Photo via the New Republic It's a widely held notion that politicians have long been in the pocket of Big Oil. And there's good reason for that perception: oil companies' huge campaign donations, vast lobbying power, and close ties to politicians have ensured that their taxes remain low , that hidden subsidies are around to provide extra funding, and that they receive preferential treatment in US energy policy. But there could be a new, ... View original post here: The Next Big Oil: Big Smart Grid?
So there really isn't anything that deep to this image. It's just a (more or less) life-sized blue whale eye. And on the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society site you can educate yourself/be mesmerized/ waste some time for a while staring at it while the entire life-sized animal scrolls across your browser window. Believe me, it's way cooler than you might think:... Read more from the original source: Ever See a Blue Whale Life-Sized on Your Computer? Now You Can
published September 24, 2010 and has No Comments
A lot of people are trying to figure out ways to use up the vast amount of pine-beetle infested timber that is all going to rot away; (Bonnie wrote about it in Turning Beetle-Infested Wood to Good (Design) Use ). Now the University of Northern British Columbia has come up with an interesting idea: Mountain Pine Beetle Wood Concrete, ...
Read more...published September 1, 2010 and has No Comments
Designing a space to serve multiple functions can be a challenge. British Columbia design studio Public had to learn about a whole new range of uses for Xthum, at Kwantlen Polytechnic University , where the Kwantlen, Semiahmoo, Tsawwassen and Katzie Nations needed a space for celebrating, feasting, storytelling, counselling, advising, studying, and relaxing. How do you fit that all ...
Read more...published July 14, 2010 and has No Comments
Image from JSainsbury plc When it comes to supermarkets and the environment, Waitrose and Marks & Spencer are the two that have made the biggest commitment to sustainability and ethical practices. But Sainsbury's, the number 3 selling supermarket in the UK, is coming up from behind. They have just announced their commitment to planting two million trees over ... ...
Read more...published June 8, 2010 and has No Comments
Photo via Renovo. At last count, Portland had 3 dozen small-scale bike frame builders - everything from Sasha White's beautiful Vanilla Bikes to Joseph Ahearne's sturdy and cheerful cycle trucks . The "buy local" mentality in Portland helps create a small but dedicated market of consumers willing to pay more for a locally-produced bike. But Renovo Bicycle's Ken Wheeler ...
Read more...published May 27, 2010 and has No Comments
All image credits: Gillean Proctor Wood Design and Building shows us a house for booklovers on a remote island in the Juan de Fuca Strait off the coast of British Columbia, designed by Helliwell + Smith, AKA Blue Sky Architecture. It is completely off-grid but on the north side of the island, setting up "a dichotomy between ocean views ...
Read more...published May 19, 2010 and has No Comments
Dexelcrafted They have a lot of wood in British Columbia, Canada, and a lot of talented designers who work with it. A flying squad of them arrived at ICFF with some of the more serene and elegant work in wood. Their booths were all simple and white, showing nothing but their work in the most minimal of settings. ... ...
Read more...published May 11, 2010 and has No Comments
Images by B. Alter London's Grand Designs Live is the place to go if you are looking for the latest in design, technology and ideas for old and new homes. Its driving force, Kevin McCloud, who also has a t.v. show and magazine, is a passionate advocate of environmental building and the show reflects this interest. In addition to ...
Read more...published May 5, 2010 and has No Comments
Credit: Washington Post . Click to enlarge. There are now apparently over six hundred "green" labels worldwide now, covering everything from lumber to fish, tea to textiles and tourism. The Washington Post writes that you can't always trust them. "because certification is a self-regulated industry, the integrity of ... Read the full story on TreeHugger Read more: From Wood to ...
Read more...published April 28, 2010 and has No Comments
The world's forests, which cover a third of Earth's land area, provide us with many essential services. They absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and give us oxygen, limit soil erosion, aid in flood control and aquifer recharge, and host a wealth of biodiversity. But as human populations have grown, so, too, have the demands placed on these natural ...
Read more...published March 17, 2010 and has No Comments
Boiler at Middlebury College; The Independent/ Trent Campbell Mason Inman at National Geographic News is excited about large-scale use of wood as fuel. Looking at Middlebury College's new biomass boiler and generator, he writes: Trees suck CO2 out of the air as they grow and then release roughly the same amount of CO2 when they're burned in the advanced ...
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The office building, going for LEED Platinum, is built on top of a brick factory from another era. It rises to the challenge. Go here to read the rest: The Centre For Green Cities At Evergreen Brickworks Demonstrates How To ...
"The stakes are very high and scientists are not the best people to deal with the social, ethical or political issues that geoengineering raises." View original here: Geoengineering is a Technical Fix for a Political Problem
