Archive for August, 2009
Argentine design studio Gruba has come up with a set of very cool chairs, table and benches made with reclaimed materials that are also entirely recyclable at the end of their (second) lifetime. The first, featured above, is an incredibly good looking sofa chair made with reconstituted wood and recovered with recovered wooden window blinds. The chair is also easy to disassemble and its materials, recyclable....
Going green on the red carpet. Stars in the worlds of music and entertainment have the voice and popularity to shape a generation. Ryan Leslie is no stranger to the spotlight. As an artist he lives in fast-paced world of private jets, tour busses, and a lifestyle surrounded by excess. I think that my voice will be chiming in with the voices that everyone’s been hearing over the past few years, especially with the work of someone like an Al Gore, who’s really brought to the forefront in a very cool way the importance of taking stock in the environment...
Back when the site first started we posted an article on Nike’s Reuse A Shoe program. Just to re-cap: Reuse-A-Shoe collects worn-out athletic shoes of any brand from a variety of sources, including end of life shoes collected through a variety of recycling programs, special events and at Nike or other stores, and then uses the processed kicks (turned into “NIKE GRIND”) to build community atheltic courts for kids. It was no surprise to us that when we caught up with LEBRON JAMES’ FAM at a dinner at LA ESQUINA did we come to find that LEBRON is one of...
In one of the most ambitious examples of speculative architecture of the year, Paris-based OFF Architecture recently unveiled an incredible eco-bridge spanning the Bering Strait from Russia to the United States that would facilitate international trade, protect wildlife, mitigate global warming, and promote peace. Every bit as beautiful and eco-conscious as it is quixotic, the project stole the show at the Bering Strait International Ideas Competition. OFF Architecture’s proposal for a structure spanning the Bering Strait includes the obligatory bridge and park, but also adds a self-contained ecosystem powered by geothermal technology and ocean current turbines. The design also features...
Can an urban hipster’s trendy tote also serve the needs of poor Africans? AfriGadget‘s Erik Hersman is traveling through Ghana, Kenya, and Uganda, meeting with motorcycle mechanics, tailors, and roadside food vendors to try and find out. AfriGadget is a tech site with a twist, a blog that showcases the creativity of people “bending the little they have to their will.” So founder Hersman was a logical person to call on for a group of designers and techies trying to figuring out if a solar-powered messenger bag could play a useful role in places where electricity is unreliable at best....
Is Hanes going Hemp? After toiling for nearly a decade to shake hemp’s burlap-sack connotations—and prove that the fiber is a viable replacement for cotton—Naturally Advanced Technologies (née Hemptown) may finally have its day. The Portland, Ore.-based company, according to Portfolio.com, has announced a series of deals primed to commercialize its Crailar Fiber Technology, an enzyme-based treatment for processing hemp and other organic fibers into pillowy smooth fabric. Among some of the bold-faced names being uttered? Hanes, one of the world’s largest consumer brands, which posted $4.2 billion in sales in 2008. HIT FROM: Treehugger.com...
In what is set to be the greenest development in Turkey, Istanbul recently unveiled the VARYAP Meridian Project, a mixed-use super-development that will house the city’s new financial and business district. Set in the Atasehir District at the crossroads of major highways, subway lines and near the airport, the new project will be a model for future green development. New York and Istanbul-based RMJM are designing the project to LEED standards and have carefully analyzed the site to take advantage of the surrounding topography, climate and context HIT FROM : INHABITAT.COM...
Green commuters often find it difficult to spot the green sites around and to make it simple, the National Wildlife Fund offers a new website called NatureFind. Slickly integrated with Google Maps, it’s an efficient eco-search tool that is available on the internet. A single click opens up a whole new world of nature events, trails, national monuments, eco-tourism spots, arboretums, science museums and observatories. Give it a go this weekend itself!...
Ever been on the subway in NYC and spied an attractive naked woman in high-heels standing next to you? Kind of distracting, right? PETA was obviously thinking the same thing with their new anti-fur ad starring Nia Long. Unfortunately, it’s so horribly photoshopped that I’m finding myself trying to figure out which parts of her are real. And honestly, would you ever let your genitalia touch a NY subway pole? Eek! The movie/television actress (you’ve potentially seen her in something) says, “When I became a mother, I started to really understand the importance of all living creatures in a way...
“I’m honored to serve as an ambassador to the Diabetes Aware campaign, and I want to encourage families to be active and eat right. Small steps can go a long way in managing diabetes, its complications, and raising healthy, active children.” Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson speaking out about his new role as ambassador of the Diabetes Aware campaign. Diabetes is the pits and totally out of control! We’re happy to see a celeb encouraging healthy lifestyles....
