Monthly Archive for Juni, 2010

Stephen Colbert Blasts BP For Sending Fake Journalists to Cover Spill (Video)

The story was pretty amusing when it surfaced last week: the Wall Street Journal gained access to BP Planet, an in-house company magazine, only to discover that the oil giant had sent out its own 'journalists' to cover the spill, and were sending back dubiously rosy reports. But the whole thing grew even more amusing in the hands of Stephen Colbert:...Read the full story on Tre... weiterlesen...

Backyard House: Affordable Modern Eco Home Rises in Seattle

Located in Seattle, the Backyard House by SHED Architecture & Design takes its name from the site it sits on — the subdivided backyard of an existing single family house. The project’s fundamental objective, to build an affordable house, resulted in a program that emphasized economical construction, long term operational efficiency, durable materials, and the creatio... weiterlesen...

Modules Made from Material Waste Form Furniture, Walls and Rooms

While the image above depicts a modern and sleek interior space, you’d be surprised to know that the other side of the wall carries an aesthetic debauchery more in line with that of Sweeney Todd. An incredible installation piece created by a team of Mexico’s hottest designers, Diseño Piloto compiles an array of irregular material offcuts abandoned by furniture companies, an... weiterlesen...

My House » Coast Docs

by Emily YoungLaw professor Carole Goldberg and sociology professor Duane Champagne both teach at the University of California, Los Angeles. Both have a love of books and cooking, and since marrying in 2003, they now share six kids and eight grandchildren as well. To design the couple’s green, familycentric beach getaway in Oxnard, California, architectural designer Daniel ... weiterlesen...

Algae Biofuels Still Years From Commercialization: DoE

Microalgae testing, photo: Steve Jurvetson via flickr If it sometimes seems that second generation biofuels, and especially algae biofuels, also seem to be commercially just over the horizon, after just one more demonstration or pilot plant is completed, you're not mistaken. According to a new report ...Read the full story on TreeHugger weiterlesen...

Fisker to Make Electric Cars in Old GM Plant (Now That’s Recycling!)

Photo: Michael Graham Richard Project NINA Moving Forward Just like Tesla's future depends on its second car, the Model S electric sedan, the future of Fisker probably rests more on its second model (codename: NINA) than its first. Why is that? Because both companies are starting way up-market and, because of their hefty price-tags, those cars are ...Read the full story on Tree... weiterlesen...

WNYC Gets LEED Gold for Greene Space Performance Hall

WNYC — the most listened-to public radio station in the country — just received LEED Gold Commercial Interiors honors for The Jerome L. Greene Space — their new performance space at 44 Charlton Street in Manhattan. The Greene Space was built to allow the public to be a regular part of the live taping of WNYC’s shows, and it keeps sustainability in mind fr... weiterlesen...

Debunking the GOP Claim that Cap and Trade is an "Energy Tax"

Yesterday, I noted that a debate on cap and trade hosted by Salon produced the same predictable arguments from the "right" perspective -- that cap and trade is "a job-killing energy tax" and so forth. I had a little fun with the regurgitated, keyword-laden arguments laid out by Steve Everley of American Solutions, and called them misleading. This evidently drew his ire (or it c... weiterlesen...

World’s Smallest Whale Population Drops to 30 Individuals

The elusive North Pacific right whale may be too depleted to save. Image credit: Wikimedia Commons As the world continues to struggle over a plan to control—if not stop—commercial whaling, one of the industry's victims struggles for survival. The North Pacific right whale—once numbering in the tens of thousands—was nearly driven to extinction by whaling... weiterlesen...

Brilliant Paper Chair Transforms With the Turn of a Page

Designboom tipped us off to Droog’s recently released “Darwin Chair” designed by new york-based graphic designer Stefan Sagmeister. The chair consists of a cantilever base topped with a pad of 200 different sheets of printed tyvek “paper”. The chair “evolves” each time someone decides to either turn over the top sheet, showcasing the fr... weiterlesen...

Honda Fit to Become the Cheapest Hybrid on Market

Photo: Honda Around $16.5k in Japan Honda seems to have figured that if it isn't going to win the hybrid war on technology, it should at least try to win based on price. The first salvo was the Insight hybrid V2.0, which was about $3k less than the 3rd generation Toyota Prius, and the second on is coming soon under the shape of a hybridized Honda Fit which should sell for about... weiterlesen...

Iceland’s Luminous New Harpa Concert Hall Nears Completion

Iceland’s currency may be devalued, but thankfully the same thing hasn’t happened to the country’s lust for arts and culture. The capital city of Reykjavík, will soon be welcoming the Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Center designed by Henning Larsen Architects with Olafur Eliasson and Artec. Considered to be one of the most ambitious cultural projects the country has un... weiterlesen...

Dwell on Design » In Review: SMIBE

by Jordan KushinsOn Sunday afternoon at Dwell on Design we dimmed the lights on the Sustainability Stage for a special screening from SMIBE—The Society for Moving Images About the Built Environment. Founding member Bill Ferehawk, who is a former architect and current director and principal at Radiant Features, presented the winners and finalists from SMIBE's Personal Infras... weiterlesen...

Green Groups Hit The Airwaves Hoping To Use Spill To Prompt Climate Acton In the Senate

photo via flickr The League of Conservation Voters (LCV), VoteVets.org Action Fund, Sierra Club and Service Employees International Union (SEIU) today went live with some hard hitting TV ads designed to pressure targeted Senators to support climate and energy action. The $11 million ad campaign names Sens. Burr (NC), Johanns (NE), Nelson (NE), McCaskill (MO) and Reid (NV), and ... weiterlesen...

Today on Planet 100: X Prize for Oil Cleanup (Video)

weiterlesen...

LAST CHANCE: Win an iPad and Matching Eco Case (worth $549)!

Today is your last chance to win an iPad and DODOcase! So far we’ve received hundreds of impressive, inspiring and amusing responses from Inhabitants all over the world hoping to get their hands on this brand new iPad and matching bamboo sketchbook style DODOcase (worth $549)! But if you haven’t had your say yet, there’s no need to fret — you still have until MID... weiterlesen...

Obama: Energy Bill Must Price Carbon

Photo via the San Francisco Sentinel Despite all the recent talk about how the clean energy and climate bill is moribund in the Senate, there are still some serious signs that it may be worth holding out hope yet. Yesterday, Obama gathered two dozen senators to discuss the prospects for the legislation -- in the meeting, he yet again stressed that any such bill must include a m... weiterlesen...

How to Work a Trade Show – Tips from Dwell on Design

Considering promoting your green business by exhibiting at a trade show? We’ve got some insider tips about how to avoid pitfalls and maximize the returns including how to successfully partner up with like-minded brands (like we recently did with our eco pop-up shop at Dwell on Design!). Learn how to maximize your return on investment on the trade show floor here. READ MO... weiterlesen...

What Building a Castle the 13th-Century Way Can Teach Architects Today

We have written many posts about the lessons modern designers could learn from the way we used to do things, like planting vines, using awnings and learning how to use windows properly. In France, they are taking it to a whole new level, and building the ­Chateau de Guedelon,an entire castle from scratch, using only traditional materials and methods, and they are partying like... weiterlesen...

Mobile App Helps Citizens Report on Gulf Oil Spill

Image via Map The Spill For staying as up-to-date as possible, as well as participating in the reporting of the Gulf Oil Spill, Map The Spill has created a mobile app that turns your cell phone into a citizen reporting tool. From photos to videos to field notes, users can keep each other abreast of the latest on what's happening in the gulf, helping to keep everyone informed an... weiterlesen...