"Observers at nearly all the recent international conferences tending to the world’s dire challenges regarding environment, economics, and so on, summarize that “civil society is gung-ho for change,” whereas the world’s controlling corporations and governments are dragging their feet. In fact, there is a fear among spokespersons for civil society that decades of their own work may be cancelled out by the comparatively instantaneous actions of … [Read more...]
Avoid using harmful chemicals in your home – use citrus
Citrus contains d-limonene, a natural solvent that cuts through grease and dirt, and smells great! To make an All-purpose citrus spray cleaner: Place citrus peels in a glass jar. Pour white vinegar over peels and let mixture sit for 2 weeks. Remove and discard peels. Dilute the vinegar with water, so it is 1 part water to 2 parts vinegar. Pour into a spray bottle and use to clean ceramic, stone, porcelain, marble, granite, and laminate … [Read more...]
Fresh air – only $845 a jar!
Sometimes, it takes an artist to perfectly make a point. Liang Kegang lives in Beijing, and after a trip to the south of France he returned with something precious - a jar of clean Provence mountain air. To drive his point home, he auctioned the jar before a group of about 100 Chinese artists and collectors and was paid 5,250 yuan ( $845) for it. "Air should be the most valueless commodity, free to breathe for any vagrant or beggar," Liang … [Read more...]
A special little (low waste) retreat…
Tennessee-based blogger and mother of two boys ModFruGal built this modernist but down-to-earth little house among the trees for less than $1,500. ModFruGal says modestly that she's "not a writer, photographer, or designer… just a gal with a vision who isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty," and that she and her "Crafty Counterpart" husband worked together to build this gorgeous little low waste retreat. The dimensions were chosen to minimize … [Read more...]
Fairphones – repairable, responsible electronics
Smartphones seem to be everywhere these days, and they're fraught with both environmental and social issues - from their use of conflict minerals to poor conditions for the workers who make them. A social enterprise behind a new 'ethical' smartphone, the Fairphone, aims to change that by using conflict-free raw materials for the devices, paying the workers who manufacture them a fair wage, and working to set up e-waste recycling programs for … [Read more...]
Spring is out there, enjoy it!
What are your priorities?
Would a spot of gardening improve your Monday morning commute?
Many people would love to start a garden, but lack the space and time to enjoy the green and healthy hobby of gardening. However, an ingenious solution is cropping up in Japan, where the East Japan Railway Company has collaborated with a station entertainment company to create a series of rooftop gardens on train stations, where commuters can create their own tiny gardens and tend to them while they wait for their train to arrive. What … [Read more...]
The Ethical Treehouse
Building a treehouse that doesn't harm the tree, or restrict its growth often means paying special attention to engineering or using customized components like a Garnier limb. Toronto-based architecture firm Farrow Partnership Architects approaches this problem by hanging their curvaceous treehouse from the tree's upper trunk, rather than nailing to it. Inspired by the "samara," also known as those papery propeller seeds of the maple tree, … [Read more...]
Why not visit Pop-up Repair?
Pop-up Repair was launched last year by theatre props makers Sandra and Michael.
For them, repair is part of a worldview—one that measures the value of an object by more than just the sticker price. Everything that is manufactured is held together by something irreplaceable: energy, human labor, raw materials. And we can’t keep making ephemeral objects out of irreplaceable materials. … [Read more...]
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