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Archive: Green
October 12, 2008
DIY Halloween : Greenwash your Haunted House
Hmmm I wonder if compressed air is a greener way for you to run your Haunted House than electric? And if your burning coal to run your Haunted House then...well your insane. Anyway check out this basic primer on how to convert your Haunted Garage or Haunted Attraction from electric to compressed air.
Also please check out last years Halloween Issue. We still have some copies left and it's packed with amazing DIY Halloween tips.
Posted by David J. Neff |
Oct 12, 2008 12:50 PM
Green, Halloween, Holiday projects |
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October 9, 2008
Austin Event: Sustainable Living Roadshow
A nice green flyer that pretty much says it all about this environmentally-friendly event:
More info here; I hope to see you there!
Posted by Luke Iseman |
Oct 9, 2008 06:08 PM
Events, Green |
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System lets your plants blog their daily existence
The "Midori-San" is a system that allows a normal houseplant to write entries in a standard blog. In a similar way to its distant cousin, the "Botanicalls" project, the Midori-San uses surface potential sensors to read the bioelectric current flowing across the surface of the leaves. As the current fluctuates in response to environmental factors such as temperature changes, humidity, vibration, electromagnetic waves and nearby human activity an algorithm translates the data into sentences which are posted to the plant's blog. Owners can subscribe to the plant's blog to follow it's story, and even earn the plant some cash by clicking it's Google Adsense Ads. I guess money does really grow on trees.
via Pink Tentacle
Posted by Jonah Brucker-Cohen |
Oct 9, 2008 05:00 AM
Arts, Green |
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Chair made from growing crystals will (hopefully) support your back
The "Venus" chair by Tokujin Yoshioka is made from growing natural crystals and is large enough for an adult to sit comfortably. The chair is grown in a tank where the artist controls half of the growing process and nature finishes up the rest. Check out the link for some shots of the build process of this interesting object.
via Core77
Posted by Jonah Brucker-Cohen |
Oct 9, 2008 04:00 AM
Arts, Green, How it's made |
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October 8, 2008
Solar roll ups
Interesting company that makes solar tubes-
FREMONT, California -- Solar cells have been converting sunlight into electricity for years, but scientists have been much less successful at turning that technology into money.Now, in a staid Bay Area office park, a converted hard-drive factory with a shiny new façade has begun churning out unconventional solar tubes that could change the economics of solar power.
The highly-automated factory belongs to Solyndra, a three-year-old company that has received $600 million in venture capital and $1.2 billion in orders for its new modules, which look like curtain rods. Those big investors are betting the company's unique product will soon blanket commercial buildings across the world.
Instead of the standard panels mounted on racks that have dominated solar for the last 20 years, Solyndra's cylindrical solar modules collect sunlight more efficiently across a broader range of angles and catch light reflected off the roof itself. The solar cells also contain no silicon, which has been a costly component of most solar systems.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Oct 8, 2008 09:00 AM
Green |
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October 7, 2008
Austin Event: Hot Science Cool Talks
Interesting topic and free pizza:
Indoor air can be much more toxic than the air we experience outdoors, but isn't regulated by any agency. Where do these toxins come from? How well do air filters or ozone generators clean indoor air? Students, teachers, families, and the general public are invited to attend an evening of scientific exploration as the Environmental Science Institute at UT Austin presents "Is Your House Killing You?" by Dr. Richard Corsi, indoor air quality researcher at The University of Texas at Austin. Join us as Dr. Corsi answers these questions and shows us how some very common (and presumably safe) products that we use in our homes present challenges to maintaining healthy indoor air quality.Make sure to come early to experience exhibits and activities presented by our partners! Free refreshments will be provided. K-12 teachers are also invited to join us for a free workshop and pizza before the event, tailored to provide background useful for the classroom. CD-ROMs with lecture materials and lesson plans are provided free to teachers at these workshops.
WHO: Dr. Richard L. Corsi researches indoor air quality, including sources and control of indoor air pollution and human exposure to indoor toxins from dishwashers to paint and computers. He also recently completed a large study involving building disinfection chemistry in the wake of anthrax attacks in the Fall of 2001. He and his research team have published over 230 journal/conference papers and reports, and have been featured on the Canadian television series The Nature of Things, National Geographic, The Economist, Business Week, National Wildlife, Prevention, Men's Health, the Dallas Morning News, Houston Chronicle, San Francisco Chronicle, and more. Corsi earned his Ph.D. in civil engineering from the University of California at Davis in 1989 and joined the faculty of The University of Texas at Austin in 1994.
WHAT: Hot Science - Cool Talks Outreach Series hosted by the Environmental Science Institute at UT Austin and the Jackson School of Geosciences. Prelecture interactive exhibits and K-12 teacher workshops are provided free to the public before the lecture.
WHEN: October 10th, 2008. Lecture begins at 7pm, prelecture interactive exhibits open at 5:45. K-12 Teacher workshop begins at 6pm.
WHERE: UT Campus, Welch Hall 2.224. Parking at San Jacinto & 24th St. garage, $1.
Posted by Luke Iseman |
Oct 7, 2008 08:04 PM
Events, Green |
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October 1, 2008
Escape from Berkeley
Scott Beale writes, on Laughing Squid:
Escape From Berkeley (By Any Non-Petroleum Means Necessary) is a road rally of alternatively powered vehicles traveling from Berkeley to Las Vegas on October 10th through 13th. A panel of judges will be presenting awards for both artistic and technical achievements. The rally is being organized by Jim Mason and The Shipyard.Part engineering problem, part artistic opportunity, the rally challenges contestants to start their "engines" on something other than petroleum based fuel, and by any means necessary, cause their "vehicles" show up in Las Vegas three days later- using only fuels/power/motive force scavenged "for free" along the route.
Here's the current line-up of vehicles and there is still time to register your vehicle if you want to enter. If you would like to help support the rally, you can sponsor the route by the mile or specific landmark. They are also looking for more volunteers.
Escape From Berkeley (By Any Non-Petroleum Means Necessary)
More:
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Oct 1, 2008 02:41 PM
Bicycles, Events, Green |
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Sail across the Pacific ocean on discarded water bottles
The "Plastiki Expedition" by environmentalist David de Rothschild is attempt to finally put all of the discarded plastic water bottles we use daily to good use. His project is to build a 60-foot boat made entirely out of recycled materials such as the bottles and then sail it across the entire Pacific Ocean! From his descriotion: "The boat will be designed as a response to the problem that plastics present. The design also aims to be completely self-contained in terms of its energy generation, fresh water creation and waste treatment." Check out the details at the link below.
The Plastiki Exploration, via Inhabitat
Posted by Jonah Brucker-Cohen |
Oct 1, 2008 04:00 AM
Arts, DIY Projects, Green |
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September 30, 2008
HumanCar - street legal human powered car
HumanCar - street legal human powered car @ Wired, NextFest, Treehugger and their site.
The FM-4 v1.0 HumanCar (Fully Manual 4 Passenger) 'geometry prototype' has been so successful that no changes have been required. Several downhill time trial runs have had the car above 60mph + with incredible handling and BodySteer characteristics. The steel tube space frame chassis features a bi-lateral human power interface and front passenger body-steering capabilities. The vehicle is also designed to follow transportation efficiency guidelines such as the SyncGuideway specification on the menu as well.HumanCar, Inc. has been creating human powered vehicles for over 30 years. Our current vehicle is the first four-passenger LMV (Low Mass Vehicle) car ready for production.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Sep 30, 2008 11:00 AM
Green, Transportation |
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September 26, 2008
"The Greater Depression" - The Renaissance - Finding A Place
Wendy and/or Mikey one up'ed me, here's a wonderful post about what might be the next renaissance, I think so too! What an interesting Friday this turned out to be...
In 2000 when I quit my job and reoriented myself away from money and towards the gathering of skills: welding, sewing, building, growing food, many of my friends thought I was nuts. I did not make these changes with a doomy perspective. The epiphany that inspired me was one of a better world that followed a great collapse. So here we are. Some of my friends no longer think I'm nuts. The nearing end of oil and the collapse of the monetary system have set rapid change in motion. Oil had enabled us to fraction ourselves off from the natural world and build an artificial one on top of it, a poor and unsustainable mimic. Yet the natural world we started off with actually perpetuates life, it is life, needs no caretakers and naturally provides. We replaced it with a dependent machine. Without oil the machine grinds to a halt and leaves us where we started, with the only task we've ever been given, to live on earth. Our monetary system enabled greed to be the road to wealth. Wealth was not measured by generosity, creativity or love. When I look at what's dying I see things that never had life in the first place. The lifelessness of our way of living is just becoming more evident. But remember we are life, and life has always existed. And so I feel no reminiscence towards what's passing away now.So I made my choice a few years ago. I left NYC for Truth or Consequences, NM, a tiny desert town that was never fully dependent on the national economy. Folks here have skills: welding, sewing, woodworking, canning, growing etc. The domestic economy is vibrant, in fact barter is more respected than the dollar which says so little of one's character. When a developer came here with big plans to "help us" I realized that he could not see that poverty is being redefined. While one in four American homes are empty, here in T or C we have a nearly full occupancy. He sees trailers and mobiles, "poor folks!" I see balance, living within one's means. This is wealth! This is a place that skirted through the great depression of the 1920's and 30's. Here locals grew food and stocked the supermarket for those who could not grow. That supermarket is still here.
In Truth or Consequences one must bring their work or create it here. You could say that it's a perfect place for folks who attend Burning Man. Like the desert utopian experiment T or C is pioneering, it asks you what your made of and what your skills are. You can still buy a home here for $50k, taxes average at a couple hundred bucks a year. What's here? Whatever you bring here. Like Burning Man it asks you to manifest and share what matters most to you. This place highlights my own belief that in this time the maker is the revolutionary.
We'll all find our place soon enough. As we slide deeper into what's being now called the 'greater depression' I suggest we consider this collapse is also the renaissance in disguise. If your tempted to savor what was: money, consumerism and greed, consider how little life it contained. Mystics over the ages have told us that we fell from paradise, from the garden. Religious texts speak of man's fall into idolatry. These concepts need not be filed under religious thinking. When we built a world on top of one that was given to us and we thanked ourselves for it we parted ways with the natural world and we made gods of ourselves for the doing of it. What do we have to gain from this collapse? Only paradise and the rediscovery of our humanity. And perhaps wealth will finally move to the hands of those most capable of holding it, those who know how to live in the real world a world that teaches us through our ability to live in it that the health of the individual is dependent on the health of the whole.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Sep 26, 2008 03:00 PM
Green |
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Denim waste oil filter
Mikey writes...
It had been suggested to me months ago that denim can make a pretty good filter for waste oils. Since I am trying to reduce my filter costs both in the obtainment system and under the hood I thought I would cut up some old jeans and try out the theory. I am really impressed with the quality of the oil I am getting with two layers of denim as a filter. It takes hours to get a few gallons of oil filtered, but I've come up with a extremely minimal setup that can be run in parallel.
If you haven't check out "Holy Scrap Hot Springs" - I suggest getting a tall glass of iced tea and spending an hour skimming all the posts - it's worth it, it makes me want to moved out there and join in.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Sep 26, 2008 12:53 AM
Green |
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September 25, 2008
Bottle greenhouse adds sustainibility to harvesting
This "Bottle House" created by artist Jasmine Zimmerman is an open-roofed greenhouse made from hundreds of the plastic drink bottles that we use 70 million of everyday. The project will be exhibited in empty lots, rooftops, parks, and vacant buildings in order to spread the word about recycling and reporposing everyday objects in our environment. Pretty cool design that might just be a bit tricky to keep clean.
Jasmine Zimmerman, via Inhabitat
Posted by Jonah Brucker-Cohen |
Sep 25, 2008 04:00 AM
Arts, Green |
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September 24, 2008
Meet Dave, the man who never takes out the trash
Taking reuse and recycle to the extreme! Meet Dave, the man who never takes out the trash - TIME via .
David Chameides is not your average American. For one thing, the TV cameraman owns two Emmy awards — how many do you have? But more importantly, while the average American throws out around 1,700 lbs. of trash annually, for the past year Chameides has thrown out absolutely nothing. A deep green by nature — he also runs a website called Sustainable Dave — beginning in December Chameides decides he would keep all the garbage he created, at home and on the road, in his house. "We have the concept of throwing something away, but in reality, we're just tossing it over our shoulder and forgetting about it," says Chameides. "It wouldn't be so funny if it was really just in your backyard."
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Sep 24, 2008 08:00 AM
Green |
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September 23, 2008
Hydroponics system from junk
Here's a simple "flood and drain" hydroponics system made from junk.
Expandable Hydroponics System from Junk - Flood and Drain
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Sep 23, 2008 02:21 PM
Green, Instructables |
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Outdoor furniture remake
Andrea at Heavy Petal re-made a second-hand metal-framed loveseat and chair into sturdy patio pieces by stripping them down, adding cedar slats, and weather-resistant cushions. The cushions are the same type of foam used for seats on boats, covered with Sunbrella fabric.
Posted by Patti Schiendelman |
Sep 23, 2008 07:00 AM
Furniture, Green, Remake |
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September 22, 2008
Pedal Powered World: Literally
This is part 8 of an ~8-part series I'm doing on bike-powered devices. If you've got a link to another device that should be included or a better-documented version of any of these, comment below. I learned about most of these devices through the old-news Innovate or Die contest.
Wow: go pedals. I'm in awe at the sheer number of things that people have powered with bikes, and I'm sure I'm only scratching the surface. Thanks to people who have sent me additions to my initial lists. Here's the 31 things we've found bike-powered thus far:
Kitchen
1. Vacuum fridge
2. Blender
3. Ice cream Maker
4. Cotton Candy Spinner (added by Kai Williams)
Sustainability
1. Universal Nut Sheller
2. Water Pump and Filter
3. Water Purifier
4. Water Mover, Filter, and Pump
Outdoor Tools
1. Mulcher
2. Snow Plow
3. Lawnmower Bike
4. Compost Turner
Shop Tools
1. Multi-Tool
2. Inertia Welder
3. Hacksaw
4. Air Compressor
Household Tools
1. Sweeper
2. Washing Machine
3. Television
4. Christmas Lights (or at least lights connected to a pedal-powered generator)
Power Generation
1. Suspension Energy Scavenger
2. "Big Wooden Wheel" (to supposedly smooth power output)
3. Pedal Power API (both mechanical and electrical energy generation)
Bikes Moving Unlike Bikes
1. Bikeyak
2. Snow Car
3. (Bigger) Amphibious Cycle
4. Tandem (without having to see your co-rider)
5. Family Truckster
6. Rat Patrol Oz's Amphibious Tall Couch Trike, thanks to Gentry:
7.A taxi trailer (welded) in Namibia, thanks to Aaron Wieler:
(plans for my design, an (admittedly less aesthetically pleasing) no-weld pedicab, can be found here)
8. And, last but far from least, the Microship:
Thanks to Steven Roberts for building and submitting this beautiful bike-able boat.
Without further ado, I'm going to go look for more bikes in the garbage:)
Posted by Luke Iseman |
Sep 22, 2008 10:40 AM
Bicycles, DIY Projects, Green |
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September 19, 2008
Austin Event: Natural Building Intro
An Introduction to Natural Building Materials and Systems
Presented by Gayle Borst, Texas registered architect, LEED AP, natural builder
Saturday, September 20, 2008, 9:30 am - 1:00 pm
Habitat Suites Hotel
500 E Highland Mall Blvd
Austin, TX 78752
$50 per person, includes snacks and beverages
Natural building utilizes minimally processed, nontoxic materials and systems in a manner appropriate for the climate, site and intended use. It incorporates primarily regionally-available natural materials rather than typical high embodied energy, processed commercial materials.
This is one definition of natural building, but it doesnít reveal the limitless creative, aesthetic, and functional possibilities that natural building presents. Imagine opportunities for:
- Thick, structural, load-bearing walls sculpted with seductive curves, niches and bas relief
- Earthen-plastered walls burnished to glisten in the sun or behind a flickering candle
- Richly warm-colored earthen floors polished to a leather-like luster
- Brightly-colored lime exterior plaster ripe with depth and hand-applied character
- Sculpted earthen ovens that not only bake incredible pizzas and bread but stand as works of art
- Soft-edged straw bale garden wall and arched entryway with a curvy juniper gate
We invite you to an introduction to a variety of natural building materials and systems, with an emphasis on those appropriate for Central Texas. Through slides and words, we will explore:
- Straw bale walls and Cob walls, ovens and other features
- Cordwood walls and Roundwood structure and decoration
- Compressed earth blocks and Earthbag construction
- Earthen floors
- Natural plasters of lime and/or earth
- Rubble trench foundations and reciprocal roofs
Come and investigate how beautiful, functional, safe, environmentally-responsible natural building could be part of your life. Whether you are a do-it-yourselfer or would hire professionals for our natural building project, this introduction is designed to inspire your journey.
Space is limited. To register, please call Gayle at 512-478-9033 (Austin, Texas; U.S. Central Time) or send her an email.
Posted by Luke Iseman |
Sep 19, 2008 06:00 PM
Events, Green |
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September 18, 2008
Robotic rabbit tells you when your plants are dry
The "Robot Rabbit" by artist Paul Granjon is an automated installation that features a modded toy rabbit seated on a patch of live grass. The robot repeats the word "robot rabbit" at a rate of 1 word a second while the grass is automatically watered by an electric pump when the humidity level gets low. Check out the video for the full effect of this strange project.
Posted by Jonah Brucker-Cohen |
Sep 18, 2008 06:00 AM
Arts, Green |
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September 17, 2008
Austin Event: Bioregional Campout
A photo of Lake Nasworthy (via)
To plunge weekend-first right into permaculture, you might check out the Austin Bioregional Campout this weekend:
A joyful and stimulating experience awaits you at the Bioregional Campout, September 19-21, on the shores of Lake Nasworthy in San Angelo. Lake Nasworthy is located at the headwaters of the longest tributary of our Colorado River watershed.Engage with folks who are creating sustainable solutions to improve our quality of life by enlivening our land, our communities, and ourselves. Activities include educational presentations, group discussions, hands-on permaculture projects, swimming, boating, singing, relaxing, yoga, gardening, campfires, field trips, etc. Anyone interested in building a more sustainable world is welcome.
Raw and living food meals will be served (suggested donation - $20 per person for the weekend). Facilities are available for those desiring cooked food options. San Angelo is about a 3 1/2 hour drive from Austin.
IMPORTANT NOTE: This is going to be well worth the trip! Our hosts have invited San Angelo city officials and other influential figures to participate in the event, so this is a great opportunity to get in on the action of promoting permaculture and bioregionalism in the halls of officialdom. Don't miss it! Carpools are being coordinated, and there is talk of renting a 16-seat van. To offer a ride or ask for a ride, and to connect with other people who are going, simply post a comment by clicking on the COMMENTS field below this blog entry.
To get your questions answered and reserve your space, contact Ted Norris at thehealthclass@gmail.com, 512-476-1607; or Eva Barnett at eva.barnett@sbcglobal.net, 512-431-5305.
More info, including ride-share, here.
Posted by Luke Iseman |
Sep 17, 2008 09:00 AM
Events, Green |
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September 16, 2008
Pedal Powered World, #7: Bikes Being More Than Bikes
This is part 7 of an ~8-part series I'm doing on bike-powered devices. If you've got a link to another device that should be included or a better-documented version of any of these, comment below or email me and I'll add it to my last post in the series, summarizing all the interesting pedal-powered projects we've found by category. I learned about most of these devices through the old-news Innovate or Die contest.
A series like this would be incomplete without recognition for motion-producing projects like the Bikeyak:
Other interesting pedal power ways of moving:
- Snow car
- (Bigger) amphibious cycle
- Ride tandem without having to watch your partner's back!
- Family truckster
I know there are tons of other funky pedal-powered vehicles. What are your favorite among the most unique?
Posted by Luke Iseman |
Sep 16, 2008 10:00 PM
Bicycles, DIY Projects, Green |
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Features and more @ MAKE!
DIY Halloween contest at MAKE! In honor of the best DIY holiday ever, we're having a party -- and everyone's invited! Elaborate costumes for the whole family, gadgets that go "zzzZAP!," gross-looking foods, creepy decorations that turn your house into a forbidding castle, and spooky jack-o-lanterns guarding your front door: these are the things we look forward to all year.
DIY HALLOWEEN from the editors of MAKE and CRAFT brings you 40-plus DIY projects for the holiday that's made for makers. From the craftiest costumes to amazing animated props and the latest in computer-controlled haunted house effects. Get it at the Maker Shed store!. And lastly, our Animated Ghost Kit. Grab this cool kit for Halloween. Sound activated, the ghost flashes his little red LED eyes, vibrates and makes scary sounds! Easy and fun to build. Hack it! Get it at the Maker Shed Store!
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Not so lazy Sunday... Weekend Project - Hot Glue Web Gun
There's still time to start making or just watch this week's Weekend Project: Hot Glue Web Gun. You can view the video here, grab the PDF here and subscribe in iTunes to get all our Weekend Projects and PDFs...
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