Sunday, April 10, 2016

Sustainable Construction: Bamboo



Elora Hardy quit her job to build sustainable bamboo homes in Bali! Credit: Ibuku
Posted by Higher Perspective on jueves, 31 de marzo de 2016

Not only are these buildings GORGEOUS, they're also made with one of the fastest-growing renewable resources: bamboo!  Bamboo grows extremely fast and because of it's fibers and cylindrical form, it is extremely strong in both compression and tension for building members.  It's also, obviously, got the potential for curves and is naturally beautiful.

One thing that should be considered if you plan to grow your own, is if bamboo already grows naturally near you.  If not, please research first as introducing foreign species can cause damage to the existing environment, especially if the new species is more dominant and doesn't have as many local threats.  It is likely that bamboo will eventually become an item easy to find in the lumber store, but for now...there's always time for a trip the tropics!


Thursday, March 17, 2016

Healthy citites: Why deterring vehicular traffic is not the end of the world!


When you design for pedestrian and bicycle traffic that keep people healthy, allow them safe and fast access to their daily activities and special events, and deter vehicular traffic from interference with them...the world does NOT explode.  Go figure.


Groningen: the World's Cycling City
For those of you who didn't know yet: Groningen - the World's Cycling City :)!Worth the watch!
Posted by University of Groningen on domingo, 20 de octubre de 2013

Friday, March 4, 2016

Perspective is key: Design for the Deaf

It's all about perspective!  Having or not having certain senses, limbs, body parts, features...everything that we have or do not have not only makes us who we are, but also has a distinct influence on how we perceive the world around us.  How can having, or not, gives us design clues on an environment for people who are deaf?



How architecture changes for the deaf
Architecture takes on a new look when desiging for the deaf. Here's how:
Posted by Vox on miércoles, 2 de marzo de 2016

Perspective is key.  
Don't just look; See the world. 

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Science Fairs Change the World...again

Once again, what started out as a high school project from the mind of a young man, could one day be known as the seed that sprouted into the greatest global cleanup of human waste that the planet has ever known!

Boyan Slat, of the Netherlands created an idea about how to utilize ocean currents to the advantage of the humans who have been spoiling it and using those currents to our advantage in cleaning it.  By creating areas where currents often gather our trash, Boyan hopes to place large nets that can be anchored to the ocean, that would allow trash to stay in.   Boyan's method hopes to be able to clear in just 5 years what with current methods could take hundreds of years, oil, and energy to accomplish.  He raised over $80,000 in crowd-funding to research his theory and experiments are proving that his idea might work on the global scale.  The rollout of the first true test will be placed off the shores of Japan in the next year.

The outlook is good.  Thank you, high school teachers, for encouraging your students to think positively and to consider their ideas on a global scale.
Can this device save our oceans?
What began as a Dutch teen's high school project could make history, with Boyan Slat's low-cost, innovative Ocean Cleanup project aiming to clear the ocean of millions of tons of plastic. http://bit.ly/1QEdFqd
Posted by The Sydney Morning Herald on martes, 2 de febrero de 2016

Sunday, February 7, 2016

Even MORE eco-friendly bicycle!


Esta es la bicicleta del futuro
Esta es la bicicleta del futuroLa BV6, fabricada ¡con cartón!
Posted by Norte Digital on jueves, 4 de febrero de 2016

Bicycles are already considered a great alternative to motorized vehicles that utilize fossil fuels to function, but what if a bicycle was also made out of recycled cardboard? Cool. 

Monday, January 25, 2016

Syntropy: How Agriculture can be Modelled after Rainforests


Life in Syntropy
Brazilian farmer Ernst Gotsch bought 1,200 acres of completely deforested land on the edge of the rainforest in 1984. Check out our video of the week to see how he worked with nature to transform the land into an incredibly biodiverse working farm capable of feeding people and reversing climate change through sequestering carbon: #RegenerativeAg #Ag Regeneration International
Posted by Millions Against Monsanto by OrganicConsumers.org on domingo, 10 de enero de 2016