There is one active Dutch designer named Daniel Schipper who created the foldable greenhouse for city gardens and rooftop terrariums. These gardens are made from recycled plastics, the greenhouse roof folds up flat for easy storage and transience. The base is also made from recycled plastic composite and its lack of framework or support materials makes it a minimalist no-fuss appliance. Just unfold, snap, and water.
Schipper’s foldable greenhouse has been causing quite a stir in the Netherlands as he searches for a production partnership to bring it to the global market. It’s just one of many innovative creations from his Amsterdam studio which focuses on concept, research and design having completed. Many of Schipper’s projects emphasize sustainability, functionality and fold-ability.
Music, Art, Clothing Drive? That might sound a little off beat, but why not, is what the folks at Factory Vintage in San Diego decided when they through a summer donation drive at their new retail store in Bay Park.
On Saturday July 12th the Factory Vintage opened their retail showroom featuring a collection of authentic vintage apparel, albums, accessories; as well as one of a kind vintage reconstruction pieces. In their back warehouse/gallery they featured a diverse collection artwork from local San Diego artists Cowboy, Terry Diamond & Jonny Mac. During the entire event they had a local DJ crew spinning classic reggae and ska from a rare and admirable collection. Then at 7pm local legendary Ska band Self Made Men played a lengthy set for an excited crowd of fans and onlookers.
Great Art work, dancing, and shopping was all happening while a summer clothing drive was taking place. Anybody who brought in old clothes to donate to local charities would get 20% discount or gift card for their store.
Jorge Chapa put together a piece on the Giant Anaconda Tube Generates Energy from Waves! This is a snake-like rubber tube float that floats in the ocean that could prove that wave energy conversion is an economically viable solution to meet our power needs. At least that is what the creators of the Anaconda device are hoping will happen. The Anaconda was designed in the UK by Francis Farley and Rod Rainey, the Anaconda is a very simple giant rubber tube that generates energy by bobbing up and down in the water.
Electricity is generated via the up-and-down motion of the waves. The waves will hit one end of the tube, thus creating a bulge which is pushed from one end to the other. The bulge becomes bigger and bigger as it runs down the tube until it hits the generator, where the water turns a turbine, and generates electricity. I think this is just the beginning of something we will see more of.
We found yet another great piece that was worth mentioning on INHABITAT, these guys have great articles worth checking out. This particular article was written by Moe Beitiks on Aquaculture. It was so cool that we thought we would re-post it. "Who doesn’t love a nice water installation? The bubbling and gurgling of things like fountains has an undeniably relaxing effect - and yet, there’s the nagging guilt that comes from running a pump for the sheer purpose of recirculating water. How much power does it draw? What’s the carbon footprint of your meditative state? What has that water feature done for you, aside from making that ridiculous noise? No so relaxing anymore. Fortunately, artists Amy Youngs and Ken Rinaldo have devised a way to create guilt-free water pleasantries while producing food and providing oxygen. The Farm Fountain, which uses aquaponics to fertilize plants with the waste produced by fish, is a bubbly oasis of greenery and aquaculture. The concept of aquaculture involves delivering nutrients to plants in a soilless medium with water. In this case, the plants are growing in clay balls encased in reused 2-liter soda bottles. At the base of the Farm Fountain is a pond containing koi and tilapia, the latter being an edible fish acclimated to pond culture. Waste water from the pond, sullied by the fish, is circulated up to the topmost planters then cascades down through the rest. The plants, which include basil, baby watercress, tomato and baby lettuce in this prototype, filter the nutrients from the water and return it to the pond ready for the fish. One system’s waste is another system’s food. The plants are lit with LED growing lights in bases dissected from an inexpensive floor lamp. The artists provide step-by-step how-to instructions for anyone interested in making their own Farm Fountain, and growing own own food in peace.
The Farm Fountain was just awarded a Green Leaf Award (2008) from the Natural World Museum."
Wow what a great idea, i can't wait to get one started. You can check out the original article at Inhabitat.
When people think about alternative transportation, the focus is often on more eco-friendly based land or air travel. After all, the open ocean provides the prevailing winds as a very sustainable power source. We have seen wind-powered cargo ships from the beginning of exploration times, and even more recent a wave-powered boat. However, use of solar power for boats had not been explored very much, let alone in speedboats. Until now. The Czeers Mk1 prototype is, according to their designers, the first ever solar powered speedboat. Based on the 2006 Nuon Frisian Solar Challenge winner, this marine speedster is making quite a splash. According to Inhabitat, "The prototype is capable of achieving speeds of up to 30 knots, and is fully powered by the integrated solar cells. It is absolutely gorgeous; the deep carbon fiber hue, combined with the orange interiors, and the sleek form give off an incredible James-Bondian vibe. It is also, quite likely, very expensive, as no price has been given, and only a limited number will be produced."
Smart meters are just, well, smart. They allow real-time pricing (f.ex. off peak electricity is less expensive than during peak demand), something that has a big impact on people's behavior. It basically rewards virtue: If you pay attention, you can save more, and if you don't, you'll pay more.
Texas utility Oncor is working with Swiss smart-meter company Landis+Gyr to roll out 3 million advanced meters by 2012. The bill is expected to be $690 million dollars, and will be first paid by customers (directly or indirectly), but over time it will more than pay for itself in electricity savings and a reduced need to built new power plants.
We found this this information on the Y bottle at core77.com, and felt it was definitely worth mentioning. "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."
Your unique spirit and individual personality are not mistakes; there is a plan and a purpose for your life. Pay Attention, when you are being lied to. Please do not be fooled, each one of us is responsible for the decisions we make and the actions we do or do not take.
