company will match the donation, 1-for-1. Check the website – nokero.com – and, if you live in earthquake or tornado or hurricane or even camping country, consider a couple of bulbs for yourself (the N200 delivers 6-plus hours on a one-day’s charge).
The problem with current solar technology is that is only works half the time. That is to say, only when the sun is out. Well, scientists at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have just announced that they’ve created a new, high-efficiency solar cell that is able to convert virtually all of the solar spectrum, which means it even works in near total darkness. Even better, it can be manufactured using low-cost processes that are currently in use.
HAT TIP: http://cleantechnica.com
In an article titled, “Can Nuclear Energy Be Green,” metaefficient.com describes thorium technology, developed in the 1950s and considered safe, cheap, and efficient. On the plus side:
• Thorium reactors are self-regulated and there is no need to worry about accidents or a meltdown. If anything should go wrong, the system shuts down without need for a coolant system. Being already in a molten state, a thorium reactor could not sustain a meltdown.
• Some reports claim that thorium is 20 times cheaper than coal.
• Add plutonium to the mix – or any other radioactive actinide – and the thorium fuel process will actually incinerate these elements. In short, a thorium reactor could also act as a waste disposal plant for some of humanity’s most heinous toxic waste.
On the negative side:
• According to the EPA, thorium has very low levels of naturally-occurring radiation that could pose risks to those who work with it.
For a more comprehensive look at thorium technology, visit cosmosmagazine.
The following commercial was produced by PolluterHarmony, the No.1 matchmaking site for polluters, industry lobbyists, & politicians!
(FYI: P-Harmony is a project of Greenpeace).
HAT TIP: www.mnn.com
Better him than us. Norwegian landscape photographer, Terje Sorgjerd, spent one long week around the Norway-Russia border in brutally cold weather to make this time-lapse video of the Aurora Borealis. Magnificent.
A Guardian UK article we came across last week explored the value of creating art based on environmental tragedy. Simon Stevens, spokesperson for Invisible Dust, a charity that commissions environmental artwork, believes that art is critical in helping us to focus our understanding of tragic events: “Art goes beyond the headlines, it gives you the space and the freedom to think without the commentary.” Read the whole article here.
The following letter appeared in Ode Magazine a week or so ago. It was written by a woman who has lived in Sendai, Japan, for the past 22 years. Her name is Anne Thomas (you can read a bit more about her at scribbler.ca. BTW, the image below was created by another friend, designer Jen Tanabe, who is using it (and other images) to raise money for Japan (you can find a link to her at www.hapahale.com).
Hello My Lovely Family and Friends,
First I want to thank you so very much for your concern for me. I am very touched.I also wish to apologize for a generic message to you all. But it seems the best way at the moment to get my message to you.
Things here in Sendai have been rather surreal. But I am very blessed to have wonderful friends who are helping me a lot. Since my shack is even
more worthy of that name, I am now staying at a friend’s home. We share supplies like water, food and a kerosene heater. We sleep lined up in one room,eat by candlelight, share stories. It is warm, friendly, and beautiful.
During the day we help each other clean up the mess in our homes. People sit in their cars, looking at news on their navigation screens, or line up toget drinking water when a source is open. If someone has water running in their home, they put out a sign so people can come to fill up their jugs and buckets.
Utterly amazingly where I am there has been no looting, no pushing in lines. People leave their front door open, as it is safer when an earthquake strikes. People keep saying, “Oh, this is how it used to be in the old days when everyone helped one another.”
Quakes keep coming. Last night they struck about every 15 minutes. Sirens are constant and helicopters pass overhead often. We got water for a few hours in our homes last night, and now it is for half a day. Electricity came on this afternoon. Gas has not yet come on. But all of this is by area. Some people have these things, others do not.
No one has washed for several days. We feel grubby, but there are so much more important concerns than that for us now. I love this peeling away of non-essentials. Living fully on the level of instinct, of intuition, of caring, of what is needed for survival, not just of me, but of the entire group.
There are strange parallel universes happening. Houses a mess in some places, yet then a house with futons or laundry out drying in the sun. People lining up for water and food, and yet a few people out walking their dogs. All happening at the same time.
Other unexpected touches of beauty are first, the silence at night. No cars. No one out on the streets. And the heavens at night are scattered with stars. I usually can see about two, but now the whole sky is filled.
The mountains of Sendai are solid and with the crisp air we can see them silhouetted against the sky magnificently.
And the Japanese themselves are so wonderful. I come back to my shack to check on it each day, now to send this e-mail since the electricity is on, and I find food and water left in my entranceway. I have no idea from whom, but it is there. Old men in green hats go from door to door checking to see if everyone is OK. People talk to complete strangers asking if they to see if everyone is OK. People talk to complete strangers asking if they need help. I see no signs of fear. Resignation, yes, but fear or panic, no.
They tell us we can expect aftershocks, and even other major quakes, for another month or more. And we are getting constant tremors, rolls, shaking, rumbling. I am blessed in that I live in a part of Sendai that is a bit elevated, a bit more solid than other parts. So far this area is better off than others.
Last night my friend’s husband came in from the country, bringing food and water. Blessed again.
Somehow at this time I realize from direct experience that there is indeed an enormous cosmic evolutionary step that is occurring all over the world right at this moment. And somehow as I experience the events happening now in Japan, I can feel my heart opening very wide. My brother asked me if I felt so small because of all that is happening. I don’t. Rather, I feel as part of something happening that much larger than myself. This wave of birthing (worldwide) is hard, and yet magnificent.
Thank you again for your care and Love of me,
With Love in return, to you all.
TODAY’S THOUGHT STARTER from treehugger.com:
“We don’t have decades to quarrel about the potential acceptability of adding nuclear power sources unless we want to ensure turning the oceans of the world into acid and making the earth uninhabitable for hundreds of thousands of years. A mix of fast-tracked energy solutions are needed. Many of these will be renewables. For the long term, for baseline power, nuclear capacity must be expanded. The Japanese lesson is to do it better. Plenty of butts need a hard kicking before society comes to grips with this. The times are changing. Everything needs to be re-framed because of climate change and ocean acidification (these are separate but related issues).”
On the other hand (from www.greenpeace.org):
We need an energy system that can fight climate change, based on renewable energy and energy efficiency. Nuclear power already delivers less energy globally than renewable energy, and the share will continue to decrease in the coming years. Despite what the nuclear industry tells us, building enough nuclear power stations to make a meaningful reduction in greenhouse gas emissions would cost trillions of dollars, create tens of thousands of tons of lethal high-level radioactive waste, contribute to further proliferation of nuclear weapons materials, and result in a Chernobyl-scale accident once every decade. Perhaps most significantly, it will squander the resources necessary to implement meaningful climate change solutions.
What to do, what to do? Consider this from the Vancouver Sun:
Uranium stocks tanked last week, an indication that the nuclear industry now faces an increasingly tough sell. Coal stocks, on the other hand, took off. What’s the worry? Burning more coal to produce electricity poses a greater threat to your health than the radiation released by the three worst nuclear accidents combined -Three Mile Island, Chernobyl and Fukushima. It’s estimated by some risk analysts that for nuclear power to be as dangerous as burning coal, you’d need 25 meltdowns a year.
………………………………………………………………………………….
Okay, stay tuned while we try to figure this out (i.e., more on the subject as weeks go by).
Apparently, most Japanese wind turbines are fully operational after the recent 9.0 earthquake. The Huffington Post reports that even a semi-offshore wind farm in Kamisu survived despite being located close to the epicenter of the massive earthquake. In fact, electric companies “have asked wind farm owners to step up operations as much as possible in order to make up for shortages in the eastern part of the country.”
Now you can go off-grid without sacrificing the convenience of plugging-in. Developed by Bourne Energy of Mailbu, California, the Backpack Power Plant is a human-portable hydroelectric generator (it weighs about 30 pounds) and can generate up to 500 watts of clean, quiet power from any stream at least 4 feet deep.
With the growth of the global economy over the last decade, the shipping industry has increasingly contributed to carbon emissions around the planet. Fortunately there are companies like Eco Marine Power (EMP), a ship builder that designs greener power & propulsion solutions for ships and vessels that dramatically reduce fossil fuel consumption. Among their most innovative products, a “solar sail” that captures both wind and solar energy.
And now, climate update from Sean Pool at Science Progress:
House Republicans on the Energy and Commerce Committee demonstrated their commitment to science denial Wednesday by unanimously voting down three separate amendments offered by Democrats to reaffirm basic facts about climate science. They then unanimously voted to pass the Upton-Inhofe bill to repeal the Environmental Protection Agency’s scientific endangerment finding on greenhouse pollution. Rep. Edward J. Market (D-Mass.) comments:
Sponsored by the Dutch Flower Council to “celebrate the popularity of houseplants in France,” a series of self-contained “bubble gardens” have been popping on the streets of Paris this winter.
HAT TIP: The Atlantic
Mercy Corps is helping provide emergency assistance to earthquake survivors in Japan with its longstanding partner, Peace Winds. Visit mercycorps.org to make a donation.
NOTE: Over the last five years, Mercy Corps has used 88% of its resources for programs that help people in need.
Max Erdenberger, a designer at Wieden + Kennedy in Portland, Oregon, created this brilliantly simple screen-printed poster to help send Japan relief. You can choose how much you want to donate in exchange for the poster, starting at $25. Click here to donate.
HAT TIP: www.good.is
Apple is accepting donations to the American Red Cross’ Japan earthquake and tsunami relief fund through its iTunes Store. Donations can be made in amounts of $5, $10, $25, $50, $100 and $200. According to iTunes, 100% of donations go to the Red Cross.
HAT TIP: Los Angeles Times
Retired engineer John Howe of Maine has decided to live his golden years off the grid. But he’s not one to sit around playing crosswords. In this video he shares his thoughts on alternative energy and communal farming, and shows off his remarkable solar powered creations.
We love bikes. And we love “Pinch” – the coolest bike stand we’ve ever seen. Designed to take advantage of the natural spring available from a special fabrication process, the two halves of Pinch use the weight of your bicycle to firmly lock the rear wheel into place.
For many artists, the inspiration for the art comes from the blank canvas. For artist Jim Denevan, the frozen surface of Siberia’s Lake Baikal presents a shifting, snow-blanketed canvas for his unique brand of art: massive geometrical patterns carved into the earth.
If you’re having trouble seeing all that’s right with the world, try looking some iwood frames. These beautiful frames are lovingly hand crafted from reclaimed woods formerly used to decorate the interiors of private luxury jets. Each pair of sunglasses is meticulously sanded by hand in Louisville Kentucky, and are Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified and harvested by sustainable methods.
This poster was originally published by Leeds Postcards. If you’re lucky, you might find one on e-bay.
Toronto cyclists have been receiving envelopes with five dollars inside, along with a note thanking them for their “very courageous effort(s) bringing cleaner air to (the city).” The notes are signed by the legendary “Anonymous.” More on the story at www.good.com.
Designer Gary Harvey designed this show-stopper for last year’s Fashion Week in New York City. The upcycled gown was created using thirty copies of the Financial Times.
Hat Tip: ecouterre.com
The Global Oneness Project produces films, media and educational materials which explore how the simple notion of interconnectedness can be lived in today’s complex world. Here’s a trailer for their film, Elemental.
UK-based researchers James Auger and Jimmy Loizeau have developed a clock that gets its energy from organic matter. The device uses a conveyor belt of sticky flypaper to trap flies and deliver them to a fuel cell that uses carcass-eating bacteria to convert the insects into electrical energy. Eight flies will keep the robot clock ticking for 12 days. Auger and Loizeau have also designed a mouse-eating coffee table.
If you’re single, looking for companionship, and working hard on behalf of the environment, we’ve got some good news for you. A researcher at the University of Nottingham has found that men and women consider altruism a major influence on who they mate with. Women, in particular, put do-gooders at the top of their wish list. Details at treehugger.com.
Solar panels are great, but nearly half of America’s electricity still comes from dirty, dirty coal. And we’re burning through it by the trainload. It takes a pound of coal just to keep your TV on for the evening. An original GOOD Video.
Much of the music on electronic composer Mark Preston’s album Nature & Design was inspired by a cross-country trip on which he visited national parks across the U.S. from Maine to Arizona. But Preston avoids nature sampling clichés and “taps into deeper emotions that transcend his sources.” Listen to a few samples at: electronica-bliss-with-mark-prestons-nature-design.
There’s cool, then there’s eco, then there’s e-cooler. Check out this beautifully designed cooling system built from a hollow ceramic tile that carries and transfers water. No electricity required.
Super colorful. Super cool. Super eco-friendly. The scooter has long been a favored mode of transportation for those fond of avoiding the typical pitfalls of urban driving (traffic, parking, expense), and now car-maker Mini is venturing into the solo transportation arena with their eco scooter.
Scamper has a bath in the White House fountain ill by M. Flack, originally uploaded by katinthecupboard
PRESIDENT’S DAY QUIZ
The U.S. president who created the Environmental Protection Agency also signed the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Endangered Species Act. Can you name him? Answer below.
ANSWER: uoxıu
The 19th Annual Environmental Film Festival hits the nation’s capital on March 15-27. Billed as a cinematic celebration of the natural world, this year’s event boasts over 150 films from 40 countries, many addressing the issue of energy and the environment. You can expect to see everything from indy documentaries like “Bag It” – the surprising story of a man who decides to stop using plastic bags at his local grocery story – to the spectacular 3D Imax movie Arabia. Tickets on sale now.
Bash the Trash Environmental Arts combines science, music, and environmental awareness through performances, educational programs and social initiatives. Here’s a videoverview:
Photographer/anthropologist Jose Carlos Meirelles works to protect the native population of Brazil – a culture that has been greatly threatened by illegal logging and mining. While he respects their desire to live a life sequestered from civilization, he believes that filming some of the Earth’s last undisturbed indigenous tribes is the only way to save them. See for yourself.
Montana state representative Joe Read is behind Montana House Bill Number 549 which states the following:
* Global warming is beneficial to the welfare and business climate of Montana.
* Reasonable amounts of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere have no verifiable impacts on the environment.
* Global warming is a natural occurrence and human activity has not accelerated it.
We have no comment.
We know, we know, it’s just another concept car, but the 2011 Volkswagen XL1 SEV (Super Efficient Vehicle) is just so cool we can only hope it might soon be a reality. Its carbon fiber shell keeps the vehicle incredibly light, so the plug-in diesel hybrid powertrain can not only deliver great performance, but insanely good mileage.
HAT TIP: motortrend.com
Still looking for that perfect Valentines Day gift? Give the gift of life – in a teeny, tiny, wearable planter. Proceed to colleenjordan.com.
The CO2 Factory Reminder Sticker is one of several stickers designed by Hu2 Design to remind you not to waste energy and switch off the light when you leave a room.
Each sticker is made from a PVC-FREE self-adhesive and is completely free of chlorine and plasticizers. Available at http://www.hu2.com/store/eco-reminders/co2-factory-wall-sticker.html.
Eco-logicalart is a unique art gallery/movement in Los Angeles. According to their sit: “By boldly re-envisioning the by-products of modern society, we are creating new & different Eco-Art. At the same time, we encourage consumers and institutions to be eco-logical citizens. Changing the value system — putting a social & dollar value on recycled materials — is our mission.” Check out their gallery at eco-logicalart.org.
Created as a collaboration between World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Ben Lee and Leo Burnett, “Space Monkey” carries a message about our planet, and features Ben Lee’s track, “Song for the Divine Mother of the Universe.”
NatureMill, originally uploaded by jbloom
Tired of schlepping your compostables out to the backyard? Now you don’t have to. Introducing the amazing Naturemill. This cool indoor composter lets features a unique two-chamber design that allows you process food waste any time, any day – up to 120 lbs. (55kg) per month. In return, you get a very concentrated compost fertilizer with a mild organic aroma. Perfect fertilizer for your garden.
PLEASE NOTE: Starting today, our blog will be published one day a week. Mondays only.
MillionTreesNYC is a citywide, public-private program that intends to plant and care for one million new trees across New York City’s five boroughs over the next decade. By planting one million trees, the city will increase its “most valuable environmental asset,” made up of street trees, park trees, and trees on public, private and commercial land—by an astounding 20%, while achieving the many quality-of-life benefits that come from an “urban forest.”
Calocybe gambosa (St George’s Mushroom) 9430, originally uploaded by wentloog.
The Easy-to-Grow Mushroom Garden brings sustainable, local farming to your windowsill.
The soil used for the mushrooms is 100% recycled coffee grounds, a safe and sustainable resource. The garden can produce up to 4 crops, each producing a pound of mushrooms in about ten days. To purchase, visit bttrventures.com.
HAT TIP: envirogadget.com
Re Climate Change & Your Pocketbook: Economist Paul Krugman attributes the recent spike in food prices to bad harvests resulting from abnormal weather. In particular, he cites growth in world population and a shortfall in grain harvests – especially in the former Soviet Union which is experiencing the longest, unprecedented heat wave in a thousand years. Read more at krugman.blogs.nytimes.com.
HAT TIP: dailydish
Today’s Friday Focus (we know, it’s Saturday. Sorry.) is all about Shipping and Handling. Don’t worry, there’s no extra charge.
It was a recent shipment from a well-known e-retailer that got us thinking about how wasteful packaging cane be. Case in point: the following thread from gizmodo, where users document, among other things, a single order of multiple batteries that arrived individually wrapped and boxed – and an order of 65 screws that arrived in 65 separate padded envelopes. What are these companies thinking??
Andrew Kim, a freshman at Detroit’s College for Creative Studies, created the Eco Coke Bottle for a mid-term project. The square bottle wastes very little space in shipping containers and on the shelf and is made using sugar cane byproducts that are 100% green.
The idea has received rave reviews from designers around the world. We hope Coca Cola is paying attention.
HAT TIP: inventorspot.com
Packaging makes up more than 30% of all consumer waste. Here’s an example. If you’d like to see more, visit treehugger.com.
You know all about the environment nightmare (and the frustrating static-clingyness) of the Styrofoam packing peanut. But have you heard about the packing mushroom? Mycobond, made from seed husks and mushroom roots, is an excellent substitute for the traditional form of foam packing. It takes far less energy to produce and it’s 100% biodegradable and home-compostable.
HAT TIP and more info at: ecovativedesign.com
Reggie the Eco Rocker is made from Ultraboard – a recycled paper product and a reminder that one solution to packaging excess is simply to re-use the package. Rock on. More about Reggie at ecorocker.co.uk.
HAT TIP: inhabitat
We found the e-tailer Better World Books through a search for companies who use environmentally-sound packing materials. But we discovered that BWB does a whole lot more than that. Not only do they offer FREE “Eco-Shipping” that takes about a week and includes a carbon offset program that covers emissions associated both with shipping and the company’s other operations and activities (!). They also collect and sell books to fund literacy initiatives worldwide. So far, the company has converted more than 53 million books into over $8.6 million in funding for literacy and education. (In the process, they’ve also diverted more than 26,000 tons of books from landfills.) Amazon who?
Puma is abandoning the shoebox and replacing it with the “Clever Little Bag.” The result of a collaboration with Yves Béhar of fuseproject, the concept will “reduce water, energy and diesel consumption on the manufacturing level by more than 60% per year. In other words: approximately 8,500 tons less paper will be consumed, 20 million Megajoules of electricity saved, 1 million litres less of fuel oil used and 1 million litres of water saved.
During transport 500,000 litres of diesel is saved and lastly, due to the replacement of traditional shopping bags with the lighter built-in bag the difference in weight can save up to 275 tons of plastic.”
Friday’s Focus has become Monday’s Mandate because we slept late on Friday and didn’t wake up til Sunday. The topic? Eco-friendly music and the people who make it. Friday’s Focus will be back on Friday assuming Friday arrives on time.
The king of green? You found him here first: Eco Elvis – Kansas City’s very own environmentally-friendly Elvis impersonator.
HAT TIP: ecoelvis
We’ve posted about Leonardodicaprio.org before – but we just discovered this little site the organization sponsors that features a variety of educational and fun Eco-Music for kids (and anyone who enjoys music), featuring albums from both well-known musicians and new artists.
HAT TIP (and the site itself): leonardodicaprio.org
The NEA Eco Music Challenge 2010 results are in! Yeah, we’d never heard of it either. Based in Singapore and created “to spread the environment message and encourage everyone to take action and care for our environment”, the contest (nea.ecomusic.sg) attracted hundreds of people who composed original songs and videos in hopes of snagging the $5,000 top prize. Check out the winner’s video below.
Creators of a unique brand of “enviro-boogie”, the band Enuf! bill themselves as the Plants’ Favorite Band. We’re not sure about that, but we like their mission, and despite the funkiness of their site design there are some fun features, including “waste-rument” of the month – which shows readers how to make music from trash.
HAT TIP: http://www.enufwaste.com/
Beautifully hand-made of fallen limbs from trees surrounding the famous Walden Pond, the “Walden Woods Piano” was created by Steinway and features painted scenes that replicate the environment Thoreau once wrote about.
HAT TIP: luxist.com
The tiny Greenland town of Ilulissat sits just above the Arctic Circle, so its residents go without sunlight for a lot of winter, and look forward to their “first sunrise” of the year on Jan. 13. But this year, the sun came up on January 11th. The jury is still out on why this happened, but here are the best possible explanations we’ve heard so far (if you’re pressed for time, one theory has to do with global warming – i.e., “with less ice, Greenland’s elevation may take a dip such that the sun would have less distance to travel before appearing over the horizon”).
If you’ve read about our efforts to bring the dangers of ocean pollution to light (see Plastic Pacific), you might want to check out the new doc “Plastic Planet” (no relation).
According to the filmmakers, “This documentary takes the viewer on a journey around the globe – from the Moroccan Sahara to the middle of the Pacific Ocean, from a factory in China to the highest peaks of the Alps – to reveal the far-flung reaches of our plastic problem. Interviews with the world’s foremost experts in biology, pharmacology, and genetics shed light on the perils of plastic to our environment and expose the truth of how plastic affects our bodies and the health of future generations.”
re:Something describe themselves as “an innovative design company devoted to creating a sustainable consumer culture by developing high quality designs from recycled materials. We want to break with the current consumer culture by turning waste into high-end fashion and other cutting edge designs.” Behold, elefant. And his/her friend, dog.
HAT TIP: petitecokids.com
Note to Western eco-entrepreneurs: Chinese inventor, Li Fan, creates curtains from self-sufficient plants grown on supporting sheets of mesh. They not only filter light. They also remove impurities from the air and they smell fresh. The curtains have apparently created a sensation in China but you can’t get them here. Yet.
HAT TIP: greenmuze
