Subscribe
type here...
Subscribe
Home Blog Page 511

Rescued Candlesticks Unite to Form Upcycled Menorah

Karen Chernick
-
1
Rescued Candlesticks Unite to Form Upcycled Menorah

"recycled candlestick menorah"Candlesticks that have lost their partners find a home in this upcycled menorah.

Most flea markets and second-hand stores have them – candlesticks either with or without their partners.  Solitary candlesticks often tend to be left behind, since they usually come in pairs.  But thanks to this menorah design from Reddish Studio (the same people who make the wonderful Bath & Beyond bath tub chair), all those single candlesticks are put to functional use and united together with new partners.  (And kept out of landfills too, of course.)

Continue

More Sustainable Eye Glasses – Wood or Human Hair?

Karen Chernick
-
0
More Sustainable Eye Glasses – Wood or Human Hair?

"eye glasses human hair"If you think these sunglasses are made from tortoise shell, guess again.

Accessories may be one of the most important places for an ecologically minded designer to start.  Accessories are the victims of quickly changing trends and fads, and so their unsustainable fashionable-ness makes their ecological sustainability greatly needed.  We’ve seen other green designers tackle this issue before, creating purses out of old tire inner tubes, wallets out of discarded wrappers, and clutches made from old architectural designs. There are the wonderful theme-based goodr sunglasses. However we have not yet seen designers stare sustainable accessories in the face.

Namely, take it to one of the most ubiquitous fashion accessories of all – the eye or sun glasses.  And now we’re faced with two sets of designers tackling the issue in very different ways: one making eye glasses from human hair (seen above) and the other making them from wood.

"wood eye glasses"Ezri Tarazi, an industrial designer and the Head of the Industrial Design Department at the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem, is the one responsible for the wood glasses seen above together with Shoham Zak.  Made from special laminated wood layers, they are extremely strong (even though, from a practical perspective, they are not collapsible).

Tarazi notes that they are suitable for people with skin allergies to metal and plastic.  In terms of energy consumption, the wood is probably much less energy intensive to obtain than metals and plastic.  With a slight tweak in the design to make these frames from durable and quickly growing bamboo, these glasses would be much more sustainable.

"human hair glasses"Azusa Murakami and Alexander Groves, two graduates from the Royal College of Art in the UK, are behind the “Hair Glasses” line to the left – a collection of sustainable fashion eyewear exploring the potential of human hair.  Made from human hair and bioresin, the frames are completely biodegradable and no harmful substances are released during production.

In attempt to explain why they would use human hair, the two founders of Studio Swine explain that “the UK beauty industry imports 15 million pounds worth of human hair per year.  As the world’s population continues to increase, human hair has been reimagined as a viable – importantly renewable – material.”

Maybe human hair is the new bamboo?

Read more about sustainable fashion accessories:
Elanit Neutra Promises More Mileage Out of Your Purse
Beggars Can Be Choosers: Amit Brilliant’s Recycled Wallets
Ecoist Accessories Make Eco-Friendly Egoists Look Good

Five Star Eco-Tourism in Cool, But Hot Mid East Locations

Maurice Picow
-
1
Five Star Eco-Tourism in Cool, But Hot Mid East Locations

eco hotelJordan’s Six Senses Evason Hot Springs Eco Resort. Does King Abdullah and family come here for fun?

There are numerous eco-tourism options available in the Middle East. Green-hearted tourists can climb “God’s Mountain” in Egypt or visit the desert oasis of Siwa along the Red Sea coast in Sinai. But in the United Arab Emirates, five star eco-tourism is becoming increasingly popular according to Hotelier MiddleEast.com. Dubai and Abu Dhabi destinations that ostensibly help to “save the planet” offer unique accommodations within a luxury, “eco-friendly” setting.

Continue

Novel Bus-Stop Libraries in Israel Promote Green Transportation

Tafline Laylin
-
6
Novel Bus-Stop Libraries in Israel Promote Green Transportation

bus stop libraryWould mini-libraries at bus stops encourage residents of your city to use public transportation?

Here’s a novel idea: create a system of mini-libraries at bus stops in order to encourage reading and green transportation. Think it could never happen? Think again. Two urban artists, one of whom graduated from Israel’s Technion Faculty of Architecture, submitted their brainchild to the mayor of Kfar Saba, a small city north of Tel Aviv, who gave them his blessing. Although there were some initial reservations about how long the books would last, one resident told Ynet News that at the beginning of the first experimental week, the books disappeared. By the end of that week, not only were the books returned, but new ones were added.

Continue

Masdar’s Carbon Capture Program Could Lead to Mass Delirium and Comas

Tafline Laylin
-
4
Masdar’s Carbon Capture Program Could Lead to Mass Delirium and Comas

carbon capture and storage, carbon dioxide, Masdar cityOil and gas companies believe that CCS will allow fossil-burning to continue unabated, but health leaders expose the potential for widespread human fatalities in the event of accidental leaks.

The United States Department of Energy has pledged to match Masdar’s $700,000 carbon capture research program with $3 Million of US taxpayer money. In collaboration with RTI International, an independent, international non-profit organization that has worked closely with the DoE for 25 years, Penn State University and two other American companies, Masdar intends to revolutionize the Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) space so that the world can continue to burn coal, gas, and oil without worrying about the impact that doing so will have on escalating climate changes.

Continue

Israeli Cleantech Benefits from Australian Climate Legislation

Susan Kraemer
-
0
Israeli Cleantech Benefits from Australian Climate Legislation

When Prime Minister Julia Gillard narrowly succeeded in passing Australia’s first carbon tax last month, she probably wasn’t thinking of how Israeli innovation will be a beneficiary.

Not everyone is happy that Gillard passed Australia’s first carbon “tax.” Big Coal is furious. And coal is a huge industry in Australia. But Australia’s Greenearth Energy is one diversified energy company that is enthusiastic about the prospects for clean energy development following the Gillard government’s recent climate legislation that puts a price ($23 a ton) on carbon. Like Israel’s BrightSource Energy (BrightSource Glad to See Carbon “Tax” Down Under) which also stands to benefit from the about-face on climate regulation down under, Greenearth brings Israeli-developed clean renewable energy to Australia.

Greenearth previously demonstrated Zenith Solar‘s ability to bring an astonishing 72% efficiency to solar power through a combined heat and power technology, offering both hot water heating and electricity. But the company holds a diversified clean technology portfolio, bringing not just solar, but energy efficiency, clean fuels and geothermal projects as well – all technologies that will become only more vital for energy security in a carbon constrained world.

Continue

Reporter’s Notebook: Woodland Building in Wales Cures the Green Blues

Tafline Laylin
-
1
Reporter’s Notebook: Woodland Building in Wales Cures the Green Blues

Green design, sustainable design, sustainable development, environmental artNothing cures the green blues better than spending a weekend with talented, wholesome folks who love building cool art and architecture projects as much as they love nature.

SO many wonderful green-minded people such as Najib Saab – head of the Arab Forum for Environment and Development (AFED), the Green Sheikh from Ajman, my amazing peers right here on Green Prophet, Friends of the Earth Middle Earth (FoEME), and many others strive to remedy environmental issues in the Middle East. But it’s hard to ignore the trash in Egypt, Jordan’s lack of water, Dubai’s unfettered growth model, and a general lack of awareness about the importance of protecting biodiversity, conserving energy and water, and recycling.

When I lose sight of just how much our global awareness has grown in the past decade or so despite the crises we currently face, I find that getting involved in a good green project always restores my hope and perspective. Which is why I contacted Tabitha Pope of Recycled Venues and Jenny Hall of Crafted Space, organizers of the Woodland Design Lab that took place from 18 August – 21 August, 2011 in Wales, and asked if I could join the fun. Luckily for me they brought me on board (though Jenny’s mom did warn her about journalists!) and it was exactly what the green doctor ordered.

Continue

Upcycled Bath Tub Chair Design by Reddish

Karen Chernick
-
0
Upcycled Bath Tub Chair Design by Reddish
"bath chair design"
Reddish Studio designs an upcycled bath tub chair

Designers often talk about “clean” design, with crisp lines and an absence of frou-frou decoration. See the emergence of functional design in restaurant furniture.

But apparently there’s another kind of clean design – the kind that’s clean because it’s upcycled from objects formerly used to keep people clean, like a bathtub.

upcycled bath tub to chair blueprint
The blueprint to upcycle a bathtub to chair

The Bath & Beyond chair, made by the Israeli designers at Reddish Design Studio, joins a list of other fun eco-friendly chairs such as the modular Loop Chair, the Daily Chair made from the remains of the daily newspaper, and the Rocky Chair made from vintage movie theater seats and rocking chair bases.

Upcycled, aesthetic, and allegedly very comfortable, the Bath & Beyond Chair is a welcome addition to our list of sustainably designed chairs.

"upcycled bathtub chair"Reddish Studio was founded in 2002 by a pair of industrial designers, Naama Steinbock and Idan Friedman, both graduates of the Holon Academic Institute of Technology.  The studio designs a range of products, from household objects to jewelry and furniture, and exhibition design as well.

Reddish Studio Idan Friedman Naama Steinbock
Reddish Studio founders

In describing the mission of the studio, the designers write that “Reddish studio focuses on keeping its designs clear and intriguing, and spends most of the time helping objects feel better about themselves.”

The bathtub used to create the Bath & Beyond Chair should certainly feel better about itself, for both aesthetic and ecological reasons.

::Reddish Studio

Find more sustainable chair designs from Israel:
Tal Gur’s Daily Chair Finds a New Use for Yesterday’s Irrelevant Newspaper
Modular Loop Chair Serves a Twelve-Fold Function
Another Rockin’ Chair by an Israeli Designer
Amir Zinaburg’s Recycled Designs Can-Can

Turkey’s First “Slow City” Promotes Local Agriculture, Slow Food Movement

Julia Harte
-
2
Turkey’s First “Slow City” Promotes Local Agriculture, Slow Food Movement

Seferihisar, a city on Turkey’s western Aegean coast, is part of Cittaslow, an international movement founded to promote the Slow Food movement around the world.

Agriculture is the economic foundation of Seferihisar. The region is famous around Turkey for its juicy satsumas and mandarin oranges, while olives and vineyards also comprise a significant portion of the local economy. But in the last decade, the government has passed a series of legislation favoring the homogeneous agriculture practiced by large-scale corporations and discouraging the local agriculture that has traditionally sustained communities such as Seferihisar. Since becoming a “slow city” several years ago, however, farmers in Seferihisar are finding ways to keep their traditional ways of agriculture alive.

Continue

Why the Middle East Should Definitely Support America’s Keystone XL Pipeline Protests

Tafline Laylin
-
8
Why the Middle East Should Definitely Support America’s Keystone XL Pipeline Protests

350.org, Keystone XL Pipeline Protests, Bill McKibben, D.C. environmental activism, carbon emissions,Bill McKibben isn’t the kind of guy who takes getting arrested lightly. He’s doing it to save humanity from one of the most catastrophic dangers we have ever faced.

The right wing has long maintained that America should reduce its oil dependency on the Middle East. Considered the root of the last war in Iraq and a compelling reason for Gaddafi to hold on so tightly to power over Libya’s oil fields, Republicans have pushed through a series of catastrophic measures to secure their own oil supplies in the United States. But this time, some of the country’s most respected scientists and environmental activists are risking arrest to fight the latest such folly.

Fast-tracked for presidential approval by the Energy and Power Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Panel, the $7 billion Keystone XL Pipeline poses one of the greatest dangers humanity has ever experienced. The 1500 mile pipeline would transport heavy crude oil (or bitumen) evacuated from Northern Alberta’s tar sands to Texas refineries. If burned, this heavy crude oil would release up to 82% more carbon emissions into our atmosphere than conventional oil. More emissions = more erratic climate changes = worsening quality of life for everyone. One hundred and fifty protestors have already been arrested in Washington D.C., where they are putting pressure on President Obama to make good on the promises that got him elected.

Continue

Better Place Announces First Trade-In Agreement for Electric Cars in Israel

Karen Chernick
-
1
Better Place Announces First Trade-In Agreement for Electric Cars in Israel

"electric car israel"Better Place launches another brand new business in Israel – used electric car sales.

Better Place, the company bringing an electric car infrastructure to Israel, has been changing so much about how the Israeli public thinks about transportation.  It has educated the public about the benefits of using electric cars, taught us that a whole new electric infrastructure can be created to replace fossil-fuel-guzzling gas stations, and now it is teaching us that yes, there is such a thing as a used electric cares salesman.  According to a recent agreement between Better Place and Trade Mobile, Better Place customers will be able to enjoy car trade-in services when buying or selling Renault Fluence Z.E. electric cars.

Continue

Libya’s Gaddafi is Finished: What Happens to His Green Projects?

Maurice Picow
-
4
Libya’s Gaddafi is Finished: What Happens to His Green Projects?

gadaffi libya compoundMuamar Gaddafi’s compound goes up in smoke. Are his environmental projects next?

Events in the Libyan capital of Tripoli have been happening so fast that even major news media sites like CNN and Sky News have had a hard time keeping up with them. But one thing is now certain –– Muamar Gaddafi, the eccentric, often “off the wall” leader of Africa’s richest oil country, and environmental “innovator” of projects like the “Great Man Made River” project, and the unique pivot irrigation farms in the Sahara Desert, is no longer in charge.

Continue

The Passing Of A Green Muslim – Ayman Ahwal

Arwa Aburawa
-
0
The Passing Of A Green Muslim – Ayman Ahwal

Ayman Ahwal islamWe celebrate the Muslim environmental campaigner and green activist Ayman Ahwal (right) who passed away last week
I think it’s fair to say that Ayman Ahwal was not your average Muslim. A British Muslim convert, he worked tirelessly to support tree-planting projects in Indonesia, campaign for clean streets in his hometown of Birmingham in the UK and also joined the multi-faith convoy to Copenhagen. He was always ready to spread the word on Islam’s green principles and was a green Sufi Muslim to look up to. I am sad to say that I never got a chance to meet or speak to Ayman Ahwal, yet his legacy amongst many Muslims will live on.

Continue

Water & The Middle East At A Glance (Infographic)

Arwa Aburawa
-
2
Water & The Middle East At A Glance (Infographic)

This infographic by Carboun tells you everything you ever wanted to know about water and the Middle East but couldn’t be bothered to read

Building on the blossoming debate on water and its complexities and Carboun’s first infographic on the carbon emissions from the region, comes this second infographic which aims to decode the water situation in the Middle East and North Africa region. At first glance, it’s not as easy to read as Carboun’s previous infographic but this simply reflects the intricacy of the water situation in the Middle East.

Continue

RAFAA Designs Next Generation Solar Tower for Bright Source Competition

Tafline Laylin
-
1
RAFAA Designs Next Generation Solar Tower for Bright Source Competition

alternative energy, green design, sustainable design, solar energy, bright source energyZurich-based RAFAA Architecture & Design propose the next generation of super sustainable solar power towers.

An often overlooked component of the growing number of solar power plants popping up in Egypt, the United States, Spain, and elsewhere is that someone was responsible for their design. Bright Source Energy recently solicited proposals from international firms for the Ivanpah solar plant in California that is currently undergoing construction. In particular, they are seeking the next generation of super sustainable concentrating solar power towers which we recently reported will be taller than earlier models to enable more efficient space management on new sites.  RAFAA Architecture & Design from Zurich believe they have just the solution.

Continue
1...510511512...784Page 511 of 784

Have news to share? Renewable energy news, architectural, artificial intelligence, biotech, sustainable design ideas, eco-architecture, green travel?
Email us: [email protected]

Company

Headlines

Saving Gourmet Wild Plants For The Future

0
Think of truffles, a gourmet wild food. The European...

Climate change traced in sea turtle shells

0
It's sea turtles which may in the end save islands in the Seychelles. They may also better help us understand climate change. Like rings on a tree, scientists have found a way to read sea turtle shells and how they are impacted by climate change tells a story. 

Sámi shaman drums: why owning one could get you killed in Scandinavia

0
For centuries, the Sámi shaman drum was one of the most powerful sacred objects in northern Europe, and one of the most feared by church and state. If ISIS looks bad to us today for its religious fundamentalism, Christians were just as fervent. 

Flying the friendly skies… but can we get out in 90 seconds?

0
In a real emergency, romance takes a back seat to physics, panic, and how fast 150 people can squeeze through a narrow tube. The Federal Aviation Administration says every aircraft must be evacuated within 90 seconds. That’s the gold standard. But new research suggests that in the real world,  especially as we age, that number might be more aspirational than achievable.

Newsletter

Get important news delivered directly to your inbox and stay connected!

© 2007 to 2026 Green Prophet, All Rights Reserved