During these unstable economic times many people are realizing that they have far more “stuff” in their life than they actually need or regularly use. This beautiful graphic from the forward thinking folks at Collaborative Fund, looks at the many ways we can take those items and share them with our community… even making good money on them in the process! [Read more...]
The constant bombardment of advertising billboards clutter the public space with ads ranging from clever, exciting, forgettable and outright obnoxious. All in the endless crusade to grab the attention of the consumer, and help them part with their hard earned cash. Hardly ever do they contribute anything to enhance the visual landscape they occupy; but a new billboard in the Philippines is looking to change that. [Read more...]
Be it beans, granola or sometimes even tomatoes, it seems today that everything we eat is somehow wrapped in colorful packaging. In fact, packaging makes up 40 percent of municipal waste in the U.S alone. Now, In.gredients a grocery store opening in Austin, Texas is hoping to fix that problem by creating the country’s first packaging-free, zero-waste grocery store. By eliminating all packaging from their products In.gredients is hoping to create a waste-free model to follow and make a significant dent in the mountain of garbage created daily. [Read more...]
This piece of motion typography looks in to the business practices of one of the most successful tech companies ever: Apple. While the devices they produce are often praised for their ease of use and clean design, just how ethical is the way they run their business? From a number of Chinese workers supposedly “suicided,” to a lack of charitable giving and questionable environmental practices, is Apple as squeaky clean as it looks? (disclaimer: In case you were wondering, this post was written by a Mac and Linux user) [Read more...]
Capture some links after the jump [Read more...]
If you thought the concept of car-sharing was only a recent notion, think again. Looking like little Pope-mobiles, these classic electric autos from Amsterdam where not the car for those who suffer from scopophobia (the fear of being seen), but they did pioneer the idea of a technology based car sharing system. All the components of a modern system are there: a very clever docking and recharging system, card and computer control of vehicle access with the member entering their PIN number on a rotary phone. Rates were reasonable: about 3.5¢ US per minute.
Providing shelter and food for a multitude of plants and animals, coral reefs are some of the most vibrant and diverse ecosystems on the planet. Today, due to factors ranging from sunscreen-polluted waters to warming ocean currents, reefs are dying off at an alarming rate, leaving barren underwater deserts. Luckily, artist Jason deCaires Taylor has a clever and beautiful solution. [Read more...]
Spiralling bamboo architecture, open air classrooms and lessons in sustainable agriculture are just a few of the elements that make Green School a visionary establishment that promises to inspire the way we teach in the future. While in Bali this January, I had the fortunate opportunity to tour the eco institute, which I had heard about through John Hardy’s TED Talk (see below). Exploring the grounds in person was incredible. I was blown away by his vision and more importantly, by his ability to transform his daring dream into reality.
If you’re one of those people who likes to ponder things while looking out a frosty window on a cold winter day, these pictures will clear up one of those long standing wonders: each snowflake really IS unique. Some look like roman columns, others circuit boards or spaceships. Taken under high magnification using a microscope, these images bring a fragile and beautiful world into view.
See Also HARMFUL VIRUSES MADE OF BEAUTIFUL GLASS
They say that every snowflake is different. If that were true, how could the world go on? How could we ever get up off our knees? How could we ever recover from the wonder of it? – Jeanette Winterson
In a much warmer climate and involving no Eskimos, a large igloo was recently built in the heart of Hamburg, Germany. The project is the work of German artist Ralf Schmerberg who used no ice but instead 312 refrigerators to build the huge domed structure.
