Design and Environment

Final Projects: MA Design and Environment

2010-09-17T12:26:00.005+01:00

The MA Design and Environment has collected the final student projects in an online pamphlet. Feel free to have a look here.

Fran's final project blog!

2010-06-28T09:41:00.000+01:00

http://habitatsdesign.blogspot.com/

The Science Barge

2010-04-07T19:09:00.000+01:00

One for Jay! (still horizontal though)

The deluxe version of the waterpod.

2010-03-13T14:08:00.002Z

This chart from Phil Howard at Michigan State University shows how three chemical giants, Monsanto, DuPont, and Syngenta, have come to dominate the agricultural seed industry in the last 10 years. Obviously, there are concerns about whether this market is fair:

Monsanto supplies proprietary traits to 85 percent of corn planted in the United States, and 92 percent of soy. Corn and soy are the lifeblood of the U.S. food system. If you eat a standard diet, you’re ingesting a Monsanto-originated product with just about every bite you take. Nor is the company a benign monopolist, the report shows. GMO corn seeds have jumped from $110 per unit in 1999 to upwards of $190 by 2008; for soy, prices soared from less than $25 to more than $40.

But this monopoly isn't just bad for farmers' livelihoods; it's bad for the resilience of our ecosystem. We have 71 percent of U.S. cropland being used for just three crops, and a small handful of companies supplying the seeds. That's a precarious situation, and it's why projects like the Seed Vault are important. There's a bigger version of the chart here.

http://www.good.is/post/the-seed-industry-s-scary-consolidation/

Half full toilet

2010-03-13T14:04:00.001Z

1A: A (Clean) Toilet Hack

Potential water savings: Up to 18 gallons per day, per person.

How to easily reduce the water wasted by every flush.

Toilets waste tons of water every year. When you flush, that’s about five or six gallons right there if you have a conventional toilet, and on average we each flush six times a day. Thankfully, there are now all sorts of products to lessen gallons per flush. There are low-cost add-ons like the Toilet Tummy or the British-made Hippo the Water Saver. You can also purchase a dual-flush toilet, which can save up to five gallons per flush by offering one kind of flush for each bodily function. But the lower-tech and less-well-heeled among us might want to try this easy and free hack.

Get Started

1. Remove the lid from your toilet.

2. Observe the black floating ball. This thing determines the water level in your toilet.

3. Reach into the toilet tank and grab the thin metal rod attached to the black floating ball.

4. Bend the rod downward just a little. It won’t break easily, but be ginger, yeah?

5. Be an optimist. Your tank is now half full.

http://www.good.is/post/good-guide-to-reducing-your-water-use-part-1-bathroom

How much water do we use?

2010-03-13T13:58:00.001Z

http://awesome.good.is/ecosystem/index.html#/home

Ecological Age -- Arup

2010-03-11T13:33:00.002Z

Arup has developed a film / presentation for transitioning to an 'Ecological Age.' The film presents an overview of issues that form the basis for new strategies for cities, sustainability and resources. The blog with links to films can be found here.

Vertical Farm

2010-03-06T05:02:00.001Z

Center for Urban Agriculture - Vertical Farming from Mithun on Vimeo.

Edible prints

2010-03-05T21:07:00.001Z

A series of screenprints on rice paper using only food, i.e. cream, flour, fruit juice and food colouring.

Urban Farming Grows Up

2010-03-02T05:26:00.001Z

KIVA

2010-03-01T18:47:00.002Z

Kiva Promo from RMac Productions on Vimeo.

Kiva's mission is to connect people, through lending, for the sake of alleviating poverty.

Kiva empowers individuals to lend to an entrepreneur across the globe. By combining microfinance with the internet, Kiva is creating a global community of people connected through lending.

SUSTAINABLE INTERNET

2010-03-01T18:20:00.005Z

Lately there has been a lot of talking around proposing INTERNET NOBEL PEACE PRICE.
We have been arguing a lot about the meaning of SUSTAINIBILITY and what are our responsibilities in order to achieve a more fare and sustainable society.
This blog offers the possibility to reflect on what is linked to those action that most of the time we give for granted and we never stop questioning. You will also find some GUIDELINES for a better use of this TOOL and to defining some GOOD PRACTICES.
We are responsible for our choices and sometimes to think about the implications of our actions make us remember the role of people and the role of tools.

2010-03-01T15:27:00.002Z

http://www.wikihow.com/Choose-the-Right-Bottled-Water

2010-03-01T15:27:00.001Z

Local Love: 321 Steps To Less Landfill

by Raquel on October 30, 2009

Looking like something out of the future, this sexy high-tech water bottle is set to revolutionise the way you take your water. In fact, if you’re harbouring a bottled water addiction it may be the one that brings you back to the water tap.

The genius element aimed at capturing your heart and changing your drinking habits is 321 Water’s cleverly incorporated filter system that takes tap water and renders it deliciously fresh and chlorine free through a carbon filter and one push mechanism.

Given Aussies produce 80,000 tonnes of water bottle landfill each year, can you really afford not to give it a try? Wholly designed and made in Australia its already captured the imaginations of many taking out the New Inventors People’s Choice Award.

The product’s innovative designer Gretha Oost’s intent is to produce objects that make it easier for people to ‘do the right’ thing environmentally; this little beauty is the end product of that principal .. now all you need do is heed the call!

The Bottled Water Scam

2010-03-01T15:01:00.000Z

http://www.ebaumsworld.com/video/watch/983084/

Graphic: Bottled water imports and exports

2010-03-01T13:37:00.003Z

Graphic: Bottled water imports and exports

June 5, 2008

A new UN map highlights bottled water’s patterns of international trade. With France being the major exporter of bottled water, trade routes in Europe (between France, Germany, and Belgium) often involve intracontinental trade. The United States also imports a large quantity of water from France and Fiji.

The FuseProject : Recycle Cool Water bottles into Toys!

2010-03-01T13:31:00.001Z

The FuseProject : Recycle Cool Water bottles into Toys!

Article or RSS item submitted by Ty Wenzel • Apr 16th, 2008 • Category: Green Me Baby!, Product & Merch, Style Trend Forcasting |

Source Core77

fuseproject -- Y Water bottle

Bottled-water-drinkers have surely noticed Poland Springs making the switch to lightweight bottles; once empty, the easily-crushed containers remind you that what was a vessel five minutes ago has now become garbage.

Yves Behar's fuseproject and L.A.-based Y Water--targeting vitamin-enriched water at children--are moving in the opposite direction, with a distinctive Y-shaped bottle they're hoping will stick around a while longer.

Behar's innovation was to give the bottle two lives: its first is as a vessel for the product, and when empty, it gains a second life as a toy. The sturdy 9-ouncers "can be linked with other bottles through biodegradable rubber 'Y Knots,' connectors that help to create spaceships, animals, robots, or whatever else a creative child can imagine."

"We look to this repurposing of the Y Water bottle to not only encourage children to be creative, but to encourage children to think about reuse rather than simply discarding these into the trash," says Behar. "We want to create a new paradigm for children's products that encourages unique new behaviors and a productive afterlife for the product."

Of course, kids will grow up someday and toys will eventually go in the trash; but not to worry, Y Water bottles are 100% recyclable. Once finished with the product, parents can log onto www.ywater.us and receive a free mailer to send the bottle back for recycling.

Bottled water exposed - in pictures

2010-03-01T13:26:00.001Z

Bottled water exposed - in pictures

By Lisa Frack

April 17, 2009

Bottled Water Sales Slipping

2010-03-01T13:21:00.001Z

http://www.psfk.com/2008/09/bottled-water-sales-slipping.html

Good news on the reduce-reuse-recycle front. Bottled water sales in the United States, the world’s largest bottled water market, are starting to slow down. Although sales are not declining, the Worldwatch Institute reports that this year’s projected growth is only at 6.7% – the smallest increase in the past 10 years. It may not be a landmark occasion, but it’s a positive sign.

Bottled Water Blues?

2010-03-01T13:16:00.003Z

Bottled Water Blues?

Maureen Linke & Ameesha Felton

http://www.vcuinsight.vcu.edu/stories/Fall07/Bottled_Water/BottledWater.htm

According to a recent study by the Natural Resources Defense Council, the United States is the leading consumer of bottled water. The sale of bottled water has increased by 500% in the last decade. This significant increase is largely due to the successful marketing tactics of companies like Dasani, Deer Park, Aquafina, etc. Many of these companies promote the idea that bottled water is healthier than tap water. VCU Recycling Coordinator Steve Heintz says he’s noticed the increase in bottled water use.

“I’ve definitely noticed, when I look in the dumpsters outside it is more than half full of bottled water,” said Heintz.

But with this dramatic increase in water consumption there is also a greater need for more recycling. The United States has not been able to meet this need and almost 40 percent of the bottles that were deposited for recycling in 2004 were actually exported to China.

Associate Research Professor for the VCU School of Environmental Studies, Dr. Peter deFur says that the demand for bottled water also increases the demand for energy.

“We’ve seen this dramatic increase in commercial bottle water and what happens is there is the container in which the water is sold and that takes energy,” said deFur. “And even if people do recycle it, it takes energy to recycle.”

VCU students, like Kara Terrell, say that while they do reuse and refill water bottles they purchase on campus, they do not take the initiative to dispose of them properly when they are finished.

“Oftentimes, I don’t really use the recycle bins provided on campus, but I do recycle bottles on my own, I just fill them with water whenever need be,” said Terrell.

In order to conserve energy and plastic resources, it’s important not only to realize the value of recycling itself but the importance of reusing as well. Heintz says one way to boost recycling among Americans is to change their attitudes.

“Recycling is a resource, the materials you recycle whether it be paper, plastic, metal or wood… these are all commodities and to throw them out, put them in a landfill, and just bury them is basically a waste of space.”

Do you care?

The controversy over drinking bottled water rather than tap is something that consumers have been questioning for years. Some people think it’s healthier to buy purified water, but others
worry about the cost to the environment. Take the poll below to let us know what you think.

The facts about bottled water:

1. According to the Beverage Marketing Corporation, Americans bought a total of 31.2 billion liters of water in 2006. The Pacific Institute estimates that producing the bottles for American consumption required more than 17 million barrels of oil, not including the energy for transportation.

2. The Container Recycling Institute reports that 86 percent of plastic water bottles used in the United States become garbage or litter.

3. Beverage Digest estimates Americans spent over $15 billion dollars on bottled water last year.

bottled water

2010-02-24T22:48:00.004Z

link

"So drinking bottled water is like giving my car a blowjob?"

The question above, posed by copyranter in the title of an article panning Brita's new advertising campaign, got our attention. Brita's approach may be crude, (no pun intended), but such reactions will certainly contribute to achieving Brita's goal. More clicks. More people aware that

"Last year 16 million gallons of oil were consumed to make plastic water bottles."

More people visiting Brita's filter for good pledge site, where Brita claims over 74 million plastic water bottles will be avoided by users of the Brita water filter system who have made the pledge to switch from bottles to Brita.

Drawbacks of Water Filters
Water filters like Brita and Pur may get panned for not removing every possible contaminant, or for the disposable filters and appliance waste generated, which is probably not necessary in light of the fact that tap water quality in most developed nations is excellent. And Brita has certainly been beaten up for advertisements which suggest that tap water quality is questionable just because we are foolish enough to flush our toilets with perfectly good drinking water.

Ditch Bottled Water
But many TreeHuggers are committing to ditch bottled water. For some, the taste or quality of their tap water needs a little help. An in-line water filter, installed centrally or at the tap, is considered to be less wasteful due to the infrequent change-outs of the filter media. For apartment dwellers and those who cannot install fixed filter systems, the jug filters like Brita or Pur are a reasonable alternative. It certainly beats buying water in bottles.

Seeds of Resilience

2010-02-23T17:01:00.000Z

Buy your seed here.

The Guru Wheel

2010-02-23T11:17:00.004Z

There are plenty of actions we could undertake in order to make our life on the planet more “eco”. Unfortunately, being “green” in our society can be difficult, there are plenty of possibilities around that make it is easy to forget about the impact on the environment of our actions.
I have always been fascinated by the way human brain works, particulary in knowing the mechanisms that move us towards certain decisions instead of others and on understanding how we give ourselves limits...Why we sometimes do things that we know are “wrong”? I believe this is the question that all the people who care about our planet ask everyday. Why do we keep polluting the earth and our bodies with chemical pesticides and harmful substances,if we know that they are dangerous?
(...) sometimes we cannot afford to wait until we see the results of our mistakes, we have to act before it’s too late, we have to give ourselves limits. “Give limits” is what I believe sustainability toolkits do.

A sustainability toolkit is a mans creation, made to guide men towards a lifestyle that does not affect negatively on the planet or future generations.

My project is concentrated on creating a tool that helps students to develop a better understanding of what is “eco” and what is not. My aim is not to create another finished object that can be purchased in a shop or tested online, used and forgotten about, it will be a sort of “spiritual guide” that will help the users to create their ”sustainability toolkit” in their own head, that will contain all those actions that the common calculators don’t take into consideration.

francesca

the world water day

2010-02-23T10:19:00.003Z

PLAY

100mile Diet

2010-02-23T10:13:00.000Z

Here is my blog

The Sustainability Toolkit

2010-02-23T09:59:00.004Z

Learn what sustainability is and have the chance to win the ULTIMATE SUSTAINABILITY KIT
to help you to survive the un-sustainability

"Buy Nothing day”_ an anti-consumerist campaign as a toolkit for sustainability

2010-02-23T06:08:00.007Z

It is widely accepted that contemporary consumption patterns are at an excessively high level so that it is certainly incompatible with ‘sustainability’. With regard to this issue, various consumer movements have recently emerged as a new counter-consumer practice, ranging from anti-consumerism to ethical consumption. ‘No shopping day’ as a campaign against contemporary problematic consumption culture, namely “Buy Nothing Day”, provides an opportunity not only to be aware of environmental consequences of consumption, but to make a commitment to sustainable consumption, such as consuming less, reusing and recycling more, and making more environmentally friendly choices. It serves as a sustainability toolkit, helping ameliorate current consumption patterns.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/27392771/Anti-consumerist-campaign-Buy-Nothing-Day
(click here)

SUSTAINABILITY

2010-02-23T05:07:00.001Z

SUSTAINABILITY (click here)

MA Design and Environment
Goldsmiths, University of London
jung hyun, Park

Imagining a future with water scarcity.

2010-02-23T01:15:00.000Z

http://sustainabilityresearch.wordpress.com/

Mohammad Asri Haji Hussin

MA Design & Environment

2010-02-22T23:18:00.011Z

PLAY! (click here)

How green is your diet... a guide to freeganism?

Ana Maria Jaramillo
Design and Environment

Sustainability

The C.R.O.C.

2010-02-19T16:58:00.001Z

Greenpeace' latest ironic campaign concering individual carbon offsetting in the US. I'd suggest to check out C.R.O.C. in order to get the whole picture. Fantastic!

Bruce Sterling on Atemporality @Transmediale.10

2010-02-17T18:22:00.018Z

Preview Image: Jonathan Gröger

Transmediale is an international festival for contemporary art and digital culture which includes exhibitions, competitions, conferences, film and video programmes and live performances. This year's subject of the festival, to which Bruce Sterling refers, was "Futurity Now!:

2010. It is a year which has been synonymous with past images of the future. Writers and commentators throughout the 20th century strove to depict 2010 as a shining example of a future framed by technological progress and social harmony.

But as 2010 draws nearer it is clear that global society is neither the utopia nor the dystopia traditionally presented in these fictions, architectures and theories of the future. Rather, it is an increasingly complex web of economic, political and cultural systems dependent on the convergence of rapidly evolving technologies. With the ubiquity of digital practices and social media firmly entrenched as an intrinsic part of our cultural code, we have caught up with our own notions of the future. The future is experiencing an identity crisis.

Futurity is a concept that examines what the 'future' as a conditional and creative enterprise can be. At its heart lays the intricate need to counter political and economic turmoil with visionary futures. With FUTURITY NOW! transmediale.10 explores what roles internet evolution, global network practice, open source methodologies, sustainable design and mobile technology play in forming new cultural, ideological and political templates. transmediale.10 invites artists, scientists, media activists, thinkers and visionaries to ask not what the future has in store for us, but what do we have in store for the future? (source: transmediale.de)

Feeding the 5,000

2010-02-17T16:09:00.000Z

How come we've missed that?! In January in an attempt to highlight the staggering amounts of waste generated in the UK's good chain, author Tristram Stuart offered free lunches to central London made of food that would otherwise have ended up in the bin...

Collapse

2010-02-16T19:01:00.002Z

Collapse is a movie based on a vision of the world after the collapse of industrial civilisation. It touches the issue about economy, production, etc, things that will collapse by our own fault.

The greenhouse gamble

2010-02-16T14:56:00.001Z

The Greenhouse Gamble Ronald Prinn, director of MIT's Center for Global Change Science, and his group have revised their model that shows how much hotter the Earth's climate will get in this century without substantial policy change.

http://www.popsci.com/environment/article/2009-05/greenhouse-gamble

Seedy sunday in Kew Eco-Village (14th feb)

2010-02-15T21:59:00.006Z

Some photos from the rainy seedy sunday I went to on sunday!

http://www.seedysunday.org/
http://seedvoyageur.blogspot.com/

Truck Farm

2010-02-11T14:55:00.002Z

Here's a short introductory trailer to TRUCK FARM, the project I mentioned in connection with Ahyoung's research proposal. This film + food project about growing a little food in a big city is realised by the Wicked Delicate collective.

Urban Tools

2010-02-08T13:35:00.005Z

The exhibition, Actions: What You Can Do With the City, which previously was on view at the Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA) in Montreal in 2008-2009, is now up at the Graham Foundation in Chicago. This exhibition (and accompanying catalog) offers 99 tools for actions that "instigate positive change in contemporary cities around the world." Ranging from urban agriculture to alternative modes of transport and dwelling, the actions reframe the urban terrain for new modes of creative occupation.

http://www.ecocitybuilders.org/

2010-02-06T11:05:00.002Z

We are a non-profit organization dedicated to reshaping cities, towns and villages for long term health of human and natural systems. Our goals include returning healthy biodiversity to the heart of our cities, agriculture to gardens and the streets, and convenience and pleasure to walking, bicycling and transit. We visualize a future in which waterways in neighborhood environments and prosperous downtown centers are opened for curious children, fish, frogs and dragonflies. We work to build thriving neighborhood centers while reversing sprawl development, to build whole cities based on human needs and “access by proximity” rather than cities built in the current pattern of automobile driven excess, wasteful consumption and the destruction of the biosphere.

http://www.ecocitybuilders.org/

Seedy sunday in Kew Eco-Village

2010-02-04T21:15:00.002Z

Kew Bridge Eco Village hosts Brentford's First Annual Seed Swap, come along and swap saved or surplus seeds, there will also be a wide range of vegetable and flower seeds. Don't worry if you don't have any seeds to swap as all seeds will be available for a small donation. Storytelling for children from 12.30-1.00pm. You will also find information, gardening related stalls, and refreshments.

http://www.seedysunday.org/index.aspx

From Consumerism to Sustainability

2010-02-04T17:19:00.004Z

The Worldwatch Institute has a new report, 'State of the World 2010: Transforming Cultures,' that may be of interest to some of you currently researching consumerism. The core focus of the report is on shifts from consumerism to sustainability. Free chapters of select sections are available to download here.

Imagine life in 20 or 30 years...

2010-02-03T13:40:00.002Z

As climate change touches every aspect of our lives, how will it change us? How will we adapt? Living Climate Change is a devoted space for the most defining design challenge of our time. It's also a place to support fresh thinking and share provocative ideas about the future.

http://livingclimatechange.com/

Andrew Simms at the LSE

2010-01-30T20:04:00.012Z

The NEF's Policy Director and Head of Climate Change and Energy, Andrew Simms gave an interesting speech at the LSE last Thursday:

No Poo

2010-01-29T00:24:00.005Z

(image from instructables.com)

What kind of shampoo do you use everyday? Regular shampoo contains chemicals that will harm both the user and the environment. Try no poo, it's natural, it's sustainable and less expensive then regular shampoos and you only need natural ingredients like baking soda and vinegar.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Go-No-Poo/

http://1greengeneration.elementsintime.com/?p=365

Truth about food...?

2010-01-28T22:22:00.005Z

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00nxcf3

Botany of desire

2010-01-28T21:59:00.003Z

APPLE = SWEETNESS
POTATO = CONTROL
CANABIS = INTOXICATION
TULIP = BEAUTY

http://www.pbs.org/thebotanyofdesire/

The ever growing hamster

2010-01-28T16:02:00.002Z

The New Economics Foundation has published a new report arguing that economical "growth isn't possible". Their intention with the video above is to confront people with the meaning and logical conclusion of the promise of endless economic growth. As economists and politicians express their relief that the economy has grown by 0.1% in the last month, the NEF warns that we should be wary of celebrating rising GDP.

"We are using a hamster to illustrate what would happen if there were no limits to growth because they double in size each week before reaching maturity at around 6 weeks. But if a hamster grew at the same rate until its first birthday, we'd be looking at a nine billion tonne hamster, which ate more than a years worth of world maize production every day. There are reasons in nature, why things dont grow indefinitely. As things are in nature, sooner or later, so they must be in the economy. As economic growth rises, we are pushing the planet ever closer to, and beyond some very real environmental limits. With every doubling in the global economy we use the equivalent in resources of all of the previous doublings combined."

Flooded London: Maps and Visuals

2010-01-28T15:42:00.004Z

Scene of the movie "The Flood" (2007) by Tony Mitchell

What would London look like if sea levels rose further? There are a numer of maps in the web which let you imagine in what extent different areas of London would/will be affected by the flood. Not all maps show the scenario of the Thames Barrier breaking and releasing tidal waters to the city centre which would have an even more dramatic impact.

Maps:

Environment Agency Flood Map
Type in your postcode and see if you were affected by the flood.

A Google Maps Overlay

Global Warming Art Sea Level Explorer

Ecosia: The eco-friendly search engine

2010-01-28T12:13:00.003Z

Ecosia is a environmental-friendly search engine that saves the rainforest while your're searching the web. At least 80% of their search income goes to a rainforest protection program run by WWF, which uses this money for the sustainable protection of rainforests in the Juruena National Park in Brazil.

It saves 2m² of rainforest with each web search you do. Their search results are as good as Google or Yahoo. So far (28.1.2010) Ecosia has saved 18,795,321 m² (22,479,204 yd²) of rainforest. They're not running any servers powered by alternative energy yet though. None the less I suggest you make it your browser's default start page!

SlowFood-youth movement

2010-01-27T19:35:00.003Z

The Youth Food Movement is a network of young farmers, cooks, artisans, activists and students that are actively changing the future of food and farming. With the goal of bringing more food that is good clean and fair, to their communities, they realigning local and regional food systems with the principles of justice and sustainability.

Building on the strong foundations of Slow Food, the Youth Food Movement provides shared platforms for communication, knowledge exchange, support for local action and leadership development. Day by day this network works to connect like minds, projects and activism with similar goals and shared philosophy.

Individually we can change communities; together we can change the world.

Already, Youth Food Movement members are:

Starting farms based on traditional methods and sustainable practices
Demanding food justice and equal access to good food for their neighbors
Starting farmer’s markets and gardens on campuses
Organizing Eat – Ins - protest potlucks where good, clean, and fair food is prepared and shared in public spaces
Changing school cafeteria sourcing practices to local, sustainable products
Confronting agribusiness and demanding they change their production methods and workplace standards
And many more…

http://www.youthfoodmovement.org/

Urban tactics and self-organisation

2010-01-27T13:43:00.002Z

As mentioned yesterday by Kathrin Bohm of Public Works, here is the information related to Atelier d'architecture autogérée, of which Doina Petrescu (the external examiner for the MA Design and Environment) is a member: "Atelier d'architecture autogérée / studio for self-managed architecture (aaa) is a collective platform which conducts explorations, actions and research concerning urban mutations and cultural, social and political emerging practices in the contemporary city.

aaa acts through ‘urban tactics’, encouraging the participation of inhabitants at the self-management of disused urban spaces, overpassing contradictions and stereotypes by proposing nomad and reversible projects, initiating interstitial practices which explore the potential of contemporary city ( in terms of population, mobility, temporality).

It is by micro-political acting that we want to participate in making the city more ecological and more democratic, to make the space of proximity less dependent on top-down processes and more accessible to its users. The ‘self-managed architecture’ is an architecture of relationships, processes and agencies of persons, desires, skills and know-hows. Such an architecture does not correspond to a liberal practice but asks for new forms of association and collaboration, based on exchange and reciprocity and involving all those interested (individuals, organisations, institutions), whatever is their scale.

Our architecture is at the same time political and poetic as it aims above all to ‘create relationships between worlds’."

Eco life style

2010-01-21T22:11:00.002Z

In December I went around in Brick lane and there was a ECO fair.
Here are some of the product I saw..

ECO Nuts for your laundry

It is made from the sun dried fruit of the Sapindus Mukorossi tree and its Fair Trade. The shells of these nuts contain saponin, a natural detergent, which gets sudsy in water. Since Eco Nuts doesn’t leave any residue, you can actually skip the rinse cycle and save gallons of water, energy and money. As you can see its sell in recycle packag The seller said those shells is odorless and foamless, you can use it over times till the shell dissolve totally. I didn't buy them as I still have half box of family pack of washing powder.

Moroccan Rhassoul Clay wash for hair and body

It has a powerful negative charge and acts as a detoxifying agent. It come as power and you just need to add water before use.
Its 100% pure clay minerals and full biodegradable.
I bought that for 5pounds 100g and I am using it as facial wash and its better then what I except.

Natural Deodorant

Its the raw natural look crystal like deodorant which made from alum mineral salts.
Non-aerosol, no Aluminum Chlorhydrate, non-staining unisex formula and not tested on animals.

Also...

Recycle Knitting Kit

Its using those normal supermarket plastic bags and cut them into a long strip and use those strips instead of wool.

Brainstorming in Studio

2010-01-20T21:34:00.009Z

As promised, here are the photos of our very productive brainstorming day in studio.
Hope you enjoy them!!!

This is how we started off.....

... and this is how it looked in the end!

Economics of climate change

2010-01-20T16:01:00.008Z

Nicholas Stern, Chairman of the the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the LSE, and author of the Stern Review, has argued that it is far more responsible to look at ways to invest in moving toward a low-carbon economy now, rather than wait to deal with the effects of climate change in the future.

He makes this argument through an economic analysis of the costs of investing in reducing carbon emissions, compared to dealing with the costs of floods, famine, water shortages, refugee crises and other hazards stemming from climate change. A webcast of his presentation for the session, 'Business as usual is not sustainable,' at the U.S. Climate Action conference is available here.

On a related note, the LSE hosts a number of events related to sustainability and climate change. There are 'Sustainability in Practice' lectures taking place this spring 2010, and there are also podcasts of past talks on the LSE events archive.

Sound Of Soil: Alunda Church Choir plays the soil of northern Uppland

2010-01-16T08:48:00.001Z

“The vinyl is dead. Good. Now listen to the beautiful noise of the earth. In this performance Alunda Church Choir, conducted by Cantor Jan Hällgren, plays the soil of northern Uppland (in Sweden)."

Introducing: the terrafon, a large version of the horn gramophone, amplifying the sounds in the track it ploughs. What I like in particular about Olle Cornéer und Martin Lübcke's work with the title "Harvest" is the participation of local ensembles "playing" their soils, the analogue approach and the use of soil as a media: putting the soil on the level with vinyl discs to which one can listen to. These performances offer a complete new experience of soils. I have never had the chance to listen to soil before! Check also Diego Stocco's similar but more digitised work on music from Sand or from a Tree.

SUSTAINABLE BRIXTON - nurture sustainable living

2010-01-12T12:12:00.003Z

This is a social network about Brixton created to get directly to the people and bring them to the field without many particular interactions that take forever and that bounce you to other pages where you have to manage ever lasting copy-pasting. It is structured with an interactive map that links you to the websites of the activities displayed.
Also you will find an audio guide that you can download and take it with you as you visit the town and you can play it on your mobile phone, iPod or whatever else is your device that you always bring with you.
The guide introduces you to some of the projects and activities in Brixton that help nurturing sustainable living. You will also find some comments from the people who are directly involved in these activities.
Don't forget to get the printable map of the tour as you decide to have this experience.

Here is the link to the web page: http://sustainablebrixton.ning.com/

Advertising campaigns raising the awareness of environmental issues

2010-01-12T05:18:00.004Z

These campaigns represent the connections between human activities and the effects on the natural environment.

“If we don't stop global warming, nature will” (by WWF for a living planet)

Devices making energy use visible_2

2010-01-12T05:07:00.003Z

This is designed to make householders aware of their energy consumptionon a daily basis.

This clock visualises the daily energy rhythms of thehousehold and reminds householders of the ordinary kitchen clockin its form, place and use. the clock indicates electrical use of its environmentin real time.

Devices raising awareness of energy use :Wilting Flower"

2010-01-12T04:57:00.006Z

This flower wilts as you consume power. It allows consumers not onlyto be conscious of their energy consumption, but also to realise theimpacts their energy use has on the environment.

A British designer has come up with the Wilting Flower as a way to raise awareness of home energy consumption. The device is shaped like a flower that provides a visible reminder of how much energy is being used at the moment. When low amounts of energy are being consumed, the flower stands tall and blooms open. Flick on more lights and turn on the TV or video game and the flower wilts and closes up.The prototype is expected to cost about $90 when it comes to the market. So why would someone buy this novelty device when a simple energy monitor would do the exact same thing? Designer Carl Smith, who came up with the Wilting Flower, told the Daily Mail that he hopes people will become attached to the flower and keep it in bloom by changing their energy consumption habits. Other products display energy use on small LCD units which are not as attractive, he says.A wireless connector is connected to the household electricity supply and when more appliances are turned on, the amount of current drawn increases and is relayed back to the Wilting Flower. When the flower displays a blue and greenish light, that means power usage is low. Purple is a bad sign and an indication that the flower is about to wilt and it's time to turn off some of those appliances.

Devices making energy use visible_1

2010-01-12T04:25:00.004Z

Electronic Cord, designed to make electricity visible.

With regards to saving electricity consumption, it is important to be aware of the use of electricity. Generally, energy is invisible so consumers are unconcious in using energy.

This type device allows householders to realise they are using energy.

*Source_Visual voltage exhibition at design vlaanderen, brussels

Visual voltage is an exhibition which explores the use of energy through smart design.the show is meant to give insight into electricity, energy consumption and environmental issues.the projects on show are all developed by swedish designers and artists, expressing their creative roles as a means to generate awareness and debates on essential issues such as sustainability and energy consumption, shedding new light on how we use electricity.

Contaminated:The New Science of Food

2010-01-12T02:38:00.000Z

There are currently over 786 million hungry people on planet Earth. And while few would deny that world hunger is one of the most important issues facing mankind today, if the solution is left to companies like Monsanto, Aventis, Dow, and DuPont, we may face even greater challenges to the security of our global ecosystem.

With the second Green Revolution well under way, the world's food supply is slowly being transformed by a radically improvised agricultural paradigm. Genetically engineered crops have been introduced into the market without the rigorous testing that many scientists feel is required. The history is instructive:

In 1986, US biotech companies began testing the first genetically engineered food products. In 1993, the FDA declared that GM food was "not inherently dangerous", which gave a green light to biotech corporations who had been developing GM seeds. One year later, the first GM food product, Flavr Savr tomato, was released to enthusiastic US consumers.

But, in Europe, GM food did not win such easy converts. Groups like Greepeace and Friends of the Earth protested the new "Frankenfoods," galvanizing a broad level of public outrage and the eventual policy mandate requiring all modified produce to be clearly labelled.

Despite the highly publicized battle over genetically engineered food, many people are still unaware that many of the products they consume on a daily basis contain genetically modified. In Contaminated, Fritjof Capra, Paul Hawken and Vandana Shiva explain the evolution of the new biotech agribusiness and its potential dangers to the sustainability of the global food supply.

Resilience Takes Form -- A Handbook for Transition

2010-01-11T23:45:00.009Z

Something strange has happened over in old Blighty. I'm not sure if the Utopian dreams of the 1960's are making a comeback or if a new movement, one grounded in reality but focused on our future, has taken shape. No matter how cynical you are, you can't ignore one of the fastest growing grassroots movements in the UK -- The Transition Network.

In 2006 a founding member of this network, Rob Hopkins, had begun working on an idea in Totnes, a sleepy town in the West of England. From the land of Cornish pasties and clotted cream a community-led initiative began to focus on a duel issues of climate change and the realities of a post peak oil society.

It seems crazy, but by galvanizing the community Rob and a highly networked team developed what is now called the Transition model, the 12 steps or initiatives to transition as described in his book The Transition Handbook. Totnes has become the accidental epicenter of a quiet revolution.

The key components of the Transition model are that groups involved in each of the 12 transition initiatives that focus on the various sectors of local communities. The groups plan awareness programs, include screening movies followed by talks by experts about climate change. Round two they stimulate a local movement by organizing networking events and developing groups focus on different themes deemed important to their local community. Then they produce a 'Energy Descent Action Plan (EDAP)' that reflects the views and inputs from many local stake holders. Then it gets really interesting -- the town collectively finds ways to power down.

It was at this point I went crazy researching, and began writing what I thought was going to be an insightful piece about the movement, where it's going and what it means -- then I found this online video... ...what better than an English poet with a wry sense of humor to explain this fascinating phenomenon.

I recommend you watch the video and make up your own mind. As you watch, just remember that there are many new towns, villages and hamlets are self-organizing under these ideals. They are looking inward to ask themselves what will their future look like based on their needs -- not just some generic government white paper. Take note. This movement could be coming to a town near you.

Amphibious Homes

2010-01-11T23:33:00.004Z

Leave it to the Dutch to come up with “amphibious houses” – a concept that makes sense in a landscape where solid ground is yearly sinking. Residents and planners are looking into the future with concern over flooding and heavy rain, an issue that will be compounded by rising water levels from global warming.

In response to this problem, the field of maritime architecture is gaining momentum. One notable architect, Koen Olthuis, has created some astoundingly beautiful water dwellings. What differentiates these from standard houseboats is a patented technology which allows the foundation of the construction to be transformed into a float. A foam core is encased in concrete, with steel cables securing it against the pull of potential currents.

Olthius’ company is looking not only at individual residences, but at creating maritime settlements, which is easily done, since his designs are linkable, “like LEGO blocks.” In the bottom image, one such settlement is pictured from an aerial perpective, giving a sense of the layout of these swimming developments.
The reassurance offered to residents in knowing that their homes will respond to rising water by floating on the surface is invaluable. Such technologies will obviously be relevant and necessary in many other parts of the world as demands for space drive people towards the coast, and climate change creates unpredictable scenarios for those who take up residence there.

Amphibious Homes

2010-01-11T23:15:00.010Z

The Dutch have fought their marshy surroundings with clever engineering since the country’s inception, and we’ve seen some impressive “floating architecture” from DuraVermeer and WaterStudio. Now that global warming is fanning the flame: melting ice-caps and raising sea levels, more and more Dutch designers are getting into amphibious architecture. Builder Hans van de Beek’s amphibious houses are an obvious yet genius solution to rising water levels. He explains; “They are pretty much just regular houses, the only difference is that when the water rises, they rise.”

Unlike the houseboats that line many Dutch canals or the floating villages of Asia, these homes are being built on solid ground — but they also are designed to float on flood water. Each house is made of lightweight wood, and the concrete base is hollow, giving it ship-like buoyancy. With no foundations anchored in the earth, the structure rests on the ground and is fastened to 15-foot-long mooring posts with sliding rings, allowing it to float upwards in times of flood. All the electrical cables, water and sewage flow through flexible pipes inside the mooring piles.

What a great example of turning architectural lemons into lemonade, and being responsive and accepting of environmental contexts.

New York's Battery Park

2010-01-11T22:45:00.002Z

The design’s elements articulate the new curvilinear park geometry. The elliptical Kiosks are derived from a series of arcs and made of certified sustainably-harvested hardwood. The Benches were designed to hold up to the punishing wear and tear of relaxing New Yorkers with an absolutely minimal use of material.

The shell like glass house with white wall interior which provide a clean surface for projection. and interactive digital media. The spiral structure create a walk through as driving under water experience. The use of smart glass panels can allow the projection happen during sunny day time.

LENAPE,MANHATTAN

2010-01-11T01:18:00.001Z

This garden landscape is located on a rare patch of open, south-facing land in the middle of Manhattan. The triangular piece of land is in front of Hudson Guild, a vital community center that was established in 1895 and currently serves the 2,000 residents of the surrounding New York Public Housing Authority’s Robert Fulton Houses and Elliott-Chelsea Houses. The garden includes the native edible plants and mounded plantings of beans, corn, and squash—also known as the “three sisters”—that the Lenape people would have eaten for millenia in that very location. It provides a view back to their lives and how they lived off the land on the island they knew as Mannahatta at the time that the first European, Henry Hudson, visited in 1609. Unlike the other Edible Estates gardens, which are very much about the present, this garden is a meditation on the historical facts of and future possibilities for our occupation of the island.

The Lenape garden is surrounded by detailed signage that tells the story of each plant, the food it produces, how the Lenape used it in their diet, and the natural history of the site. It is not intended to feed the current local residents, but rather to provide visible evidence of both the general fact that our food comes out of the dirt and specific examples of the sources of food for the previous residents of the island. It is a demonstration garden, part experimental laboratory and part educational display. Visiting students and those from the nearby children’s center use the garden and its central gathering circle for activities and workshops dealing with the history, ecology, food, plants, animals, energy, and other aspects of the immediate natural environment.

The residents of Elliott-Chelsea Houses, members of the Hudson Guild community, visiting students, and the general public become more aware of organic growing cycles as they watch the garden evolve through the seasons and years. They become aware of the natural and cultural history of the island they live on by observing food growing on plants that existed in Manhattan soil before it was the city we know today. This garden landscape may also serve as a model for small-scale urban edible landscapes and as a possible prototype for modest green spaces at similar housing sites across the city.

ST. ANN'S ALLOTMENTS

2010-01-10T21:46:00.000Z

STAA runs a Community Orchard on a collection of plots on the St Ann's Allotments. It is a lively hub of educational and community life centered on local children and families.

It was set up in September 2001 on several overgrown allotments. The plots – which include mature fruit trees, a pond and a stream - were cleared and planted up by volunteers, schools and community groups.

The Orchard provides a safe, natural and exciting place for people to learn and explore. Much of our work focuses on children varying in age from nurseries to secondary schools. Educational activities include gardening, construction, management of the environment and arts and crafts. Occasionally the site provides a learning space for gardeners on-site too. We run free sessions such as tree pruning and other horticultural skills.

The Community Orchard is also a place where we hold regular Activity Days and other open events. At these we focus on looking after the site, providing informal activities (especially for children) and seasonal events such as the annual Apple Day celebrations and our Winter Extravaganza. It's a great opportunity for the public to come and explore the orchard, to try new skills, and to sample some of our food and drink around the fire.

EDIBLE ESTATES regional prototype garden

2010-01-10T21:05:00.000Z

The Edible Estate was established on a highly visible triangular lawn in front of the Brookwood Estate. This rare green space is fenced off and was previously unused.

Twenty-four units at Brookwood and another sixteen in Lancaster House (another council estate) all face the triangle. Placing the garden here meant that everyone would be watching: the local gardeners would perform for their neighbors. In the centre of the dense city, the production of food would become a public spectacle.

Initially many residents were sceptical about the prospects of such a garden in this location, and they feared it would be vandalized. But there is a school across the street, which insures a steady flow of children past the garden. It was the children of the council estates who were the most excited about the garden and eager to get their hands in the dirt over the course of the three days of planting.

This garden is intended as a new model for urban agriculture. It is not a true community garden (or “allotment,” as the popular practice is referred to in Britain) with separate private plots for each gardener. It is one holistic design that also integrates spaces where people may gather; a pleasure garden made up entirely of edibles. Those who tend it will eat from it.

Pulpwatch.org

2009-12-29T21:16:00.006Z

Pulpwatch.org is from the environment paper network, which is an ongoing project monitoring pulp mills. Before paper is produced in a paper mill, the wood must go through a pulp mill which converts it into a material for making paper. A pulp mill uses a high amount energy and at the same time releases a high amount of pollutants to air and water. On the map the mills are marked from good to bad, green to red respectively, based on the basic criteria set by the environment paper network.

From the map, we can see the location of pulp mills on the high demand of pulp is needed from different parts of the world, whether it is sustainable or not. For example, one company in Indonesia PT KERTAS NUSANTARA process 525,000 metric ton per year and have really bad management about forestry certification, bleaching technology, social conflicts and endangered forest rating. This map can give us a clear idea on the impact of paper industry as a whole from social to environmental problems.

Green Brochures

2009-12-28T02:52:00.005Z

Brochures or pamphlets are commonly used for advertising events, places, hotels, products, services, etc. This is surely informative for people to get more information but the problems about paper brochures are they are produced in mass quantities and a lot of excess waste is generated. This certainly has an impact to the environment and to tackle this problem, Save Our Trees, a non profit international environment project is promoting the use of digital green brochures to reduce paper consumption. They also provide a free conversion from printed brochures into a 3D page digital format.

An example of digital green brochure,
http://www.tourismbrochures.net/businessbrochures/sidi_saler/index.htm

This is certainly a good way to make deforestation lesser where from the statistics from this project shows that by converting 240,000 pages of brochures, magazines, manuals and catalogues saves around 700,000 trees per year. TourismBrochures.net portal is also part of this project where the aim of this project is to give out information to tourists before going to the places they wish to travel. They hope to give out the most accurate information and also to reduce printed brochures so that less trees will be cut down for printing purposes.

Paper dress

2009-12-26T02:31:00.004Z

What can we do with old phonebooks lying around? One of the best ways to get rid of old phonebooks is to recycle it, to reduce waste, reduce usage of raw material and many more benefits. But another good way is to up-cycle it into another product using the most of its potential. Jolis Poans is an artist who makes dress using old phonebooks. This dress is made by hand, from being sewed, glued and stuck together. Instead of making dress using regular material like cotton, this material is a good substitute to make beautiful dress in order to reduce carbon emission.

Black/African-descent communities of Choco, Colombia

2009-12-05T00:25:00.004Z

These are the videos I showed for my presentation. As I only showed very little that day, I thought you might like to have a better look at them and understand why I feel the need of helping this community.

Effects of Plan Colombia on Black Colombia

2009-12-05T00:17:00.008Z

Float House for Make It Right Foundation

2009-12-04T23:47:00.010Z

Brad Pitt has been making waves in the green building world lately, so it’s only appropriate that the newest house completed for his Make It Right Foundation project be a floating one. Being revealed today in New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward, the Float House by Morphosis Architects, goes beyond sustainable design and construction and is built within the context of its environment – it can float. In case of flooding, the home can literally break away from it’s moorings and rise up up to 12 feet on two guideposts. It won’t float away, but it will act as a raft and provide the family with enough battery power to allow them to survive for up to three days until help arrives.

Thom Mayne, founder of Morphosis and winner of the Pritzker Architecture Prize , wanted to build a home that could survive through hurricane flooding as well fit in with the surrounding homes. He and his team designed a house that was essentially built on a chassis of polystyrene foam and covered with glass-reinforced concrete. During hurricane flooding conditions, the home could break away from its electrical lines, gas and plumbing and rise with the flood waters. Anchored to its site by two guideposts the home could sustain 12 foot high flood waters.

While it has never been tested in real life flood conditions, Morphosis conducted extensive computer simulations and modeled it to withstand Hurricane Katrina-like conditions. There is also a battery backup in the home with enough capacity to power crucial appliances for up to three days.

As with all Make It Right homes, the Float House is built with environmentally friendly materials, but in contrast to the other homes, this one is built on the ground level rather than 12 feet above the ground. Mayne and Morphosis wanted to retain the look of the existing community and make it more accessible to people who didn’t want to or couldn’t get up a huge flight of stairs. Mayne says about the house and design, “Hopefully it never gets used. But when it gets used, it’s important.”

Tap Project

2009-11-30T18:20:00.006Z

This project call 'Tap project' by UNICEF. The water vending machine was installed in Manhattan, US and the project is to help African who suffer from dirty water and other disease such as malaria and cholera. The water is really dirty water so never drinking. It just donate programme and to raise awareness of clean water importance.

Becoming vegetarian will help save the planet

2009-11-29T23:35:00.011Z

Here's a reason to be a vegetarian or, at least, a semi-veggie: Trimming your meat consumption by 30% would benefit you and the rest of the planet, according to research reported by Reuters.

The most meat-loving nations would have healthier citizens and also would reduce carbon emissions, scientists said.

Researchers in Great Britain and Australia have found that certain measures, like reducing fossil-fuel dependence in farming, aren't enough to meet emissions targets, reports Reuters.

But if these steps were combined with a 30% cutback in livestock breeding in key meat-producing nations, and a similar reduction in meat consumption, there would be "substantial population health benefits" and reduced emissions.

So, how much healthier would people be if they passed on the steaks and burgers?

The study, published in The Lancet medical journal, noted that in Great Britain alone, a 30% smaller intake of animal-based saturated fats by adults would slash the number of premature deaths from heart disease by 17%, says Reuters.

And Sao Paolo, Brazil, would have 1,000 fewer premature deaths a year if residents cut back on meat eating by 30%, Reuters notes.

Some 18% of all greenhouse-gas emissions can be attributed to meat production, according to the UN's Food and Agricultural Organization.

By 2030, rising demand for meat could drive livestock production up by 85% from 2000 levels, Reuters reports.

Polar Bear

2009-11-29T16:13:00.004Z

www.planestupid.com

I saw this today. Horrific!

Icebreaker Merino clothes

2009-11-26T20:17:00.002Z

Here you can trace the origin of the Merino wool they use for their garments, listen and watch stories about their farmers, and read about the company's philosophy..You need a BAACODE to do all this, here's one: 7B5FFE27B!

http://www.icebreaker.com/site/index.html

"The Footprint Chronicles" of Patagonia

2009-11-26T20:07:00.004Z

On this mini website you can trace the manufacturing process of the Patagonia's new collection items: water/energy consumption, distance traveled, carbon dioxide emitted, waste generated, etc...

http://www.patagonia.com/web/eu/footprint/index.jsp

Cameron Sinclair on open-source architecture

2009-11-24T21:41:00.005Z

2006 Ted Prize Award Winner Cameron Sinclair talks about Open Source Architecture. Open Source Architecture Network is an online, open source community dedicated to improving living conditions through innovative and sustainable design. It was born from the wish Cameron Sinclair made when he accepted the 2006 TED Prize: to build a global, open-source network where architects, governments and NGOs can share and implement design plans to house the world.

"My wish to develop a community that actively embraces innovative and sustainable design to improve living conditions for all"

Until this day he still works in the development of Open Source Architecture together with Architecture for Humanity: a nonprofit that helps architects apply their skills to humanitarian efforts.

These come form trees - case study

2009-11-23T02:04:00.008Z

http://t hesecomefromtrees.blogspot.com/

These Come from Trees is an experimental project about the environment, particularly paper waste. Their aim is to save thousands of trees, by spreading the message about paper wastage though the use of stickers. So far more than 50,000 stickers have been distributed since 2007. By placing this sticker on objects or products which is associated with paper, it gives out a direct statement to the user, so that to be more aware about paper wastage and thus using less paper. This was proven when an elementary school teacher introduced this to the school; the stickers were posted on a paper towel dispenser. A year later the school managed to reduce from 129 cases of paper towels to 95 cases. They manage to save 34 cases of paper towels and from statistics 34 cases is worth 1800 pounds of paper, which is equivalent to 18 trees. These stickers not only change people’s attitude towards paper usage but also is linked with bigger issue such as financial for example in the case of the elementary school where they can save money from purchasing less cases of paper towels.

Shrinkpaper - Case study

2009-11-23T00:03:00.002Z

http://www.shrinkpaper.org/

At shrinkpaper.org, it tells us the facts about paper wastage which is increasing rapidly around the world. The production of paper is increasing and thus causing more destruction to forests, pollutions and the rise of carbon emission. From this project, they’re aim is to see future Europe that consume less paper than its current state, since Europe(besides America) consume 6 times more paper compare to other countries.

They give advices and suggestions so that they will be a significant change to paper consumption like to reduce the amount of virgin pulp used, using recyclable paper, changing the social behavior, etc. On the website, you can also take a pledge about reducing paper consumption, where it is broken down into several categories which you can choose then it will calculate how many trees are saved, how much energy and water are saved and the amount of pollution we create less. Maybe then it will set an example to the paper industries if majority of the society is concerned about paper waste.

Working for Cleaner Beaches

2009-11-18T03:37:00.003Z

How we're improving and and protecting our bathing waters.

India’s Barefoot Solar Engineers Are Building a Brighter Future

2009-11-18T03:25:00.006Z

Throughout India there are many rural villages that are completely removed from the grid. With no source of power for cooking, light, and heating they currently must rely on firewood, kerosene or diesel for fuel. Now green jobs are blossoming throughout these remote areas as the Orissa Tribal Empowerment & Livelihoods Programme rains women and youth to become barafoot solar engineers. This brilliant initiative provides a bright future for the semi-literate and illiterate rural poor by teaching them to harness the sun through the construction of photovoltaic systems and solar powered lanterns.

The initiative makes a lot of sense – rather than dropping down solar technology from above, teach those who will use it how it works and they’ll be able to repair it, will pass the information on to others in need, and will benefit from the green jobs that are created. The Orissa Tribal Empowerment & Livelihoods Programme (funded by the UK’s Department for International Development) also stands to increase the availability of renewable energy, reduce dependence on volatile fossil fuels, and cut down on the use of dangerous kerosene lamps.

Talsa Miniaka, Pulka Wadeka, Minakshi Diwan, and Bundei Hidreka are four barefoot solar engineers in Tinginapu, in the Eastern Ghats of Orissa. Thanks to their training they now have a contract to build 3,000 solar-powered lanterns for schools and other institutions. These lanterns enable students to study after dark without using kerosene lamps and have encouraged local businesses by enabling villagers to work at night from their homes.

Orissa Tribal Empowerment & Livelihoods Programme

Bottle Bank Arcade Machine

2009-11-18T03:05:00.009Z

Many of us return our plastic bottles and cans. Noticeably fewer recycle their glass. Maybe that's because we don't get any money in return, as we do for cans and plastic. Can we change this attitude by making recycling glass fun to do? So you are not just rewarded with a good conscience, you also get a smile. See the results here.

The Bottle Bank Arcade is a recycling bin that encourages a higher rate of returns by rewarding bottle recyclers with musical notes and tons of fun. It’s one of several kooky and kinetic entries in The Fun Theory competition, which will award £2500 ($4185) for the best idea that proves “fun is the easiest way to change people’s behavior … be it for yourself, for the environment, or for something entirely different.

LINK

The pedal powered stage

2009-11-17T17:04:00.005Z

Sam Isaac - Carbon Dating - The Pedal Sessions from Magnificent Revolution on Vimeo.

Here's a nice video of the pedal powered stage I've mentioned this afternoon. You might want to check out Magnificent Revolution's other projects such as the pedal powered cinema or pedal powered home on their website. They're also organising bike generator workshops across britain in which you can learn the basics about building one by your own.

Remotely controlled garden using Twitter and Arduino

2009-11-16T12:40:00.004Z

via instructables.com

I'm always excited when I come across projects in which interaction, open source technology and social media is being used in resilient everyday design proposals and appliances. So, here's a great instructable about how to build a remotely controlled garden using the open-source electronics prototyping platform Arduino and Twitter. Instructable user natantus had the brilliant idea to combine the "Tweet-a-Watt" power-metering project with the automated garden how-to "Garduino". In this step by step tutorial you'll learn how to build your own garden that you can monitor from work, university or with your smartphone via Twitter.

http://www.biomimicry.net/

2009-11-14T17:01:00.002Z

Learning from Lotus Plants How to Clean without Cleaners
Learning from Human Lungs How to Sequester Carbon
Learning from Nature How to Create Flow Without Friction
Learning From Chimpanzees How to Heal Ourselves
Etc.....

http://www.biomimicryinstitute.org/case_studies.php

2009-11-13T19:05:00.006Z

Wildlife film maker Rebecca Hosking investigates how to transform her family's farm in Devon into a low energy farm for the future, and discovers that nature holds the key.

It is an interesting documentary on Peak Oil and it’s potential impact on farming. It is also an introduction to Permaculture as a way of designing a way out from the reliance in agriculture on fossil fuels.

Here is the link to the YouTube playlist to watch the entire show (takes around one hour).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xShCEKL-mQ8&feature=PlayList&p=9975CC0E8CC2CDDE&index=0&playnext=1

http://www.loveletterstothefuture.com/

2009-11-12T16:15:00.003Z

Imagine that you could write a love letter to the future - what would it say?

Future generations will be living with the consequences of whatever action we take - or do not take - on climate change, would you send them messages of hope and inspiration - or regret? Your message is important!

A time capsule has been built that will be permanently installed in Copenhagen - the site of the upcoming UN Climate Summit this December. The capsule will store love letters from this generation to the future - either as text, images or video - using technology we hope will maintain their survival for approximately five hundred years.

Post Petroleum City

2009-11-11T22:40:00.004Z

A city which will entirely rely on solar power. According to their measurements their solar power have been tested to produce twice the energy output that they would in a European climate.

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/01/masdar-city-tour.php

Stewart Brand: Whole Earth Discipline

2009-11-09T14:32:00.005Z

Stewart Brand, the publisher of the Whole Earth Catalogue back in the 60's proposes a whole different view on slums. Villages of the earth are drying out and it's in town where poor people find opportunity, action and a cash economy. Slum dwellers are poor but intensely creative and urban. Considering population growth on earth in the next decades, squatters are building the world. Brand's notion is that slums do not undermine prosperity instead they help to create prosperity. Although I don't agree on every point with him, his TED talk is an interesting presentation about a completely different approach on the topics of cities, nuclear power, genetic modification and geo-engineering which will surely provoke widespread debate.

mapping

2009-11-08T16:15:00.008Z

New York travel times on commuter rail

The map of Japan which was made by time of movement and Sugiwura Kohei.

Daniel Goleman on Ecological Intelligence

2009-11-01T11:48:00.013Z

Daniel Goleman is a psychologist and the author of the best-selling book Emotional Intelligence. His newest book, Ecological Intelligence, is a look through the haze of the true cost of what we buy. He places a strong emphasis on industrial life cycle assessment, a discipline that blends industrial engineering and chemistry with environmental science and biology — in order to assess how man-made systems impact natural ones.

Listen to the Interview on Treehugger Radio:

In the interview Goleman mentions goodguide.com a website which claims to "help you find better products that represent your values, avoid products that are harmful to your health, the environment, or society – and enable you to take actions to help improve the world."

Here is another talk:

Jonas Bendiksen: The Places We Live

2009-10-30T09:22:00.006Z

In addition to our discussions yesterday about alter-economies and population growth, an article on change observer: design observer gains insight into Jonas Bendiksen's work. Bendiksen, a Norwegian photographer, lived in slums for several months while recording and photographing daily life and people in slums around the globe.

Read the article
View the slideshow

http://www.ageofstupid.net/

2009-10-29T17:22:00.002Z

The UN climate summit will meet in Copenhagen in December 2009 to finalise the successor to the Kyoto Treaty. If the new deal is not as strong as the science demands - massive cuts in global emissions starting very soon - then it will be nothing short of a suicide pact. Right now, the most ambitious plans being put forward by any rich nation would give us a 50% chance of avoiding catastrophic climate change. We think humanity deserves better.

Green thing

2009-10-29T16:31:00.003Z

"Green Thing is a not-for-profit public service that inspires people to lead a greener life. With the help of brilliant videos and inspiring stories from creative people and community members around the world, Green Thing focuses on seven things you can do - and enjoy doing."

>Do the Green Thing

Social lending platforms

2009-10-29T16:11:00.005Z

Following on our discussion of (alter-)economies in studio today, you may be interested to have a look at 'webank,' which investigates alternative structures of finance, from lending to currency exchange.

Also check out this Nesta-related project:
>Big Green Challenge

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bloom/

2009-10-28T14:43:00.004Z

Hi guys!I found this BBC website its quite funny..have a look!

2009-10-27T17:46:00.003Z

This is the link to the program for the mapping. There are others around the web but this is really easy to manage and not too heavy. It is open source and... have fun!

http://vue.tufts.edu/download/index.cfm