Prince Charles - More than Meets the Eye
August 29, 2011 by admin · View Comments
The Prince of Wales is a man on a mission. Having personally founded 18 charities, he presides over the largest multi-cause charitable group in the UK, which raises over £100m annually and includes The Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment, The Prince’s Countryside Fund and The Prince’s Trust, which has just announced £2.5m of investment in the places hardest hit by the riots across English cities in August 2011.
Prince Charles’ new focus for positive change is you. Start is his new initiative designed to help all of us begin to take simple steps for sustainable living, and to show what a more energy efficient, cleaner and healthier future could look like.
The concept has been developed and is now lead by Joey Tabone, a stalwart of the Prince’s Charities team. “Start is fun, enjoyable and a little quirky,” he says. “We want to involve the public in positive activities which make a difference while conveying an easy sustainable-living message.”
“Let’s inspire people with positive messages about what they can start doing, not what they have to stop doing.” HRH The Prince of Wales
Joey’s team wants to help people engage in their everyday actions in a new way, with both their hearts and minds. They believe that through our everyday choices and how we approach what we do, we all can make a difference. So far so good, but how is Start actually going to change the behaviour of the public?
At its hub is an interactive website which, while still in its infancy, is becoming a useful and dynamic resource for green living advice and actions. But several such sites already exist, so what’s different? Start’s power may lie in its ability to go where other sustainability initiatives cannot: to appeal beyond environmentalists, to a sometimes sceptical and cynical general public.
Start believes it can do this because it has: a world famous patron; an innovative and accessible events schedule; a motivated and switched on team; and a committed group of corporate partners who are prepared to put their extensive marketing capabilities to work for the cause.
Celebrities are also being brought on board, with actress Barbara Windsor for example, endorsing the benefits of holidaying in the UK (thereby avoiding air travel). “Britain is such a beautiful place to holiday in, I’m going to promise to start encouraging people to ‘carry on camping,’” she says.
In its first year, Start held a 12-day festival for 30,000 people along the Mall in London and took Prince Charles on a national rail tour (the train ran on chip-fat) with a swathe of accompanying regional events.
Read more about Prince Charles and his latest initiative START.
Beth
Building with Bamboo: 13 Super Sustainable Structures
June 20, 2011 by admin · View Comments
[ By Steph in Art & Design & Home & Garden. ]
It’s 100% natural, thrives in diverse climates, grows up to a whopping 39 inches per day and is super-strong; why isn’t bamboo already used more often as a building material? While bamboo structures have long been common in Asia and the South Pacific, they’re only just gaining prominence in the rest of the world. From schools to disaster shelters, these 13 bamboo buildings prove just how strong, durable, eco-friendly and visually pleasing this perennial evergreen grass can be.
Water and Wind Cafe, Vietnam
(images via: vo trong nghia)
Made almost entirely of bamboo without the use of a single nail, the Water and Wind Cafe in the Binh Duong province of Vietnam is just one example of incredible bamboo structures designed by architecture firm Vo Trong Nghia. The domed structure, dripping with lights, features a dazzling skylight, with the end result resembling a natural cathedral. The bamboo was woven together using traditional Vietnamese bamboo weaving techniques and covered in a local bush plant.
Bamboo Tower, Venice, Italy
(images via: inhabitat)
At the edge of Venice’s grand canal, a tower of bamboo seemed to sprout up organically over a period of a week. Constructed for the Venice Biennale, Stam Studio’s Big Bambu Project involves a 50-foot nest-like bamboo tower with a spiraling walkway that leads from ground level to the pinnacle. The 2010 Big Bambu installation at the MET in New York was the “seed” for the project; the creators used 1,000 poles from that installation in the new project as well as 2,000 additional poles. Artists Doug and Mike Stam lashed the bamboo together by hand with the help of a team of rock climbers.
Green School, Bali
(images via: greenschool.org)
Have you ever seen a school made entirely out of bamboo? The Green School in Bali is unusual in a number of ways, from its sustainable curriculum to the degree of freedom enjoyed by the students, but it is the structures themselves that are often the center of attention for visitors. The Green School chose bamboo because it’s green, renewable and very plentiful in Bali. “Frankly, it is hard to talk to students about sustainability while they are using the last piece of rainforest for their chair and their table. It is the painful truth that they are going to have to stretch to get enough rain forest timber to build their homes,” says co-founder, architect John Hardy.
Solar-Powered Bamboo House
(images via: design boom)
‘Sunshine Inn’, a solar-powered bamboo house, was made by the Chinese team from Tongli University as their official entry into the first European Solar Decathlon in Madrid. Bamboo was chosen as the main material because, as a highly renewable resource that fixes carbon into the soil, it minimizes CO2 emissions throughout the whole production phase. This beautiful structure features two curved solar panel-clad roofs and a solar-facing wall covered which is also covered in photovoltaic panels.
Bamboo House by Benjamin Garcia Saxe, Costa Rica
(images via: world architecture news)
Architect Benjamin Garcia Saxe created this intricate, light-filled, open-air bamboo home for his mother in Costa Rica. Being open to the air allows the house to catch every breeze that comes through, but the bamboo and roof are angled to protect against rain. Inside, a cone-shaped dome gives Saxe’s mother a view of the sun and moon, with the space protected by an umbrella-like second roof.
Mason Lane Farm, Goshen, Indiana
(images via: design boom)
This geometric bamboo structure is not located in Asia or in the tropics, but in the rather unexpected locale of Goshen, Indiana. American architecture practice De Leon & Primmer created the Mason Lane Farm Operations Facility as their entry into the 2010 World Architecture Festival. It houses farm equipment, hay and other stored goods. The bamboo stalks were laid out in a lattice grid fashion and assembled using galvanized rebar wire ties, providing perforated walls that let the wind dry the hay.
Bamboo Forest House, Taiwan
(images via: world architecture news)
This vacation house for an extended family in eastern Taiwan is connected on two sides to neighboring structures, but its two street-facing facades were given an eye-catching bamboo treatment that lets in light and air. This screen also provides privacy and security, and gives the feel of being in a bamboo forest when gazing out the windows from inside.
Zen-Style Bamboo Prefab Home
(images via: bambooliving.com)
Want a bamboo home of your own? A company called Bamboo Living provides prefab bamboo house kits in modern styles including ‘Zen Style Home’, a minimalist one-story design with a large front porch. Bamboo Living Homes are ICC-ES certified and have sold over 150 such structures, which have been assembled all over the world. They also build custom designs and larger eco-villages and developments.
Origami-Inspired Bamboo Folding House Concept
(images via: urbanrevision)
Designed for use as temporary shelters in the aftermath of an earthquake, these origami-inspired bamboo folding houses might just be the most elegant and artistic example of disaster housing ever produced. After a 2007 earthquake in China killed 69,000, Ming Tang was driven to create a shelter that was inexpensive, environmentally friendly and easy to produce. The pre-fabricated structures can be quickly assembled on-site and are then covered in post- and pre-consumer recycled paper for protection from the sun.
Cocoon Houses, Bali
(images via: inhabitat)
They may not resemble any houses you’ve ever seen, but these vertical bamboo structures could offer inexpensive housing in hard-hit places like Haiti. The design, by Saint Val Architect, marries low-tech and high-tech, using bamboo poles and x-shaped metal joints to form the ‘exoskeleton’ of each home. A circular staircase wrapping around the central support beam brings occupants to each successive floor, and canvas seals the home from the elements.
Giant Bamboo Umbrellas at a Japanese Restaurant, Jakarta, Indonesia
(images via: architectoo)
The form of an umbrella served as the basis of inspiration for the bamboo structures that make up the Outdoor Japanese Noodle Restaurant in Jakarta. Designed to be temporary and simple to disassemble, the bamboo umbrellas overlap each other to become one big roof, protecting guests from sun, wind and rain. Rainwater is diverted through bamboo ‘gutters’, poured into the ground through a pipe in the middle of the structure.
Bird-Like Amphitheater, Hanoi, Vietnam
(images via: world architecture news)
Also by Vo Trong Nghia is ‘Bird Wing’, an avian-like bamboo building used for fashion shows, live music, conferences and other public activities. Set beside a pond, the wing-inspired design of the amphitheater paired with the organic, eco-friendly qualities of the chosen material is a fitting tribute to the natural beauty of the setting. It’s made only from bamboo and rope, with no metal or other types of wood used in the construction.
Bamboo Manta Ray Dome, Thailand
(images via: 24h.eu)
Could you guess the sea creature that inspired the shape of this bamboo building, even if it weren’t in the name? Seeming to soar through the sky just as a manta ray gently floats beneath the surface of the sea, the Children’s Activity and Learning Center at the 6-star Soneva Kiri resort in Thailand fits in beautifully with its lush tropical surroundings.
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Take a Trip: 13 Very Green & Modern Visitor Centers
May 20, 2011 by thegreenchildrenfoundation · View Comments
[ By Steph in Art & Design & Geography & Travel. ]
A visitor center is too often an afterthought, filled with brochures and educational exhibits that pertain to some other attraction, whether a national park, a landmark, a historic site or an entire town. But these 13 visitor centers are among those that stand out for their own architecture and sensitivity to their environments, from an off-grid building in the marshes of England to a brightly colored river rock structure in Tibet.
OceanScope, Incheon City, South Korea
(images via: architizer)
Eco-friendly and inexpensive, shipping containers are an increasingly popular choice as the basis for modular buildings of all sorts, but the results are not always pretty. Architecture firm AnLstudio literally thought outside the box to come up with the design for OceanScope, a visitor center in Incheon City, Korea’s largest port city. Five recycled shipping containers were transformed into observation decks and temporary exhibition space to give guests incredible views of the city’s sunsets.
Sulfur Cavern Visitor Center, Graciosa Island, Portugal
(images via: freshome)
Travelers passing through the Sulfur Cavern area in Graciosa Island, Portugal stop for information at this stunning cantilevered building overlooking the rocky landscape. Architect Nuno Ribeiro Lopes renovated an existing structure to produce this fresh modern structure, which has two walls made entirely of glass.
Cley Marshes, Norfolk, England
(images via: inhabitat)
Natural and unobtrusive, the green-roofed Cley Marshes visitor center in Norfolk, England is barely distinguishable from the landscape in which it’s found. That’s a good thing for a sustainable visitor center located in environmentally sensitive wetlands. The wind- and solar-powered building is completely off-grid and collects rainwater to flush the toilets.
Caerphilly Castle Visitor Center, Caerphilly, Wales
(images via: archidose)
The swooping stern-like shape of this modern visitor center is a sharp contrast to the weathered rock of ancient Caerphilly Castle in Wales. Davies Sutton Architecture believed it would be a mistake to try to mimic the architectural style of the original structure when building the new addition to the grounds, saying, “The aim at Caerphilly was to create a building that is sympathetic with its historic surroundings and yet is clearly a building “of its time” – not a pastiche of the past or a fake. It is a balance of modern and traditional – using traditional materials to reflect the past but put together in a way that is of its time – ‘today’.”
Craig Thomas Visitor Center, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
(images via: archdaily)
Nearly as dramatic as the national park in which it is set, the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center in Wyoming is warm and well-balanced with a jagged roof that echoes the craggy Grand Tetons beyond. The gleaming metal roof contrasts beautifully with the western red cedar facade, mixing modern design with the rustic look for which the area is known.
Suncheon Wetlands Visitor Center, Korea
(images via: inhabitat)
The well-visited Suncheon Wetlands in Korea will soon get a stunning visitor center that provides exhibition space, educational displays and other important facilities without putting too much stress on the sensitive, shallow salt marshes, which are home to at least 25 threatened species. Fluid as the water that surrounds them, the buildings that make up the Suncheon Wetlands Visitor Center will be partially green-roofed, raised on stilts and flooded with natural light.
Nebra Ark Visitor Center and Observation Tower, Nebra, Germany
(images via: daily tonic)
Visitors flock to Nebra, Germany from all over the world to catch a glimpse of the Nebra Sky Disc, an ancient bronze artifact that is the earliest known representation of the cosmos. They’re welcomed to the town by this striking visitor center by Holzer Kobler Architekturen which stands alongside an observation tower that provides a view of the site where the disc was found. The luminescent upper portion of the visitor center was given golden cladding to echo the “solar bark”, one of the motifs depicted on the disc.
Snæfellsstofa Visitor Center, Skriðuklaustur, Iceland
(images via: below the clouds)
On a picturesque hillside in Iceland, this X-shaped building welcomes visitors who flock to Europe’s largest glacier. The Snæfellsstofa visitor center, designed by Arkis, is an understated yet thoroughly modern addition to the quiet countryside of the area, made of concrete, steel and untreated wood. The structure is topped with a green roof and contains a cafe, exhibition areas, offices, a library, meeting spaces and a shop.
Culloden Battlefield Visitor Center, Scotland
(images via: plusmood)
A monument to the last land battle within the United Kingdom, when King George II’s troops defeated Bonnie Prince Charlie and his supporters in 1746, the Culloden Battlefield Visitor Center features a wave-form roof designed to mimic the position of the government troop line in the midst of fighting. With a low profile that resists wind chill and a design that lets in lots of natural lighting, this visitor center includes educational and conference facilities as well as a cafe, restaurant, shop and accommodations for staff.
Cardiff Bay Visitor Center, Wales
(images via: architecture linked)
Designed as a temporary structure, the Cardiff Bay Visitor Center by Alsop Architects was another brilliant example of modern buildings placed alongside historic sites in a thoughtful, complimentary way. Built at a low cost with a PVC membrane stretched across its timber frame, the ‘information pod’ was meant to be a two-year structure but stood for over a decade. It was dismantled in October 2010 to make way for a new road.
Mareld Visitor Center Concept, Kosterhavet National Park, Sweden
(images via: ecofriend)
Sweden’s first marine national park, the Kosterhavet, will get a sustainable visitor center designed by White Arkitekter. The self-sufficient structure will harness its energy for electricity from the sun, and heat from the water of the Koster sea. A diaphanous shell will allow natural light to illuminate the facility, and drinking water will be produced from desalinated seawater. The sparsely populated South Koster Island, where the facility and national park will be located, is a haven for sea life. The name, Mareld, is translated as “sea fire”, named for the natural marine bioluminescence of the area.
Hanil Visitor Center & Guest House, Korea
(images via: archdaily)
The front of the Hanil Visitor Center & Guest House almost looks like it’s made of soft folds of fabric – but the material is, in truth, the exact opposite. Built to educate visitors about the potential for recycling concrete in a nation where concrete is the most prevalent building material, this visitor center is an example of creative reuse. Concrete was broken down and recast in a variety of materials including, surprisingly enough, translucent tiles. It’s located adjacent to Korea’s Mt. Sobaek National Park.
Niyang River Visitor Center, Tibet
(images via: dezeen)
Modern architecture is not a common sight in Tibet, but in this case, it not only blends in with the landscape but pays tribute to local building customs. Situated on a river beach, the Niyang River visitor center is made of stacked local river rock coated in aga clay, a natural waterproofing material, with an interior that was ‘carved’ from the mass in geometric forms. The architects chose bold colors, “a crucial element of Tibetan culture”, painting mineral pigments directly on the stone surfaces; as the sun changes direction throughout the day, the colors appear to change.
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Greens on Wheels: Rolling Greenhouse Will Feed + Educate
May 15, 2011 by thegreenchildrenfoundation · View Comments
[ By Delana in Food & Health & Home & Garden & Transit & Auto. ]
Thanks to space and time constraints, most of us buy all of our food from supermarkets rather than growing it at home. But two New York entrepreneurs want to teach urban dwellers how rewarding and positive it feels to grow fresh produce and eat it right from the garden. Nick Runkle and Justin Cutter have founded Compass Green, a mobile greenhouse and education center that will bring fresh food and educational experiences to schoolchildren all around New York.
(all images via: Inhabitat)
As part of the Compass Green initiative, the two men are transforming an 18-foot diesel box truck into a greenhouse on wheels. The greenhouse will feature Plexiglass walls to let in sunshine for the plants that grow in the truck’s cargo area.
The fully-functioning greenhouse will travel around to schools in Brooklyn and Manhattan, delivering fresh produce to kids who otherwise might not have access to it. The team will also deliver an educational message about the considerable health benefits to be gained from making fresh, whole foods a regular part of one’s diet. Eventually, they will take their truck all around the country.
But beyond simply teaching children about the benefits of fresh spinach and carrots, the duo aim to spread their message of sustainability. Their roving greenhouse will host educational workshops teaching practical skills that visitors can easily incorporate into their own daily lives. Lessons will be tailored to the age level, region and socioeconomic conditions of every stop on the team’s educational journey.
Runkle and Cutter are working on converting their old diesel truck into a vegetable oil-fueled, solar power-equipped green machine. They are currently accepting contributions to the project via their Kickstarter page.
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Powerful Research: The 8 Best + Worst Electric Power Sources
February 9, 2011 by admin · View Comments
[ By WebEcoist in Energy & Fuel, Science & Research, Technology & Gadgets. ]
Discussions of the best and worst energy sources often devolve into opinionated and dogmatic “religious” wars, full of speculation and low on scientific rigor. But this may not continue for much longer. According to a December 2008 press release, Stanford University environmental engineering professor Mark Z. Jacobson completed the “first quantitative, scientific evaluation of the proposed, major,energy-related solutions by assessing not only their potential for delivering energy for electricity and vehicles, but also their impacts on global warming, human health, energy security, water supply, space requirements, wildlife, water pollution, reliability and sustainability.”
In the study, Jacobson reveals what he found to be the 8 best-to-worst electric power sources. Here they are, in illustrated detail!
The Four Best
Wind power
(Images via TreeHugger, 4HCirriculum)
The best source of electric power, according to Jacobson’s study, is wind. As the diagram above helpfully illustrates, wind is converted to usable electricity by way of a blade-driven turbine with an internal generator. While wind currently only provides 1.5% of worldwide power, it is becoming more and more widely used, doubling in the 3 years between 2005 and 2008. According to Jacobson, a nationwide roll out of wind would result in a “better than 99% reduction” in carbon and air pollution emissions.”
Concentrated solar power (CSP)
(Image via Sustainable Design Update, RobertDowney.com)
Second to wind in Jacobson’s study was concentrated solar power, or CSP. Shown above, CSP systems utilize vast arrays of lenses and mirrors in order to focus a lot of sunlight into a small beam, which is then used as the heat source for power plants. Unlike some of the other power sources covered here, CSP is not new. Primitive forms of it date back to around 700 B.C. when the Chinese first used mirrors to ignite their firewood.
Geothermal power
(Images via EcoFriend, ReUK)
Clocking in at third in Jacobson’s study of the best and worst electric power sources is geothermal. The task of a geothermal power pant is using heat stored in the Earth to heat water that is in turn used to power steam turbines. As one might imagine, this is somewhat difficult. The rewards, however, seem to be worth it. According to EcoFriend, geothermal power generation represents “a completely safe, clean, and a virtually inexhaustible process and can fill the world’s annual needs 250,000 times over with nearly zero impact on the climate or the environment.”
Tidal power
(Images via StatKraft, Ausscifi)
The “last of the best” in Jacobson’s study was tidal power. Tidal power is based on the idea that the change in water levels between high and low tides can be forceful enough (in coastal areas) to power turbines. Since water is roughly 1,000 times more dense than air, lots of energy can be squeezed from even low-velocity tides. Tides also have the advantage of being more predictable than solar or wind power, which are only reliable insofar as the sun is shining or the wind is blowing.
The Four “Not So Best”
Solar photovoltaic (PV)
(Images via EIA, Ardenham Energy)
Photovoltatic solar panels are what most people associate with solar power. They are simply panels that use semiconductors to convert the sun’s rays directly into electricity. While these are certainly useful (and sales have risen from about 15,000 in 1998 to 886,000 in 2007), there are limitations, namely that they can only suck up electricity when the sun is shining.
Wave power
(Images via Sweden, Piston Heads)
The sixth best electric power source according to Professor Jacobson is wave power. It’s main strong point? According to Sweden’s national website, “while solar power is available for about 1,000 hours a year and wind power for about 2,200 hours a year, wave power is available for up to 4,000 hours a year.”
Hydroelectric power
(Image via K2M Energy)
The 7th best electric power source was hydroelectric, which currently provides about 19% of total world electricity. Despite this, hydroelectric comes with some significant disadvantages, such as how much space is required to build and operate a hydroelectric dam, possible dangers to nearby animal habitats, and disruption of aquatic ecosystems.
Nuclear power
(Images via Hello World Bea, Guardian)
The “worst” electric power source in the study was nuclear power. While nuclear has proven effective across the world (namely by powering 75% of France), the main risk is safety. As meltdowns like the one at Chernobyl have demonstrated, the risk of accidents in nuclear fission looms large, holding the potential to wipe out entire populations depending upon the severity of the meltdown.
Again: the entirety of Professor Mark Z. Jacobson’s detailed study on the 8 best and worst electric power sources can be read here.
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Le Monolithe: Collaborative Mixed-Use Eco Complex by MVRDV
December 10, 2010 by thegreenchildrenfoundation · View Comments
[ By Steph in Art & Design. ]
Welcome to the future of the urban ‘superblock’: massive mixed-use projects designed sustainably with community in mind. Le Monolithe, recently completed in Lyon, France where the Rhône and Saône rivers meet, features energy-saving aluminum shutters that make a social statement about the European Constitution when closed.
Renowned design firm MVRDV won the opportunity to design the project in 2004 and brought on four additional French and Dutch architects – Pierre Gautier, Manuelle Gautrand, ECDM and Erik van Egeraat. Each architect designed a section of the building according to MVRDV’s master plan. Part of a large-scale urban regeneration project, Le Monolithe features social housing, rental property, a residence for disabled people, offices and retail.
The design pays tribute to local architecture and traditions in two ways: through its layout, which calls to mind the French classical Grand Gallerie with its large interior courtyard, marina, park and raised public area overlooking the city, and also through the use of aluminum shutters to keep out the sun on the building’s south face. But in this case, the shutters include a little something extra.
MVRDV wanted to integrate a “reminder of the values, ideals and needs of the European Union” after France and the Netherlands voted against the European Constitution in 2005, so the firm printed the first article of the constitution on the facade which reads, “The Union is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, liberty, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities. These values are common to the Member States in a society in which pluralism, non-discrimination, tolerance, justice, solidarity and equality between women and men prevail.”
Meeting High Environmental Quality (HQE) criteria, Le Monolithe gets 80% of its power from renewable sources. All rooms in the building benefit from daylighting and natural ventilation. Reinforced insulation, heat storage, low-e double glazed glass and a compact design add to the building’s sustainable qualities.
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Road Warriors: 4 Extreme Long-Distance Animal Travelers
June 13, 2010 by admin · View Comments
[ By Chris in Animals & Habitats, Nature & Ecosystems. ]
(Images via: BBC, Birding Alaska, Kimberley Accommodation, Flickr, The Americas Group)
Life is a long, arduous road full of many twists and turns. Just ask bar-tailed godwits, European eels, estuarine crocodiles and Northern elephant seals: four animal explorers that certainly accumulate their fair share of annual travel points, some via unique and even clever modes of transportation.
Hitch A Ride on the Wings of a Bar-Tailed Godwit
(Images via: Birding, Real Birder, Surf Birds, Dig Deep)
Twice a year, a bird known as the bar-tailed godwit travels almost 14,000 miles on a trip from Alaska to New Zealand in the fall and then back to its original location in the spring. Big deal, you say. I mean this bird has plenty of time to rest, right? Well, sure it does, but here’s what’s really impressive. The bar-tailed godwit can make this one-way trip in eight days straight, without once stopping for food or rest. Compare this to all other birds, which can only complete trips that are twice as short without stopping. Or to a man-made aircraft that can stay in the air for 82 straight hours (roughly 3 days and 10 hours). How does the record holding bar-tailed godwit accomplish this amazing feat, all the while never getting lost? Well, it is extremely fuel efficient, consuming only .41 percent of its body weight during each hour of any flight, and also aerodynamic in shape. Furthermore, it may have an inner compass that utilizes the Earth’s magnetic field. Whatever the case, this bird is truly something to behold in terms of its travel capabilities.
How Does It Feel to be A Traveling European Eel?
(Images via: Sustainable Sushi, Lazy Lizard Tales, BBC, Desdemona Despair)
Speaking of impressive travelers, European eels are known for swimming approximately 3,418 miles from Europe to the Sargasso Sea (located in the North Atlantic, with the Gulfstream to the west, the Greater Antilles south, and Berumda north), all for the purpose of mating and laying eggs. Once their larvae hatch, these eels swim back to Europe. In comparison to the bar-tailed godwit, these eels are more advantageous travelers in that they consume less energy; however, they are not as fast as these birds. According to a Lund’s University researcher, it would take these eels 345 days to complete the 6,835-mile trip of the bar-tailed godwit. No thanks.
Unlikely/Dangerous Ocean Surfers: Estuarine Crocodiles
(Images via: The Epoch Times, NT News, Odyssey Safari, Yet Another Tentacled Thing)
Reaching up to 23 feet in length and 1,000 pounds in weight, estuarine crocodiles don’t have bodies like the bar-tailed godwit to travel long distances, right? Yet these crocodiles are found in all different parts of the world and known for showing up in unlikely areas. How is this possible? Well, once a sly croc, always a sly croc, as these crocodiles have been known to surf the ocean currents to far away destinations. In the past, people have been surprised to see what appeared to be estuarine crocodiles far from shore. It turns out that these crocodiles, which usually reside in rivers, swamps and brackish estuaries, will turn to the oceans when the tides turn, thus allowing them anywhere from 6 to 8 hours of speedy and effortless travel. When the tides change to undesired directions, these ocean-riding crocodiles will come to shore to rest. With that said, an important question must be asked: how do these crocodiles know where they’re going? Well, it turns out that crocodiles are more like birds that we thought, specifically with internal magnetic compasses that help them determine direction.
The Migratory Lives of Northern Elephant Seals
(Images via: Daily Kos, Kid Cyber, Flickr)
A resident of the Eastern Pacific Ocean, the Northern elephant seal spends most of its year traveling (spread out during two migration patterns annually) to feeding areas that include the Gulf of Alaska. More specifically, male Northern elephant seals spend roughly 250 days at sea each year, traveling more than 13,000 miles. As for female Northern elephant seals, they spend more time migrating, specifically 300 days a year, while covering more than 11,000 miles in the process. No other mammal spends more time traveling each year than Northern elephant seals. When not migrating, Northern elephant seals are either mating or moulting (i.e. shedding their skin in layers). With so much required of Northern elephant seals, it certainly pays off that these mammals are able to dive great depths and remain submerged for extremely long periods of time. And that they have enough blubber to go around and provide abundant amounts of energy. Happy trails.
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Eco-Friendly: 16 Innovative & Awesome LED Art Sculptures
June 9, 2010 by admin · View Comments
[ By Angie in Art & Design, Energy & Fuel, Technology & Gadgets. ]
LEDs consume less energy and maintain a longer lifetime. Combining LEDs with art can have visually stunningly results. These large-scale LED sculptures were on an open-air stage of installations, exhibitions, works of art and design. Here are 16 aesthetically pleasing LED art sculptures that respect the environment while providing modern designs of energy-saving lighting solutions.
Fabulous Artworks of Italian Light Sculpture Festival
Light-based art lit up Xuanwu Lake Park in Nanjing, China, during the Italian Light Sculpture Festival. The “Light Tunnel,” on the left, was 450 meters or 1,476 feet, long. The three-dimensional murals were built into 75 light groupings which blend to make 13 Italian Baroque-style outdoor landscapes.
Reflecting off the mountain lake was a planned part of the LED sculptures, meant to enhance the differences of light and shadows.
Romance and reality merged in a brilliant illumination, yet managed to use one-tenth of incandescent light power consumption.
(image credits: chinagate)
These complex LED sculptures comprised the largest light sculpture festival ever held in China. The lighted Baroque art incorporated traditional elements of architectural aesthetics to create a celebration with a “classic, beautiful, magnificent, green” theme.
Italian LED Light Sculpture Artwork
Each LED sculpture, like the above “St. Mark’s Cathedral,” constantly changed by flashing 10 different colors. It was 90 meters, 295 feet wide, and stood 7-stories-high.
(image credits: nanjing)
Most of the energy efficient and light-based art stood at least four-stories-high. Music played in sync with the phenomenal light show. The Lightscribe art was on display for 45 days.
LED Kiss
(image credits: led festival)
The City of Milan ran a contest to decorate the metropolis with LED lights.”Objectives: enhance the talent of young Italian and International designers, promote creativity and innovation and encourage the sharing of public spaces in full respect of the environment.” Of the many designs submitted for consideration, 30 projects were selected and developed for an international festival of light. The LED (light exhibition design) image above is called, “Kiss.” It was located at Galleria Vittorio Emanuele. Each kiss under the enormous mistletoe, illuminated by blue light, cost 1 euro and was donated to help save children from famine in Uganda.
LED Canal
(image credits: led festival)
Located at the Grand Canal, the Bridge of Duty, this LED light installation was called, “Switch.” People who passed by could slide a handle, “turn on your canal,” and decide the color of the bridge and the intensity of glare on the water below.
LED Braille
(image credits: led festival)
Entitled, “Feel the Light” this LED sculpture was installed on a route from the Institute of the Blind. It was described as, “A path of light and words designed for the blind. The panels are composed of Microluci LED writing sentences in Braille.”
LED Volcano
(image credits: led festival)
This volcano of light was called, “Fiesta de Luz” and was installed at the Piazza Duca d’Aosta. “A volcano of light flows from the Metro in the center of the square opposite the Central Station location.”
LED Man & Fashion
(image credits: technology webblog,led festival)
First in Milan there was life-sized LED light sculpture of a man. LED man was called, “The Man With No Shadow.” Then they dressed a monument in an LED coat.
More Awesome LED Art
(image credits: neublack,arqshow,led festival)
At the top left is “Volume,” an LED sculpture of light and sound that responds to human movement to create a series of audio-visual experiences. On the right is “Sitooterie,” a glass and metal sculpture and also a building with seating inside. The bright green illumination is an LED light sculpture called, “The Tree of Ladybugs.”
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12 New Extra-Large Sustainable Building Designs
April 19, 2010 by admin · View Comments
[ By Steph in Uncategorized. ]
As the need for cooperative sustainability becomes ever clearer, can we learn from the mistakes of our past and fundamentally change the way we live? Adapting to the new needs of our world requires much more than a sprinkling of eco homes and businesses. These 12 gigantic green building products take on the challenge in a much bigger way – with concepts for new cities, new societies and buildings that solve the world’s most pressing problems, like access to fresh water.
Spain’s Bubble-Shaped Freshwater Factory
(images via: inhabitat)
They look like nothing so much as a cluster of biospheres stacked on top of each other – or perhaps just soapy bubbles. But the glass domes of this strange tower serve a vital purpose: filtering seawater into freshwater through mangrove trees, which draw in saltwater and perspire freshwater. Once the mangroves release this precious substance, it evaporates and condenses into dew which collects in freshwater tanks.
One & Ortakoy, Istanbul
(images via: gad architecture)
Just like the beautiful hills they’re set in, the buildings that will make up the “One & Ortakoy” mixed-use complex in Istanbul have curving, organic forms and rolling roofs covered in greenery and flowers. Under construction in the neighborhood of Ortakoy, the project will consist of two buildings with natural stone facades – one a residential complex, the other commercial.
Green-Roofed High School, France
(images via: world architecture news)
Situated next to a public park, the Marcel Sembat high school in Sotteville-les-Rouen, France will almost disappear into the trees and grass of its surroundings. Additions to the existing structure – which will include a restaurant, student housing, staff housing and workshops – will be topped with a wavy green roof that will offer natural insulation.
Watertower Skyscraper Brings Freshwater to Sudan
(images via: h3ar)
In the vast desert landscape of Sudan, freshwater can be incredibly difficult to come by – yet deep under the surface is the largest underground lake in the world, which would change residents’ lives dramatically if it were tapped. Polish architecture firm H3AR imagines a solution: buildings inspired by both water towers and the native baobab tree, which would access the water through underground pumps. These towers would contain a water treatment plant, a hospital, a school and a food storage center.
Massive Rain-Catching Skyscraper
(images via: h3ar)
How could a building capture as much rain as possible? Through a web of gutters covering the entire exterior, which would then direct the water to a processing plant for use in toilets, washing machines, cleaning and plant watering. H3AR combines this ‘skin’ with a huge, bowl-shaped rainwater collector on the roof for maximum rainwater catchment capabilities.
Mixed-Use EcoDistrict in Dijon
(images via: exp architects)
Imagine living in a diverse neighborhood packed with green features galore, from vertical gardens and green roofs to bicycle paths and eco-friendly playgrounds – all adjacent to the city center. Such ‘ecodistricts’ are in planning around the world, including this concept for Dijon, France by EXP Architects in cooperation with Studiomustard Architecture, Sempervirens Landscape Designers and Even Conseil. The design will serve as a model for similar future developments in the same city.
De-Centralized Sustainable Society
(images via: ctrlz architectures)
It’s not just a building, or even just a city – but rather, a re-imagining of an entire society. That’s what CTRLZ architectures are doing with their new concept, stating ““We believe that architecture is not anymore about form and/or/…function, but that it is about relations. The development of network systems shows us that the power resides in links and connections.” Commerce, food production, ornamental gardens, housing, social public spaces and energy collection come together in a way that emphasizes cooperation between inhabitants.
Subterranean Greenbelt Hotel
(images via: reardon smith)
The subterranean design of Hersham Golf Club in Surrey by ReardonSmith Architects contains five-star lodging as well as a spa and golf facilities, while still meeting urban growth restrictions – the site is contained within London’s green belt, a ring of countryside that aims to prevent urban sprawl. The design also addresses lowering the impact of traffic flow and positions above-ground buildings in existing woodland so that nearby local residents maintain an unobstructed view of untouched landscape.
Beijing’s ‘Creative Zone’ Greenbelt
(images via: arch daily)
If there’s any city in the world that desperately needs a greenbelt to provide residents with natural space and prevents further sprawl, it’s likely Beijing. This rapidly growing city – plagued by air pollution problems – could get a greenbelt of its own that would allow interaction with nature while maintaining proximity to local conveniences like shops, restaurants and public transportation. UNStudio won a competition to create this “creative zone”, which would become a showcase of experimental architecture.
Masdar Sustainable City
(images via: lava)
Could Masdar City be a vision of the future, a modern metropolis where sustainability is built into every sidewalk, store and streetlamp? Designed by LAVA and located in Abu Dhabi, Masdar City is a planned community built to be zero-waste and zero-carbon. With housing, commerce and recreation all situated around a vast plaza, this concept aims to be a model of sustainability for the rest of the world.
Dubai’s Solar-Powered Vertical Village
(images via: graft lab)
What does Dubai have in abundance, aside from sand and mind-boggling creativity? Sun, of course -–and Graft Lab’s Vertical Village takes advantage of that plentiful resource with a surface that is angled specifically with solar energy collection in mind. The cluster of mixed-use buildings includes solar collectors on the south end that automatically pivot for maximum exposure.
Giant Energy-Generating Waterfall for Rio Olympics
(images via: inhabitat)
It looks unreal: an enormous, towering waterfall seemingly originating from the sky. But the Solar City Tower, designed by RAFAA Architecture & Design for the 2016 Rio Olympics, is actually a building that uses solar energy to generate power during the day, and a pumped water storage system to create power after the sun goes down. The tower could provide plenty of electricity for the Olympic Games and for the city, with the waterfall – “a symbol for the forces of nature” - appearing only for special occasions.
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Critical Condition: 12 Very Rare and Endangered Animals
April 11, 2010 by admin · View Comments
[ By Chris in Animals & Habitats, Nature & Ecosystems. ]
(Images via: Lists O Plenty, ESA Blawg, Davo Trip, Fat Birder, Say I Am Green, Current, Flickr, The Age, The Website of Everything, Green Packs, Flickr, It’s Nature)
Last week the Wildlife Conservation Society released a report called The Rarest of the Rare, which detailed 12 animals that are “critically endangered” (i.e. “at an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild”). See what made the list of critically endangered animals, some of which have seen their populations decline by approximately 80 percent in the last 10 years.
Cuban Crocodile: Say Goodbye to My Hardly Little Friend?
(Images via: NGS, Flickr, Independent)
Reaching lengths of up to 11 feet, the Cuban crocodile has dwindled to an estimated population of 4,000, with some of these crocodiles likely hybrids of Cuban and American crocodiles. Illegal hunting that targets Cuban crocodile meat has been a large culprit in the decline of this species.
Florida Bonneted Bat: Not Extinct, But Close
(Images via: Tree Hugger, Bat Con, Animal Diversity, Bat Conservation)
The largest bat in the Sunshine State, the Florida bonneted bat was thought to be extinct until 2002, when a small colony was discovered in a suburb. Only 100 Florida bonneted bats are thought to exist today, with pesticide spraying and deforestation that has destroyed roosting sites believed to have clipped these bats known for their 21-inch wingspans.
Fungus Makes Green-Eyed Frogs Feel Green
(Image via: Davo Trip)
Once common in Costa Rica and Panama, the diminutive green-eyed frog is not only small in size (roughly 2.5 inches long) but population, with only a few hundred of these frogs still living today. Chytrid fungus and exposure to agricultural chemicals have killed and deformed these frogs.
Grenada Dove: A National Bird for How Long?
(Images via: OAS, Wildlife Extra, Life Afloat, Flickr)
Featured on postage stamps in this Caribbean island, the Grenada dove has been reduced to an estimated population of 150, with this pink-breasted, national bird severely impacted by habitat loss and the predatory introduction of mongooses, cats and rats. A 10-year recovery plan has been implemented to boost populations of the Grenada dove, which hopefully won’t become a thing of the past.
Hirola: Concern for the Spectacled Antelope
(Images via: Rufford Small Grants, Discovery, Wangui)
With white markings around the head, the African antelope known as the hirola or Hunter’s hartebeest looks like it is wearing glasses. Forgive the hirola if it appears more than a little concerned: only an estimated 600 of these antelopes exist today as a result of disease, predators, habitat loss, severe droughts and poaching. Sadly, the hirola has been legally protected in places like Kenya and Somalia since the 1970s; however, enforcement has been more than ineffective during this time period.
Ploughshare Tortoise: Carrying a Large Burden
(Images via: Lists O Plenty, The Conservation Report, Wildlife Extra)
With only 200 mature and 400 individual members remaining in northwestern Madagascar, the ploughshare tortoise is expected to go extinct within the next 30 years if current threats such as hunting, poaching and smuggling for the international pet trade continue to go undeterred.
Island Gray Fox: Small in Size and Population
(Images via: Wildlife North America, Britannica, Wildlife Mysteries)
Weighing 3 to 4 pounds, the island gray fox is not only the smallest fox in the United States but a rapidly declining species. Less than 1,000 island gray foxes are left today on 6 of the California Channel Islands as a result of canine diseases, golden eagle threats, and previous programs that killed these foxes to protect another endangered species, the endemic loggerhead shrikes. Thankfully, these killing efforts were stopped in 2003.
Sumatran Orangutans: Hardly Worth Laughing About
(Images via: Bio Web, Orangutan Foundation, Durrell)
Mostly living in Indonesia, the Sumatran orangutan population is down to roughly 6,600 individuals, according to a 2008 survey. Logging and deforestation have had adverse effects on these orangutans, which have been orphaned, captured for trade or killed for various reasons.
Vaquita: A Porpoise That Needs A Purpose
(Images via: CSI Whales Alive, Save the Vaquita, Save Bio Gems, INE)
A porpoise that looks a bit like a plump dolphin, the vaquita is respectively recognized by dark rings around its eyes and patches on its beak. Nowadays the vaquita is hardly recognized due to its small numbers: only 150 individuals are left as the result of fishing gillnets, reduced water flows and water pollution.
White-Headed Langur: Finding It Hard to Reproduce
(Images via: New York Times, Flickr, New York Times)
As few as 59 white-headed langurs are left on the once isolated but more recently populated Cat Ba Island near Vietnam, with many of these species split into all female groups. In addition to deforestation, a major threat to these langurs has been hunting, specifically for a traditional Chinese medicine preparation called monkey balm.
Romer’s Tree Frog: Easy to Get Lost
(Images via: Yearbook, Compunicate, Yearbook, Electronic Gallery of HKU)
Less than 0.8 inches long, the Romer’s tree frog of Hong Kong was once thought to be extinct following airport construction that wiped out its habitat. In good news, this tree frog is still alive, with active breeding programs contributing to a couple thousand Romer’s being released in the wild in the 1990s.
Przewalski’s Horse: Back Kicking in the Wild
(Images via: ZSL, Shoarns, National Zoo)
Did you know that the Przewalski’s horse, with its stocky body and short neck, is the only true living species of wild horse? Or that this horse once became extinct in the wild and could only be found in zoos? In recent years the Przewalski’s horse has been reintroduced into native habitats in Mongolia following dedicated conservation efforts. Today there are more than 300 Przewalski’s horses in the wild, not only serving as an important reminder to protect endangered animals but offering proof that there is hope for other threatened species if saved in time. For more information on these critically endangered animals, check out the WCS report: The Rarest of the Rare.
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