highlighting the future's bizzare as it transforms into the present's mundane
Posts tagged eco-living
Earth Day & Carl Sagan’s Pale Blue Dot
Apr 23rd
This gives me goosebumps every time I watch it…. Happy Earth Day !
The Story of Electronics
Nov 13th
The Story of Electronics employs the Story of Stuff style to explore the high-tech revolution’s collateral damage—25 million tons of e-waste and counting, poisoned workers and a public left holding the bill. Host Annie Leonard takes viewers from the mines and factories where our gadgets begin to the horrific backyard recycling shops in China where many end up. The film concludes with a call for a green “race to the top” where designers compete to make long-lasting, toxic-free products that are fully and easily recyclable
Leave it as it is…
Oct 2nd
Leave it as it is. You cannot improve it. The ages have been at work on it, and man can only mar it….
President Theodore ‘Teddy’ Roosevelt commenting on seeing the Grand Canyon
Read more about the US National Parks and President Teddy Roosevelt at http://www.nps.gov and http://blogs.nashualibrary.org/reference/2009/09/leave_it_as_it_is_1.html
Forward Osmosis- revoluntionary water treatment?
Feb 5th
Cleantechnica has a post on Forward Osmosis. It is better explained here. The authors description in a gist:
…conventional desalination and reuse technologies use substantial energy. “forward osmosis,” exploits the natural diffusion of water through a semi-permeable membrane. Their process “draws” pure water from its contaminants to a solution of concentrated salts, which can easily be removed with low heat treatment — effectively desalinating or removing contaminants from water with little energy input.
The concentrated salt solution is probably a mixture of ammonia and/or carbon dioxide dissolved in water. The ammonia and CO are later easily boiled off and reused. The energy required for this quite less even low-cost solar heaters may be sufficient.
Durable $5000 Home Made from Recycled Paper
Jan 23rd
Local communities can probably leverage ideas like these to implement open-source design democratized green urban housing. BTW, how can you make a paper house fireproof? I understand that by using resin / coatings you make it waterproof but how it be made fireproof like bricks and not just fire-resistant?
Your thoughts / comments are welcome. Here is the link to the recycled paper house.