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april said: "RT muchosam, Tim, Anonymous: Thanks for catching that. ..." [read]

said: "What's with the picture of the Focus?..." [read]

UDSL2000 said: "I really wish that more attention was being paid to white neon. This technology is mature, and is much more efficient than LED on a watt/lumen bas..." [read]

Tim said: "The photo is of a Ford Focus Wagon, NOT a VOLVO......" [read]

BradyDale said: "Well, I don't know that I'm crazy excited, but I think I do want one. I wonder if it will ignore my cats. My cats would hate it if the place were l..." [read]

Richard said: "Plants and animals evolved together. Ruminants play many roles including breaking up hardened soil allowing seeds to penetrate, especially import..." [read]

84 Recycled PET Bottles to Make ECOALF Cabin Trolley

by Petz Scholtus, Barcelona, Spain on 07. 9.09
Design & Architecture

ECOALF cabin trolley made from recycled PET bottles IMAGE

Here is something that is 100% recycled, but doesn’t look it. ECOALF is the new fabric developed by the Spanish company fun&basics, made from recycled PET bottles. It is a high quality textile: flexible, tension resistant, long lasting, waterproof and lightweight. The first bags made from ECOALF are a toilet bag, a small bag, a cabin trolley and a large, wheeled luggage bag. The fun thing about them is the visualisation of the recycled bottles. Each bag tells you exactly how many 75cl PET plastic bottles were needed to make it.

Article continues: 84 Recycled PET Bottles to Make ECOALF Cabin Trolley

Chinese History Museum Literally Recycled From History

by Alex Pasternack, New York, NY on 07. 7.09
Design & Architecture

recycled-museum-wang-shu-recycled-ningbo-china-photo.jpg
Iwan Baan

Wang Shu's Mountain-Like Ningbo History Museum Made of Recycled Bricks
At first glance, the brand new Ningbo Historic Museum looks like it has been there for centuries, left behind by natural forces.

But in a nod to local building practices and to the archeological finds it contains, the museum's facade is constructed of recycled brick from the area, a ravaged patch of former farmland turned development district on the outskirts of the booming southern city of Ningbo.

Article continues: Chinese History Museum Literally Recycled From History

The Toaster Project: Art Student Builds a Toaster From Scratch

by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07. 1.09
Design & Architecture

Step 1. Acquiring Iron Ore from Thomas Thwaites on Vimeo.

Thomas Thwaites is a student at the Royal College of Art in London with an interesting project: he is trying to build a toaster. "from scratch - beginning by mining the raw materials and ending with a product that Argos sells for only £3.99. A toaster. "

Why?

Article continues: The Toaster Project: Art Student Builds a Toaster From Scratch

Could the Mississippi Delta Become the Heart of America's Bamboo Belt?

by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 06.30.09
Design & Architecture

moso bamboo photo
photo: Travis Hornung via flickr

I'll let you in on a small not-so secret: I've loved bamboo since I was a little kid. Fascinated with it ever since National Geographic ran a long story on complete with illustrations of all the different types, and have always had a strong visceral response to it. And what's not to like about it? It's amazingly strong, has myriad uses and is downright beautiful. So when I ran across an article in Popular Mechanics on how the Mississippi Delta could be transformed into the United States' prime bamboo growing region I was certainly intrigued:

Article continues: Could the Mississippi Delta Become the Heart of America's Bamboo Belt?

California To Require Heat-Reflecting Vehicle Windows, Starting With 2012 Model Year

by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 06.27.09
Design & Architecture

car sun shade
You won't need this any more. And neither will baby need a sunscreen.
Image credit:Alohakine.com, window sun shade.

This past spring California Air Resources Board (CARB) was actively considering a regulation that required new vehicles to be painted with coatings formulated to reduce absorption of the sun's heat, lowering the vehicle's air conditioning load, and thereby improving vehicle efficiency. (Opposition to the paint rule was strong for technical and for political reasons; but, it's still under consideration.) See Cool Cars: Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Efficiency for details. In its latest move to control heat input to cars, CARB has now approved a proposed requirement for solar gain-reducing windows. Besides boosting mileage, heat controlling windows would make cars a lot more comfortable on hot days. However, some argue that the technology will 'interfere with wireless communications'. Read on for details.

Article continues: California To Require Heat-Reflecting Vehicle Windows, Starting With 2012 Model Year

Discovering The True Power Of Your Trash

by Wes Muir, Waste Management, Inc. on 06.26.09
Design & Architecture

waste-to-energy-florida-photo.jpgWaste-to-energy facility in Broward County, Florida, situated at the Central landfill that also has a landfill gas to energy facility.
Image credit:Waste Management

Last week mayors from across the United States gathered in Providence, Rhode Island for the annual meeting (pdf) of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. From the many resolutions heard proposed at this year’s Conference, it’s clear that waste and energy issues are generating increased interest.

Though probably not front and center on their agenda, implementing progressive solutions to managing municipal waste directly addresses several of the local and national energy and environmental resolutions proposed by mayors across the country. When towns and cities take a smart approach to managing waste, an inherently regional issue, they also help solve national challenges the mayors will be addressing this weekend.

Take the need for locally generated renewable energy. Mayors across the country are demanding new sources of clean energy that are insulated from price volatility. Wind and solar receive the most attention, but waste-based energy uses a local resource to generate clean energy.

Article continues: Discovering The True Power Of Your Trash

Recycled Tire Logs Say to Pressure Treated Lumber, “Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better...”

by Eric Leech, New York, NY on 06.21.09
Design & Architecture

Recycled Tires Photo
Photo via: www.EricCastro.biz

“I Can Do Anything Better than You!”

RTP Re-Tread Products is in the testing phase of a series of recycled rubber tire products designed to one day take the place of some of the applications where pressure treated lumber has traditionally been used. The benefit of such a trade-off would be less chemicals to leach into the ground (from the treated lumber), improved flexibility, and increased overall durability.

The tire logs are believed to be a very appropriate substitute for such applications as heavy equipment platforms, logging roadways, boat ramps, hurricane-prone building construction, highway separation, and flood-control barriers.

Article continues: Recycled Tire Logs Say to Pressure Treated Lumber, “Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better...”

Barcelona Forever Goes Copenhagen, a Recycling Project

by Petz Scholtus, Barcelona, Spain on 06.11.09
Design & Architecture

Copenhagen Forever meets the Mayor Klaus Bondam PHOTO
In a local recycling station, Mette Bak Andersen from Copenhagen Forever is surprised about the lack of interest to recycle plastics in Copenhagen and shows Mayor Klaus Bondam a piece of recycled plastic made in Barcelona.

After Barcelona Forever in 2008, a design installation of a house built from materials found in the streets of the city, designer Mette Bak Andersen and her team are now moving north and planning Copenhagen Forever. Barcelona Forever’s aim was to draw attention to those materials that have become waste but which could easily be given a second life though a creative approach. Now the team wants to see what materials and products in the Danish capital can be rescued from ending up as landfill.

Article continues: Barcelona Forever Goes Copenhagen, a Recycling Project
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