01. 1.2010
The Windowfarms project turns your window into an urban farm, using inexpensive and recyclable parts. The results are a "curtain" for any window that is also a year-round, high-yield, vertical, hydroponic, modular, low-energy, edible garden. The open designs are free to download and easy to implement. The project also encourages the community to innovate and share improvements.
Britta Riley and Rebecca Bray started this project in February, 2009 during their artist's residency in New York's Eyebeam Art and Technology Center. Their mission is to encourage sustainable solutions that can be implemented today by anyone. Recently, Riley presented developments of Windowfarms at the New York chapter of Dorkbot.
Posted by Ray
Category:
eco
Tags:
Email this
| Comments (0)
12.23.2009
The pretty frock in he picture is more than the latest piece of haute couture. Thanks to the efforts of Forster Rohner, Alexandra Institute, diffus.dk, and The Danish Design School this dress is not only fashion-forward it's also eco-friendy.
The LEDs embroidered into the dress actually show the levels of CO2 in the room. The dress monitors CO2 levels and transmits the information to the LEDs which flicker in response to the data. I wonder if the decision to make the dress a charcoal gray a purposeful one made by the collaborators to symbolize our declining air quality. At any rate, this is another example of how technology and fashion can come together to create something that's beautiful and functional both on and off the catwalk.
Via Fashioning Tech
Posted by sherri
Category:
design
| eco
| novelty
| wearables
Tags: CO2 design eco-friendly fashion technology
Email this
| Comments (0)
Edit Entry
11.26.2009
Sound pretty complicated? But not the principle behind this one-of-a-kind eco-friendly Water Powered Clock from Green Stamp. The idea is, simply, to use energy from water to keep the clock alive and ticking.
Judge it not yet. Because the Water Powered Clock is a small, albeit hugely significant, indicator of how modern electrochemical technology can be used to create electronics without emission or additional burden on existing "non-green" energy sources. And the clock is very conveniently designed for that very same purpose - a can into which you have to pour water once every 6 months to keep it running. A great product to introduce kids to green tech.
The can-shaped clocks are available in 4 colors at £9.99 (around US $17). And yes, the results maybe unexpected in case you decide to get creative with the choice of liquid. We guess.
Via Shiny Shiny.
Posted by kanchana
Category:
devices
| eco
Tags:
Email this
| Comments (0)
Edit Entry
11.22.2009
Save $1500 on your energy bill this year. The latest on plastics and canned foods that contain Bisphenol A. Green ratings of electronics, cars, and other products. What green consumer goods should you buy, and how can you find them?
It's one-stop shopping for that information, plus green news too, at the Greener Choices web site, free from the respected publication Consumer Reports. You can sign up for free newsletters, too.
Posted by Tam
Category:
eco
Tags:
Email this
| Comments (0)
Edit Entry
11.21.2009
You can be the eco-conscious girl with green hair if you patronize beauty salons that use green hair-care products.
Hair dyes, shampoos, and other such products have traditionally contained synthetic chemicals that can harm the user and the environment. But an increasing number of hair care salons are saying "no" to that tradition. They're stocking environment-friendly products and using them on their customers.
It's a trend that first took hold--of course--in California. But the trend is spreading to other parts of the US. An article in Scientific American advises you to just Google "green hair salons" plus your state abbreviation and you may be surprised to find one--or more--near you.
And if you can't find a local green hair salon, you can nag your favorite salon into turning green. Urge your hairdressers to use the increasing number of hair-care options that are safer for their clients and the world. Some brand names to look for: EcoColors, Aveda, Modern Organic Products or Innersense
Posted by Tam
Category:
eco
Tags:
Email this
| Comments (0)
Edit Entry
11.20.2009
Solar power. Solar heating. Solar lighting. Sure, you'd like to fuel your life for free with help from the everlasting sun. Trouble is, it's not really free.
The equipment that can turn sunshine into a warm, well-lit life costs the earth. You can easily spend $20,000 or more for rooftop solar panels, for example.
But there's hope. Alternative financing of solar has begun in the US, in a small way. For example, a few thousand homeowners is California, Arizona, and Oregon are reducing their upfront costs by leasing solar equipment--and paying an estimated 15% less for electricity, equipment included. And the federal government has an assortment of programs that underwrite homeowners' solar projects.
Read all about these and other possibilities for reducing the cost of solar equipment at E, the environmental magazine.
Posted by Tam
Category:
eco
Tags:
Email this
| Comments (0)
Edit Entry
11. 4.2009
Designer Je Sung Park is striving towards the idea of us careless masses being able to throw away our laptops if need be. And yet leave no harmless waste for the environment to deal with.
That maybe an overstatement, but we love that the idea of recyclable laptops is budding in such creative minds. Park's idea is that of a eco-friendly laptop that uses recycled paper or pulp for its external casing instead of metal or plastics. The laptop itself, he proposes, will be designed in "layers" so that you can easily throw away damaged portions without being accused of creating more e-waste. Sounds great, even if only on paper.
Via Yanko Design.
Posted by kanchana
Category:
computers
| design
| eco
Tags: disposable paper laptop eco green recycling
Email this
| Comments (0)
Edit Entry
10.29.2009
I am always intrigued by new designs that aim at energy saving, which is probably why my attention was caught by Switch a power socket designed by Yong-jin Kim. Switch’s purpose is to help users save on their electricity bills that are often affected by the Stand-By power of many appliances and gadgets left plugged in. By making it very easy and effortless to disconnect any type of power-sucking device, the consumer’s “lazy” or “forgetful” behavior can therefore be modified. So, instead of bending down all the way to your power socket and unplug whatever is contributing to both a bad consumer and environmental behavior, you can now bend all the way down but simply turn the plug to turn it off.
And now I wonder, is Switch really making a difference?
I like its concept and sleek design but I am not convinced that it will influence a behavioral pattern for the better. Granted, its fancy style will make my power sockets look a lot nicer and my apartment a lot tidier than if I would have a bunch of unplugged cords lying around, but if I forget or am just too lazy to unplug my appliances I wonder how Switch will make it any easier for me to either remember or make it so effortless to unplug the incriminating device that I will actually go ahead and do it.
Via Yanko Design.
Posted by Camilla
Category:
eco
Tags:
Email this
| Comments (0)
Edit Entry
10.26.2009
Someone apparently doesn't believe in the word "waste". And you bet they are bound to have a few creative genes when they can defy such a powerful word. Well, apparently such creative genes must total much more than one can imagine, for these geniuses from TerraCycle have created the most unique products in their effort to turn waste into something useful.
The company, founded by Tom Szaky, collects waste from groups across the country and turns it into over 100 useful products, in addition to donating money to charities for each "waste" item that it receives. Consider the Frito-Lay Speakers, for example. These funky speakers are made from discarded chip bags. And they are functional. They are foldable speakers that don't require batteries and plug into your mp3 or other portable audio player with a 3.5 mm universal plug. TerraCycle sells them online at $19.99.
So the next time you toss out that used chip bag, think new and send it to over to these sensible folks at TerraCycle - you would have earned $.02 for a non-profit organization or school of your choice, plus the right to brag that you helped create the world's cleanest speakers.
Via Crave.
Posted by kanchana
Category:
eco
Tags:
Email this
| Comments (0)
Edit Entry
09.17.2009
The association between batteries and geeks is like a romance between "two young star-cross'd lovers", to take a little help from Shakespeare. Only, the relationship is most certainly polygamous. For, every geek in his lifetime depends on hundreds of different kinds of 'em lovely batteries to maintain his identity. Now, this is where we want to step in and reduce those that he's not taking seriously - the "disposable" ones, you see.
The Battery Wizard has the same noble intent as it turns out a unique battery recharger - one that can recharge both disposable as well as rechargeable Ni-Cad and Ni-Mh batteries (AAA, AA, C, D, 9v block). Interesting huh? The Battery Wizard can apparently extend the life of standard alkaline batteries by up to 10 times by "reconditioning" them - a process whereby the "batteries' valuable chemical contents are fully utilized". There is an LCD screen that indicates the status of each one of the 4 batteries that you can load at one time. Faulty batteries are rejected and completely dead ones are ignored, if you will.
And don't you worry - the device has been certified for safe operation according to British Standards. Clap, clap.
Available from Gizoo for around $42.
Via The Red Ferret.
Posted by kanchana
Category:
devices
| eco
| misc gadgets
Tags:
Email this
| Comments (0)
Edit Entry
Back to Top
Next Page »
