Refuge in the Alps Looks Like a Giant Telescope
December 16, 2011 by admin · View Comments
[ By Steph in Art & Design & Geography & Travel. ]
After a long day of climbing mountains in the Alps, looking out over snow-covered boulders and valleys shrouded in fog, wouldn’t it be amazing to spend a night in this cozy cantilevered getaway? The prefabricated tube juts out over a cliff, resembling a giant telescope from which occupants can continue to gaze at their incomparable surroundings.
‘New Refuge Gervasutti’ was designed by Italian architects LEAPfactory, who specialize in modular survival structures that can withstand extreme conditions and environments. The tube was built off-site and carried to its rocky perch by a helicopter. Though the red pattern has a practical function – making the refuge visible to climbers and mountaineers – it also has a bit of Alpine charm, looking like decorative trim on a sweater.
The refuge pod features a number of circular porthole-like windows on either side, and is covered in solar panels which power lights, a weather monitoring station and other electronics. There’s a living area with a kitchen, a table and seating, and a sleeping area with bunk beds and storage space for gear.
Say the architects, “The realisation of the refuge is a great achievement, in that the materials used are of a high standard and use sophisticated technology capable of handling the problems of extreme temperatures and the difficulties of installation, given the altitude and the position in the midst of a glacier.”
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New 7 Wonders of Nature: The 7 Winning Wonders!
November 15, 2011 by admin · View Comments
[ By Steve in 7 Wonders Series & Geography & Travel & Nature & Ecosystems. ]
The New7Wonders Foundation’s long-running campaign to select (with your help) the world’s seven most outstanding natural wonders officially ended on November 11th, 2011. The highly-publicized process was hugely successful in raising awareness of our planet’s natural beauty and in that respect, everyone’s a winner.
Amazon Rainforest
(images via: Amazon Rainforest, Caoba Lodge, Flickrfavorites and The Guardian)
The Amazon Rainforest first took root, so to speak, around 55 million years ago. Ironically perhaps, its creation was sparked by a period of global cooling that resulted in a moister climate in north-central South America. Known colloquially as “the lungs of the Earth”, the Amazon Rainforest functions both as a critical carbon sink and an oxygen supplier whose beneficial effects are distributed worldwide.
(image via: Love These Pics)
Although its current area of 2,123,562 square miles (5,500,000 km2) does not mark the rainforest’s maximum historical extent, “Amazonia” is still the planet’s largest tropical rainforest and acts an irreplaceable biological reservoir for botanical and zoological diversity.
(images via: TripAdvisor, Dark Roasted Blend and Big Travel Web)
At the present time, approximately 668,000 square miles (1,730,000 km2) of the Amazon Rainforest – nearly one third – is protected to some degree by official conservation measures. The region’s unique pink river dolphins, brilliantly colored “poison dart” frogs and forest-dwelling Amerindian tribes never in contact with the modern world will be happy to hear that.
Ha Long Bay (Vietnam)
(images via: Todd’s Wanderings, Asean Heritages and Desben)
Ha Long Bay means “descending dragon bay” in Vietnamese, and this picture postcard perfect place has charms that could soothe even the most ornery dragon. The bay boasts nearly 2,000 islands, only half of which have been named.
(image via: The Amazing Stuff)
The bay’s otherworldly beauty is a testament to the power of geological processes acting over time… say, 20 million years since the area’s half-billion-year-old Karst limestone began weathering away under the onslaught of tropical storms and salt-water spray.
(images via: World’s Best Places and Baitulong Travel)
Karst limestone formations around the world often feature extensive subterranean cave systems and Ha Long Bay is no different. As such, the area shows another dimension of scenic beauty though the more popular caves have suffered ill effects from human activity associated with increased tourism.
Iguazu Falls (Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay)
(images via: Wikipedia, National Geographic and List After List)
Iguazu Falls has been impressing onlookers for a long time: the name “iguazu” is derived from the native Guarani words for “water” and “big”. Unlike other large waterfalls such as Niagara Falls and Victoria Falls, the irregular basalt plateau over which the Iguazu River plummets divides the flow into as many as 275 separate cataracts.
(images via: Neverending Voyage, Argentina’s Travel Guide and Artist Rising)
Visitors to Iguazu Falls are advised to take the Moonlight Tour, though the ethereal after-hours magnificence of the roaring falls is best taken in under a full moon and clear skies. The sight may seem somewhat muted but the sound? Not a bit!
(image via: eTravelPhotos)
The two nations that share access to Iguazu Falls (Argentina and Brazil) recognized long ago that the falls and their associated ecosystem was both magnificent and fragile. Brazil created Iguaçu National Park in 1939 while Argentina’s Iguazú National Park first opened in 1934.
Jeju Island (South Korea)
(images via: Chic Traveler, Scubaboard and Travionside)
Jeju Island is the largest and most southerly island in South Korea. The 175 mile (282 km) wide island was formed 2 million years ago in a series of massive volcanic eruptions and the island owes much of its unique and striking scenery to its fiery origins.
(images via: Vinhbinh-Share and MohammedAldawsari)
South Korea’s tallest mountain, the 6,400 ft (1,950 m) tall extinct volcano Halla-san, rises from the island’s geographical center. The contrast between Halla-san’s alpine scenery and the palm-fringed tropical beaches at the isle’s fringes results in a wide range of ecosystems.
(images via: VisitKorea)
Known as the “Island of the Gods”, Jeju Island is South Korea’s top honeymoon destination. The island’s relatively small residential population and the unsuitability of much of the rocky, lava-covered land for farming has helped preserve Jeju Island’s primordial character.
Komodo National Park (Indonesia)
(images via: Labuan Bajo and TripAdvisor)
Founded in 1980, Indonesia’s Komodo National Park consists of the three large islands of Komodo, Padar and Rincah, 26 smaller surrounding islands, and a short section of western Flores Island’s coast.
(images via: The Beauty of Indonesia)
The park as a whole comprises nearly 670 square miles (1,733 km²) of combined land and sea. The park was created specifically to protect the world’s largest lizard, the Komodo Dragon, but its purview has been expanded to cover a number of unique indigenous terrestrial and marine ecosystems.
(image via: Photohome)
Komodo Dragons are a rare example of “island giantism” in which one species gradually evolves to fill an ecological niche, in this case one left empty by the lack of large carnivorous predators. Certainly qualifying as giants among lizards, Komodo Dragons can grow up to 9.8 feet (3 meters) in length and can weigh up to 150 lbs (70 kg). Fun facts about Komodo Dragons touch on their reddish saliva and white excrement, the latter a consequence of the creatures’ inability to digest the calcium in their prey’s bones.
Puerto Princesa Underground River (Philippines)
(images via: LovePinasPinoy, Puerto Princesa Hotels & Resorts, Eye in the Sky and New7Wonders.com)
The Puerto Princesa Underground (or Subterranean) River was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site on December 4th, 1999, and it’s likely the attention the site subsequently received did much to spur much-needed preservation and protection measures.
(images via: Pinoy Travel Blog, Themenschwerpunkte and TripAdvisor)
Stretching 5.1 miles (8.2 km) from its mountainous headwaters to the South China Sea, the Puerto Princesa Underground River system encompasses a vast range of ecological habitats supporting an intricate web of rare and often interdependent plant and animal species.
(image via: Philippines – Official Gazette)
Puerto Princesa City is the capitol of the Philippines’ semi-isolated, rugged and relatively undeveloped island province of Palawan, and the Puerto Princesa Underground River is situated roughly 30 miles (50 km) north of the city center. This advantageous location is a boon for the limited number of tourists who have and will visit the Puerto Princesa Underground River.
Table Mountain (South Africa)
(images via: African Fiesta and TripAdvisor)
The massive, flat-topped sandstone peak called Table Mountain stands 3,558 feet (1,084.6 meters) tall and looms over Cape Town, South Africa. As the centerpiece of Table Mountain National Park, the long-time landmark attracts visitors from around the world and facilitates their movement via the convenient Table Mountain Cableway.
(images via: Splash and SA-Venues)
Is that Reverend Desmond Tutu up on Table Mountain looking all messianic-like? Why yes, yes it is! Was the revered Reverend calling upon The Big Guy “upstairs” to help boost Table Mountain into the New 7 Wonders of Nature’s final seven? We can let the results speak for themselves.
(image via: Itinaukri)
Table Mountain’s indigenous ecosystem is very different today from what it was when Dutch colonists first founded Cape Town in 1652. Large carnivores such as lions and leopards have been eradicated as have most of the larger herbivores. SANParks has been vigilant (some say TOO vigilant) in rooting out invasive plants and animals from Table Mountain, including a large population of goat-like Himalayan Tahr which descended from a breeding pair of zoo escapees back in 1935.
(images via: Let’s Go Sago! and DavidIcke.com)
The seven winning wonders described above and listed in alphabetical order are stated to be “provisional” based upon the first vote count conducted by the the New7Wonders Foundation and announced by Bernard Weber, project founder, on 11/11/11. Stay tuned for official confirmation of the seven winning sites, due to be announced early in 2012 at the Official Inauguration ceremony!
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14 Unbelievably Unique Parks & Botanical Gardens
October 28, 2011 by admin · View Comments
[ By Steph in Geography & Travel & Home & Garden & Nature & Ecosystems. ]
Intricately shaped topiaries, ponds full of lily pads and koi, greenhouses brimming with dazzling arrays of exotic flowers, strange and fascinating sculptures – these 14 botanical gardens, private gardens and parks around the world show off the beauty of cultivated nature. Representing a fusion of the wild, untamed natural world and the architectural genius of humans, these parks are the closest to paradise that we can craft with our own hands.
Claude Monet Foundation at Giverny, Normandy, France
(images via: ell brown)
Immerse yourself in the landscape that inspired some of French Impressionist painter Claude Monet’s most beautiful and celebrated works at the artist’s former estate. Walking through these gardens, it’s almost as if time has stood still, as you can view what seem to be the very same lily pads that the artist saw and painted. Giverny is located 50 miles outside Paris, on the banks of the River Seine.
Kirtenbosch National Botanical Garden, Western Cape, South Africa
(images via: wikimedia commons)
Founded in 1913, South Africa’s Kirtenbosch National Botanical Garden may just be the most beautiful botanical garden in the entire world. In this preserve you can view live samples of plants that grow in five out of South Africa’s six biomes and a stunning selection of ‘protea‘ flowering plants, all within view of Table Mountain.
Villa Lante, Bagnaia, Italy
(images via: wikimedia commons, ineedaholiday.com.au, awesome-places)
One of the most important gardens in Italy, Villa Lante was in the possession of the Lante family from the 17th century, when it was already 100 years old, until the 20th century, when it was opened to the public. Bordered by two nearly identical homes, the garden is characterized by beautiful stone fountains, lush grottoes and intricate patterns of hedges.
Jardin Botanique de Montreal, Quebec, Canada
(images via: chris dlugosz, abdallah, wikimedia commons)
The Montreal Botanical Garden has such extensive collections and facilities, it’s considered one of the most important botanical gardens in the world. An indoor greenhouse holds a wide variety of labeled plants, and four themed outdoor gardens including the Chinese Garden, the Japanese Garden, the First Nations Garden and the Alpine Garden showcase the indigenous flora of various cultures and locales. In fact, Montreal boasts the largest Chinese garden in the world, outside of China.
The Lost Gardens of Heligan, Mevagissey, UK
(images via: heligan.com)
A part of the Heligan estate in Cornall, England, these gardens fell into disuse in the 1970s and were forgotten for decades – hence the name. But when ownership of the estate transferred to a trust, a group of enthusiasts revitalized them, planting hundreds of varieties of plants, a vegetable garden, a walled garden and a ‘jungle’. A stroll through the gardens will reveal fanciful ‘creatures’ covered in grass and moss including ‘The Mud Maid’ and a ‘Giant’s Head’.
Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney, Australia
(images via: chromolux, louise docker, brian giesen, renata)
View both downtown Sydney and the infamous Sydney Opera House from the Royal Botanic Gardens, located on the site of Australia’s first ever farm, which was established in 1788. Centuries of improvements to the soil have enabled a gorgeous array of plants to flourish, including many that grow inside the Pyramid Glasshouse. Up until May 2011, a colony of over 22,000 flying foxes – a large species of fruitbat – called the gardens home, but the bats killed dozens of trees and were eventually driven out.
Byodo-in Temple, Oahu, Hawaii
(images via: timothy tolle, alan light, horschmology)
Surrounded by Oahu’s greenery-cloaked mountains, the Byodo-in Temple is a replica of a historic Kyoto, Japan, temple of the same name, but it has many merits of its own – especially its gardens, which include two acres of koi ponds. Stone paths cut through emerald-green lawns and Zen-style gardens.
Parco dei Mostri (Park of the Monsters), Bomarzo, Italy
(images via: wikimedia commons)
A large monster, referred to as the ‘Door of Hell’, opens its mouth to admit you into a dark, cramped space with a small table. A watchtower tilts at a rather disturbing angle. Mythological creatures and unidentified monsters leer at passersby. The Parco die Mostri (Park of the Monsters) in Bomarzo, Italy is so surreal it is said to have greatly inspired the artists Salvador Dali and Jean Cocteau. The chaotic style of the gardens, which were created in the 16th century by Pier Francesco Orsini in honor of his beloved deceased wife Giulia Farnese, may be an intentional contrast to the orderly symmetry of the nearby Villa Lante.
Monte Palace Garden, Madeira, Portugal
(images via: montepalace.com, lukegordon1)
The Monte Palace Tropical Garden is a surprising glimpse of Asia found in Madeira, Portugal. Once a hotel, the gardens have been open to the public since 1989 and include a collection of ceramic tiles from the 15th – 20th centuries and various gardens that highlight both indigenous and exotic species. A group of educational panels explain the reason for the oriental gardens, telling of “The adventures of the Portuguese in Japan.”
Kew Gardens, London, UK
(images via: neiljs, paul friel, jim linwood, dan taylor, laura nolte)
More than 30,000 live species of plants can be viewed at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in southwest London, England – and if you think that’s impressive, consider this: inside the glassed ‘herbarium’ are over seven million preserved specimens. The Kew Gardens are well-deserving of their worldwide fame, thriving despite locally unfavorable growing conditions. In addition to the outdoor gardens and greenhouses are a number of educational and research facilities and architectural features like a treetop walkway and a 49-foot-tall pagoda.
The Gardens of Las Pozas, Xilitla, Mexico
(images via: lucy nieto, i_amici)
More of a surrealist sculpture park than a garden, Las Pozas is the playground of British poet Edward James, a patron of the arts. James was a passionate supporter of the Surrealist art movement and his love for the stile is evident in Las Pozas (the pools), which includes more than 80 acres of natural waterfalls and pools as well as concrete sculptures. The spindly, strange sculptures were built between 1949 and 1984; the whole project cost James over $5 million, which he raised by selling his considerable collection of Surrealist art.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden, New York
(images via: steve soblick, jose oquendo, elena gaillard)
Manhattan may have a botanical garden of its own, but it’s eclipsed by that of Brooklyn, a 52-acre garden located near the Prospect Heights and Park Slopes neighborhood. Putting on a jaw-dropping display of cherry blooms in the spring, the park also includes climate-themed plant pavilions, an aquatic plant house, a bonsai museum and an art gallery. Themed gardens include the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden, constructed in 1915, and the Shakespeare Garden which exhibits over 80 plants mentioned in the bard’s plays and poems.
Francisco Alvarado Park, Zarcero, Costa Rica
(images via: puroticorico, wikimedia commons)
Abstract shapes, arches and the faces of strange creatures grow out of the courtyard at Parque Francisco Alvarado, found in the town center of Zarcero in Costa Rica. The park’s topiary garden has been shaped into these fascinating shapes by the same man since the 1960s.
Garden of Cosmic Speculation, Scotland
(images via: reckon)
A private garden created by Charles Jencks, the Garden of Cosmic Speculation at Portrack House, near Dumfries in Southwest Scotland is opened to the public for just one day each year. Science and mathematical concepts, like black holes and fractals, inspired the complex arrangements and sculptures contained within the garden.
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Sky High: Stunning Observation Tower Shoots Upward
September 30, 2011 by thegreenchildrenfoundation · View Comments
[ By Steph in Art & Design & Geography & Travel. ]
Towering above the Dzintaru Park in Jurmala, Latvia, this sky-high structure by ARHIS rewards all those who take the time to climb its many steps with a stunning view of its natural surroundings, including the sea, and even the high rises of the nearby city of Riga.
Reaching nearly 120 feet into the air, the observation tower is made of galvanized metal and pine wood trusses that help it blend in with its wooded environment. 203 stair risers take visitors to subsequent platforms, 12 of which feature cage-like balconies from which to enjoy the views along the way to the top.
The structure opened to the public in May 2010 after a long delay in which its intended location was changed from one park to another, requiring a redesign. A discreet cellular antenna was added, providing two functions in one and preventing the eyesore of a free-standing cellular tower.
Illumination at night takes the tower from a natural-looking structure in a similarly-colored forest to an almost urban, clearly man-made creation standing like a beacon in the intimidating darkness of the woods.
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Impossible Pillars: Another Natural Wonder of the World
September 23, 2011 by admin · View Comments
[ By Steph in 7 Wonders Series & Geography & Travel & Nature & Ecosystems. ]
Seeming to defy the laws of gravity, teetering, spindly mountains tower into the air in a surreal display reminiscent of the floating monoliths in the movie Avatar. This is China’s Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, and its particularly stunning natural beauty can’t be found anywhere else in the world.
(top & above images via: kenner116, fishki.net)
Located 19 miles from urban Zhangjiajie, a city in the northern Hunan Province, this park is part of the Wulingyuan Scenic Area, an officially recognized UNESCO World Heritage Site. Enjoying a comfortable sub-tropical climate, the park attracts thousands of year-round visitors who come to gawk at its unusual landscape.
(images via: top china travel, wikimedia commons)
Tourists navigate the many hiking trails and attempt to capture on film the staggering pillars that make the park so famous. The small girth of these towering mountains, particularly notable for their height, is the result of many years of erosion which occurs during the expansion of ice in the winter.
(images via: fishki.net, kenner116)
The similarity of the floating ‘Hallelujah Mountains’ in Avatar to the pillars in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is no accident. The film’s director and production designers were inspired by their ethereal appearance. One pillar, the 3,544-foot Southern Sky Column, has been officially renamed ‘Avatar Hallelujah Mountain’ in honor of the movie.
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Squeal Wheels Tour: The Top 10 Cutest Electric Cars
September 20, 2011 by admin · View Comments
[ By Steve in Art & Design & Energy & Fuel & Geography & Travel. ]
Electric cars are good for the environment, inexpensive to operate and are an ideal choice for busy city commuters. They’re often small due to the need for light rolling weight but do they have to be so cute? These 10 electric cars and electric car concepts add a fluffy dollop of squeal appeal to your sustainable, pollution-free driving experience.
The Electric One Person Car
(images via: Miikka Skaffari, Brilliant Michael and My Desultory Blog)
That’s it, “The Electric One Person Car”? Considering the $36,000 price luxury retailer Hammacher-Schlemmer has stickered this single-seat three-wheeler with, you’d think they would at least pay a marketing consultant a few bucks to come up with an attractive name to match its undeniably cute styling.
(image via: Yeeeeee)
The Electric One Person Car is made by Myers Motors of northern Ohio and is also known as the the NmG (No More Gas, duh). You may have seen a gaggle of them in Austin Powers in Goldmember. They’re available in your choice of White, Coral, Magenta, Red, Orange, Yellow, Lime Green, Green, Aqua, Dark Aqua, Teal, Blue, Lilac, and Purple… just like Skittles! Why just taste the rainbow when you can drive it?
Peugeot’s 1001 Nimble
(images via: AutoMotto)
Looking like an extra-large motorcycle helmet and not a whole lot larger, the Peugeot 1001 Nimble rolls along city streets on a quartet of rubberized spheres… not tires, spheres. That ought to give you a hint the pyramidal people-mover won’t be rolling anytime soon, or at least until Goodyear Spheres are sold at your local Wal-Mart or Pep Boys.
(images via: Gajitz)
On the bright side, the Nimble is able to spin a full 360-degrees, even while in motion. This attribute should provide endless snorts & giggles at the fast food drivethru or after being pulled over by the police. Oh, the hilarity!
Nissan’s “Smiling Vehicle”
(images via: E-News, InventorSpot and Trendhunter)
Cute cars are supposed to make you smile. When the car smiles back, on the other hand, either you need to see a shrink or you’ve just encountered the Nissan Smiling Vehicle. Yes, “Nissan Smiling Vehicle” is yet another unimaginative, dishwater-dull name for an eminently interesting car but it DOES really smile so all is forgiven.
(images via: Just Labradors)
The deformable polymer plastic in the Nissan Smiling Vehicle’s front end wasn’t designed to form a frown (that’s what Photoshop is for) but hey – you want drivers to express their real emotions or not?
Cestar’s Sunset & Felstar
(images via: Cestar)
The three-wheeled Sunset and Felstar made by Shandong Celstar Electric Vehicle Co Ltd may not smile when called upon like Nissan’s unique concept, but China’s just getting into the car biz and the tech know-how isn’t quite up to Japanese levels. Besides, these cars are made to be sold and as such, their “smiles” are forged in metal and screwed to their “faces”. Such is life in a Communist paradise, my friends.
(image via: Cestar)
All politics aside, there’s something both alluring and endearing about the grinning grills Cestar’s sedans so frequently flaunt. Complemented by a pair of round, eye-like headlights and a blue sky-painted dash background, these cars positively scream “CUTE!”
“BamGoo” Bamboo-bodied Car
(images via: Gizmodo and Colors Of Swallowtail)
Didn’t Cheech & Chong once build a van out of marijuana? The “BamGoo” follows the same sort of concept though instead of customs agents, drivers need only fear hungry panda bears. Hopefully their extreme case of the munchies isn’t the result of running into Cheech & Chong.
(image via: Japan Probe)
The BamGoo can travel 50 kilometers (30 miles) on a full charge and was developed by a team from Japan’s Kyoto University with sponsorship from the city of Kyoto. The project’s aim was to raise awareness of environmental transportation issues while promoting traditional Kyoto bamboo craftsmanship. Personally I’d prefer a nice, immobile wicker chair.
THINK City
(images via: AutoBlog Green, Treehugger and GreenCar)
Having recently learned of one Saab story, is the world ready to give Scandinavian cars another shot? Perhaps, if the THINK City is any indication. Made in Norway, the zero-emissions, all-electric THINK City can run up to 180 km (108 miles) with a fully-charged battery and boasts a top speed of 100 km/hr (60mph).
(image via: MotorCarWin)
You can buy a THINK City if you live in Europe and they’re priced reasonably enough so that you don’t suffer a debt crisis… sorry, Greece. Driving a THINK City confers a few benefits as well, such as London drivers not being subject to the congestion charge. Get one charge, avoid another – works for me!
Electric Trabant
(images via: AllWorldCars)
Some people say the Ugly Duckling from Mother Goose was cute. Those people never saw (or smelled) the Trabant, the un-loved national symbol of the former GDR along with some very burly “female” Olympic swimmers. Is the Trabant ready for a comeback? At least with electric propulsion it won’t stink up the neighborhood. Is it cute? Definitely… if we compare it with the duckling ugly original Trabant.
Mega MultiTruck
(images via: Steck Automobile AG and StockphotoPro)
The Mega MultiTruck is one of a number of small vehicles made by French microcar manufacturer Aixam-Mega. While the company’s electric cars are certainly stylish enough, it’s the MultiTruck that epitomizes cuteness by reminding us of our childhood. The Mega MultiTruck not only looks like a scaled-up Tonka toy, it can be modified in a number of ways depending on the user’s preference… though probably not by snapping the parts together.
(image via: Araba Ruyasi)
You might think the term “electric truck” is a misnomer as trucks typically require both power and torque – not typical features of electric vehicles. Mega MultiTrucks are quite popular in the EU, however, appealing to buyers with economy, utility and their compact size perfectly suited for oft-narrow European city streets.
Chinese Chika
(images via: Gizmag, Automopedia and Electric For Car News)
Out to pick up some cute chicks? Better your odds by cruising in a cute Chika from China Automobile. Officially known as the Tang Hua XY08 Chika, the car displays generally pleasing curves with the only straight lines appearing on the horizontally striped grill. What’s up with that logo badge, though? Is that the company founder? Cheeky move, Chika dudes!
(images via: Automopedia)
The 4-wheeled, 2-doored Chika is China Automobile’s bold step towards creating an original styling theme and they may have just done it. Unless, that is, blueberries have something to say about it.
Japan’s Wrapping Electric Ad Cars
(images via: Tokyo Times)
You can’t buy one of these electric “ad cars” but would anyone really want to? If there’s such a thing as Cute Overload, this is it. Besides, by all appearances they come in threes. Operated by the Wrappin company and often seen rolling merrily through the streets of Tokyo, these cars are wrapped in vinyl anew for every ad campaign. By this point it would seem their original flimsy bodies have been significantly augmented by untold layers of ad vinyl.
(image via: Natebeaty)
There are plenty of reasons to buy electric cars. GM and the folks who work at the Chevy Volt manufacturing plant think so, but they may be a tad biased. Does the cute quotient of an electric vehicle factor into your decision to buy it – or pass it by? Considering the alternative to cute styling on a small car is something like a slab-sided golf cart, maybe going cute is the way to go!
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Converted Castles: 13 Preserved Palaces & Fortresses
September 2, 2011 by admin · View Comments
[ By Steph in Geography & Travel. ]
Most of the world’s castles, dating back as far as the dark ages, have crumbled into ruin. But there are still many of these daunting stone fortresses and palaces that live on in a new way – as homes, hotels, museums, universities and even bookstores. These 13 converted castles from the 10th to 19th centuries remain functional works of architecture, whether augmented by modern construction or historically preserved.
Messner Mountain Museum, South Tyrol, Italy
(image via: dezeen)
Leaving the historic exterior largely untouched, Italian architects EM2 converted a castle in the Alps into a mountaintop museum. Messner Mountain Museum houses a permanent exhibition about people who live in mountain communities around the world. EM2 added wooden stairways to many of the rooms, opened up the basement and constructed a few new spaces out of unfinished timber.
Grey Towers Castle at Arcadia University, Pennsylvania
(images via: road_less_trvled)
Grey Towers Castle was built starting in 1893 as the estate of William Welsh Harrison, and was acquired by Arcadia University in Glenside, Pennsylvania in 1929. The castle is rumored to have secret passages behind the fireplaces as well as a series of underground tunnels built to connect the main house to stables and outbuildings. It now contains various offices, including that of the President, as well as student residences.
Hay Castle Books, Wales
(images via: wikimedia commons, bobulate)
Hay-on-Wye, Wales is often described as “the town of books” thanks to its large collection of bookstores and libraries, and none are more magnificent than Honesty Bookshop, a 24-hour open-air bookshop on the grounds of Hay Castle. The books, which are kept in bookcases against the castle wall, are paid for through a small letterbox. Elsewhere on the castle grounds, a mansion built in the 1660s is used for second-hand book sales.
Ashford Castle, Ireland
(image via: ashford.ie)
On the shore of Lough Corrib in County Galway, Ireland, a medieval castle built in 1228 now offers the royal experience to any paying guests. Ashford Castle was converted into a five-star luxury hotel in the 1940s, and its 26,000-acre grounds include a 17th-century French-style chateau.
Moritzburg Museum, Halle, Germany
(images via: dezeen)
A ruined castle in Halle, Germany has been given a new life thanks to modern extensions by Spanish studio Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos. The formerly roof-less castle is now protected by a second-floor extension of modern steel, glass and stark white plaster, contrasting beautifully with the 15th century stonework. The structure now houses a notable collection of modern art, mostly German Expressionism.
Castell d’Emporda, Spain
(images via: dezeen)
Among the many breathtaking castles that have been converted to hotels in Spain is the Castell d’Emporda, which was augmented in 2011 with rusted steel parasols that shelter a terraced outdoor restaurant. The 14th century Castell d’Emporda, located on the Costa Brava, was fully preserved when it was turned into a boutique hotel in 1999.
Wilton Castle Luxury Apartments, England
(images via: wikimedia commons, rightmove)
Want to live in an actual castle? Unless you’ve got a royally loaded bank account, Wilton Castle in Yorkshire may be among your only chances. Though it was built in the early 19th century – on the grounds of a medieval castle – it has retained a feel befitting its history. The castle has been converted into luxury residential apartments.
Carbisdale Castle Hostel, Scotland
(images via: syha.org.uk)
Few hostels can boast surroundings quite as atmospheric as those at Carbisdale Castle in the Scottish Highlands. Built in the early 1900s for Mary Caroline, Duchess of Sutherland, Carbisdale Castle is now a youth hostel boasting a large collection of art, 365 windows, a clock tower and even a secret door opened by rotating a nearby statue.
Parador-Castillo de Tortosa, Spain
(images via: parador.es)
The Moorish king Abderraman III built the majestic Parador de Tortosa as a fortress in the 10th century. Today, the castle is a hotel, nestled in the fertile Ebro valley of the Catalan region of Spain.
The Witchery, Scotland
(images via: thewitchery.com)
While there are any number of old castles converted to hotels in Great Britain, none have interiors quite as magical as those at the appropriately named ‘Witchery’ in Edinburgh. Popular with celebrities and wildly in demand, The Witchery by the Castle is as well known for its richly decorated, theatrically baroque suites as for its critically acclaimed restaurant. The hotel’s 8 guest suites feature ornate drapery, renaissance-style paintings, Victorian baths, fireplaces and even hidden rooms.
Scottish National War Memorial, Scotland
(images via: wikimedia commons)
Located on the historic grounds of Edinburgh Castle in Scotland, the Scottish War Memorial occupies a converted barrack block on the north side of Crown Square. Though technically, this building is not a former castle, the bricks used to build it in the 1920s and ’30s are from the medieval St. Mary’s Church, which was built in 1366.
CN Castle, Portugal
(images via: archdaily)
How do you honor and preserve the remains of a historic castle, without attempting to rebuild it? Comoco Architects built modern viewing and exhibition spaces around the crumbling remains of Portugal’s Castelo Novo, allowing visitors to view the archaeological findings of the site without damaging them. A ‘steel box’ inside the castle’s main tower functions as multimedia room as well as an overlook.
University College, England
(images via: wikimedia commons)
Built in the 11th century, Durham Castle was a bishop’s palace for centuries before it was donated to the newly-formed University of Durham in 1837. Today, the castle houses over 100 students, and meals are eaten in the castle’s great hall. The castle, along with the adjacent Durham Cathedral, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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Plastic Fantastic: Cracking Art Group Colors Our World
August 30, 2011 by thegreenchildrenfoundation · View Comments
[ By Steve in Art & Design & Geography & Travel & Uncategorized. ]
Cracking Art Group seeks to change art history by taking an ethically responsible approach to ambient art. Founded in 1983, the six artists that comprise CAG expertly evoke the strict relationship between natural life and artificial reality through the innovative use of outsized animal assemblages expressed in brilliantly colored recycled plastic.
Art Group on Crack?
(image via: Mosaic Art Source Blog)
Cracking Art Group was founded in 1993 and their first poke at the public eye took place later the same year at the Epocale exhibition in Milan, Italy. The group’s six members (William Sweetlove, Renzo Nucara, Marco Veronese, Alex Angi, Carlo Rizzetti, and Kicco) all hail from west-central Europe, specifically Italy, France and Belgium.
(images via: Amazing Data, Kicco Cracking and Corriere Della Sera)
What’s in a name? Much, if you’re Cracking Art Group. Take “Cracking,” for instance. By invoking the process of splitting, breaking, separating, and expanding “the gap of the contemporary man, struggling between the primary naturalness and a future more and more artificial.” Nice work if you can get it!
(images via: Kicco Cracking, Victor.Showoff and WST)
The word “cracking” has another meaning as well, in that it’s the name of the chemical refining process that breaks the long-chain hydrocarbons of crude oil into short ones which then become the building blocks of a wide range of petroleum-based plastics.
(images via: WeHeartIt and Profimedia)
According to Cracking Art Group, “Artists belonging to this movement believe that cracking is that kind of process which converts the natural into the artificial, the organic into the synthetic”. Where would our modern technological society be without such processes?
Living in the Plastic Age
(image via: Unconsumption)
Every silver lining has its cloud, however, and Cracking Art Group believes that the process of transmuting natural to artificial, if not controlled, splits our species from our evolutionary path and confronts us with new realities beyond our experience. We are not who we used to be, it would seem, and the hard-wired humanity inside us conflicts with the overly processed lives we’ve created to “better” ourselves.
(images via: MonPuteaux.com, The SOP and 500blog)
By selecting recycled plastic and adapting it to their own purpose, Cracking Art Group is attempting to wrench back control of the process and turn it towards fulfilling the movement’s social and environmental commitment to reinstating humanity as part of nature, not apart from it.
(images via: Whorange, Haute World and Praha Graffiti)
Can one separate Modern Man from his history and in doing so, change his future? Cracking Art Group thinks they can, and their modus operandi involves leveraging a unique, creative, conceptual formula that challenges the rules of contemporary art.
(images via: Kicco Cracking, Artbis.fr and Profimedia)
CAG’s challenge typically takes the form of an invasion: huge, colorful plastic animals interpose themselves into our modern public spaces: highways, supermarkets, office buildings and parks to name just a few. We may not notice discarded plastic water bottles in such spaces but their upcycled and boldly tinted reincarnations? Just try NOT noticing them.
(images via: Milano 2.0 and Journal Des Vitrines)
The key element in Cracking Art Group’s assault on passive modern art and the dual nature of our millenary civilization is their use of recycled plastic. Upcycling plastic is a subversive activity: the artists effectively subtract a vital link in a one-way chain of toxic destruction that cumulatively can devastate our environment.
(images via: Journal Des Vitrimes and Artnet.fr)
Though it might not look natural, “making plastic art works means communicating through an innovative and aesthetic language and expressing a particular sensibility to nature.” What’s more out of place, a flock of gigantic fuschia snails or a scattering of strewn plastic water bottles… are not both unacceptable?
The Dual Nature of Man’s Works
(images via: Galerie 208 and Kicco Cracking)
Active and frequent participants in art events and exhibitions over more than a decade, Cracking Art Group is perhaps best known for their outdoor installations. The larger than life size, scale and strangeness of these installations tends to catch the public eye whether the public wants their eyes caught or not: how can one disregard a commercial building covered by several dozen huge red plastic lizards? Business as unusual indeed.
(images via: Best Of All Worlds, Mrs Wagner’s Art Ideas, Nashville247 and Wired New York)
In some ways, Cracking Art Group’s works bear a strong resemblance to those of the artist Christo (above). Both create immense outdoor installations employing large expanses of brilliantly colored material that co-opt real-world infrastructure to punctuate their impact. As well, both artists are environmentally-minded and use their art as a method of expanding ecological awareness.
(images via: Amy Goodwin and Aliraqi)
“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” Twenty-five years after Ferris Bueller said it, life’s moving faster than ever and FB’s pithy observation is ever more accurate. Our hectic lives and lifestyles rarely afford us the chance to stop, let alone look around.
(images via: Artsfactory, Newer World and KraftyKim)
Cracking Art Group’s oversized, visually intense and eye-grabbing outrageousness works to shake even the most undistractable among us, jarring our routines out of the rat race if only for a moment and prompting serious thought. Is this where we really want to be as a society? Does the march of progress to the current supposed golden age and beyond have a dark side, and if so, should we be ignoring it?
(image via: Kicco Cracking / Panoramio)
The late George Carlin once humorously mocked our frantic concern with “some plastic bags”, positing that plastic was, ultimately, one of the Earth’s children and our planet would eventually incorporate it into a new paradigm: The Earth Plus Plastic. It may yet happen but Mankind will be long gone by then. For the time being, though, ask yourself: what will you do when the big bad wolf comes to blow your plastic house down?
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China’s Sea Of Green Algae Has Beachgoers Seeing Red
July 26, 2011 by thegreenchildrenfoundation · View Comments
[ By Steve in Geography & Travel & History & Trivia & Nature & Ecosystems. ]
Summer’s arrived and China‘s green menace has returned along with it… we kudzu not! The massive bloom of stringy, slimy, and smelly Enteromorpha Prolifera algae that recently infested the seashore near Qingdao succeeded in keeping most (but not all) swimmers from enjoying a day at the beach.
Green Goo Go Home!
(images via: BBC, Chinabuzz and Sochina.net)
The east may be red, in the words of the popular Chinese government anthem, but the shocking green tide of algae that swamped beaches in the northeast part of the country is neither politically, aesthetically not environmentally correct.
(images via: Debosh, CoastalCare and China Daily)
Enteromorpha Prolifera, to give it its official name, is a form of green algae that bursts into bloom if nutritional and meteorological conditions are just right. When that happens, the results are, well, just wrong.
(images via: DailyMail UK and Yahoo News)
According to the North China Sea Branch (NCSB) of the State Ocean Administration, reports of the unsightly algae infestation began to be received in late June at the busy port and popular resort of Qingdao.
(images via: Ghana Nation, Coastal Care and SMH)
Air temperatures approaching 30°C (86°F) and water temperatures just offshore reaching 20°C (68°F) had created the perfect storm for the mother of all algae blooms. Anyone complaining about China being “slow to go green” obviously hasn’t spent a summer in Qingdao!
(images via: National Geographic, Qingdao(nese) and Reuters)
From an initial area of 330 sq km (127 sq mi), the algae bloom rapidly grew to cover a 12,400 sq km (4,790 sq mi) expanse of the Yellow Sea by June 23.
(images via: SMH)
The advent of a persistent onshore wind then drove waves of floating algae onto the beaches near Qingdao: at one point approximately 440 km (275 miles) of shoreline was subsumed in bright green goop!
A Verdant History
(images via: Qingdao(nese), MilitaryPhotos.net and China Mike)
Qingdao’s green plague is of relatively recent origin and can be directly attributed to the exponential growth of the city of Qingdao. A little over a century ago, the city’s current location on the Shandong Peninsula was occupied by a small and sleepy fishing village.
(images via: Metropolis and Dr. Hostel)
The peninsula, however, was/is strategically located and Qingdao itself boasts a fine natural harbor. In 1897, Imperial Germany seized the environs and arm-twisted China’s decadent and decrepit government into granting the Kaiser a 99-year lease of the Kiautschou Bay concession.
(image via: Travelpod)
Development of the city and surrounding area proceeded quickly: within just a few years several large stone churches had been built, the city and port boasted clean water and electric lighting, and the Tsingtao Brewery opened for business. It all seemed too good to be true, and so it was. Shortly after World War I began, a joint Japanese-British force conquered the German concession. Given the tumultuous series of wars and revolutionary upheaval which followed, it’s a wonder any hints of Qingdao’s German heritage remain, but they do – most notably the brewery (above).
(images via: TripAdvisor/Mark Wilson and TripAdvisor/Mies)
From an original population of around 85,000 at the time of the German seizure of Qingdao, the city itself has ballooned to an astounding 7.5 million (2009) with millions more living in newly developed suburban areas.
(images via: DailyMail/AP)
The city’s port is one of China’s busiest and the beaches that run along the Shandong Peninsula’s south-facing shore are hugely popular with vacationers from across northeastern China. Unfortunately, Qingdao’s economic success is negatively impacting its appeal as an unspoiled getaway.
(images via: Qingdao(nese) and ChinaBuzz)
As the city grew, its infrastructure was hard-pressed to keep up. As well, agricultural activity on the peninsula resulted in nitrogen-rich runoff being swept into the bay and ocean. The combination of organic effluent from fertilizer and sewage with warm marine temperatures acted to produce algal blooms of ever-increasing size.
(images via: YachtPals)
The problem gained worldwide attention in 2007 and 2008 when wall-to-wall algae blooms threatened to inundate training and competitive facilities for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.
(images via: Sochina.net and Telegraph UK)
Thousands of fishermen, students and “sea police” were dragooned into clearing the algae from the shoreline and over 100,000 tons of noisome seagrass were removed, allowing the Games to go on.
(images via: Sulekha, Boston.com and Mirror UK)
Even the army was drafted (so to speak) into what became an all-out, epic effort to save the sailing venue – and save face for China in the bargain. Join the army and see the world? I’m guessing a lot of the PLA’s raw recruits figured they had a better chance of invading beaches than cleaning them up.
A Blooming Shame
(images via: China Daily, CRI and Global Times)
Just what is this algae, seagrass or seaweed? Enteromorpha Proliferaso is a form of algae that grows to resemble seaweed. Its long branches and kelp-like fronds help it clump together into huge, floating rafts of vegetation that casts a dark shadow on the sea life below.
(images via: Yahoo News)
As the algae dies and sinks to the seafloor it can spark creation of vast “dead zones” as the bacteria digesting the dead algae suck the oxygen out of the seawater.
(images via: ChinaBuzz and China Daily)
Found on seashores all over the world, Enteromorpha Proliferaso known in Hawaii as Limu ‘ele‘ele and is said to be edible… though considering the nutrients it grows on might cause one to lose their appetite. Unlike the algae in Red Tides, Enteromorpha Proliferaso isn’t toxic… just messy, smelly, annoying… and very, very green.
(images via: DailyMail UK, Charlottesville Greenstone Blog and The Dirt)
Slime and stink notwithstanding, thousands of Chinese vacationers weren’t about to let a little (or a lot) of seaweed deprive them of their cherished dip in the ocean. You know, the ocean… that cool, clear, liquid underneath the rippling carpet of green slime?
(images via: IB Times and National Geographic)
Some beachgoers appear to be somewhat acclimated to the algal overgrowth, with one child enthusing “It is like the green grass. It feels so soft.”
(images via: Scott Brauer)
Meanwhile, local authorities seem to be in denial regarding the problem. “We don’t know where it originated and why it’s suddenly growing so rapidly,” said Professor Bao Xianwen from the Qingdao-based Ocean University of China. “It must have something to do with the change in the environment,” Bao speculated. Gee, ya think?
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Jewel of Japan: Gorgeous Sand Dunes Like Japanese Desert
July 20, 2011 by admin · View Comments
[ By Delana in Geography & Travel & History & Trivia & Nature & Ecosystems. ]
Japan boasts countless attractions to delight and entertain tourists, but there might not be any that are more unexpected than the Tottori Sand Dunes. The dunes, in Tottori Prefecture near Tottori City, are unlike anything else in all of Japan – and the area is so impressive that it would be easy to mistake it for a previously-unknown desert.
(all images via: Oddity Central)
The Tottori Sand Dunes have existed for approximately 100,000 years. They were formed by sediment from the Sea of Japan washing up onto shore and being blown into the dunes. Strong winds constantly rearrange the sand deposits, creating incredible desert-like formations that can reach heights of 90 meters. The unusual dunes draw an estimated two million visitors each year.
The weather at the dunes can be strange and unpleasant: the sand reaches temperatures of 65 degrees Celcius (nearly 150 degrees Fahrenheit) in the summer, making it impractical to walk around barefoot like one would at the beach. It also rains quite often, which can shatter the illusion of being in a desert but brings out adventurous sand-boarders and creates interesting patterns in the sand.
Although the dunes bring in plenty of tourists, they are in constant danger of disappearing. Human interventions like reforestation and protective concrete barriers have prevented new sand from being deposited in the dunes, causing them to shrink significantly. If you are planning a trip to Japan, be sure to stop by this incredible location before it is gone forever.
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