Sustainable Living

Pakistan Qualifies as Better Cotton Country

noreply@blogger.com (Hannan) — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 14:35:00 +0000

Pakistan becomes the first country to qualify as Better Cotton Country. Environmentalists while talking about major cotton growing countries like Pakistan, India and Brazil make a point by saying that these nations are exporting there fresh water at a very cheap rate.
About a decade ago, WWF-Pakistan started a very small cotton project in 3 villages of district Vehari to educate farmers to reduce the use of agro-chemicals and irrigation water.
By December 2005 WWF-Pakistan was able to convince IKEA’s top management in Helsingborg, Sweden to support this sustainable cotton production program, meetings with APTMA, FAP, PCGA and the Seths of Gul Ahmad, Chenab, Al-Karam were also held to promote the program and gain local and international support.
This field project also provided the foundation and demonstration to come up with Global Cotton Standards; the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) with 4 pilot regions (Brazil, Pakistan, India and Central Africa). BCI was registered in Switzerland and BC Guidelines were approved in 2009 with the aim to produce BC from the 2010 cotton season.
Dutch Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH), Rabo Bank and brands like Levis, M&S, H&M, Adidas came on board as support partners of the project in a textile conference held in Colombo earlier this year....
In 2010 under the Better Cotton Project WWF-Pakistan worked with 40,000 cotton growers covering more than 160,000 ha. The whole team worked extremely hard on making this project/dream a reality and the result is that around 45,000 MT of project cotton has been qualified as ‘Better Cotton’ through the BCI process of ‘assessment’ and ‘verifications’. This BC will be consumed by local ginners and spinners for international buyers. But this is just a beginning and I hope that this will act as further inspiration to continue our hard work.”
The project is also significant as it introduced very sustainable and eco friendly pesticides and pest control techniques.
Bitter melon was used for creating an all organic pesticide. sweet timber sticks were inserted in the fields to attract termites on them, which were later removed from the fields....
Farmers have bene able to cut down to about 30 % on there water and have saved about $ 400 appx on agrochemicals and water....

iPhone Covers Out of Skateboard Scrap

noreply@blogger.com (Hannan) — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 23:14:00 +0000

Recycling and new technology can go hand in hand. Old skateboards will now cover your new iPhones. Grove the innovative makers of eco friendly bamboo Mac and iPhone covers are now introducing another eco friendly covering option for iPhone 4 & 4S. They’re calling this new iPhone covering the “Skate Back” and are scavenging the raw martial from the waste of skateboard factories and recycling plants and converting them into an eye-catching eco friendly iPhone accessory. Instead of installing new production units Grove has partnered with a firm called MapleXO that makes recycled eco friendly skateboard jewelry.

The SkateBack makes a short journey from raw skateboard waste at skateboard factory PS Stix, to eye-catching ply with Lindsay at Maple XO, to cell phone accessory at Grove. PS Stix owner Paul Schmitt, of Costa Mesa, CA, has been designing and producing skateboards for nearly three decades. A skateboarder himself, his products are known worldwide for their quality, performance, and durability. PS Stix makes more than 4,000 skateboards every day, 200 per hour, almost three per minute! Thanks to Paul and Lindsay, we’re repurposing those scraps. SkateBack comes in three color schemes and are available on Grove's website for $49 each.

Solar energy for the 21st century

noreply@blogger.com (Hannan) — Mon, 02 May 2011 06:12:00 +0000

The Arabs never do anything by halves. This time Qatar, bidding to host the 2022 Fifa Cup, has found something new to wow us with: engineers at Qatar University have invented a gas filled “cloud”, powered by solar energy, to float above the stadium and shade spectators and players from the blazing sun.

This “cloud” will be made of a very light carbon structure surrounding something like a dirigible filled with helium. It’ll be moved around by remote control from the ground, so that the moving sun needn’t worry anyone: the cloud can just move with it! It will fly at high altitude so that it can block out the rays of the sun for large patches on the ground. And when there’s nothing on at the stadium, it’ll use solar energy to power the neighborhood.

People have wondered why they haven’t just built a solar shade over the stadium instead of planning such a project. Well, you can’t move a fixed solar shade over to other stadiums when it’s not needed here, can you!

This cloud is in the development stage, but eleven years should be enough to finish the project!

The stadium which will host the event if Qatar wins the bid for the World Cup, the Lusail Iconic Stadium, is located in a new development in the north of Doha, Qatar’s capital city. Foster and Partners designed it as an eco friendly, energy efficient edifice. It is a specially built arena that will seat eighty-six thousand spectators, and has been made specifically for the extreme heat of Doha. It will host the opening and closing ceremonies as well as the games.

There will be a moat that everyone who wishes to go into the stadium will have to cross. There will be solar panels installed on canopies over the parking lot.

Yes, solar energy is the way to go!

Photo credits: African sports TV.

The vertical walk of a Goat

noreply@blogger.com (Hannan) — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 09:50:00 +0000

Mountain goat in Montana's Glacier national park travels thousands of feet a day but vertically to lick on exposed minerals that provide essential nutrients required for surviving the harsh winters of the region.... Glaciers in Montana's Glacier national park are melting fast, out of the original 150 Glaciers only 26 are left.....humans are blaming it to the Global warming again...

Image: National Geographic - Nov 2010....

Resident of the soda-can

noreply@blogger.com (Hannan) — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 06:05:00 +0000

Our trash is littered all over the sea beds, polluting them more and more. Fishermen from the gulf of Mexico have been reporting fish catch with oil in guts. Nature is very adaptive so wild life continues to live under the blessings of BP as well. Some times our wastes like the soda-can in the image is a blessing.
This tiny goby has taken residence in a soda can and seems to be decorating its facade, a tiny coral buildup maybe..

Image: National Geographic - Nov 2010....

Flood in Pakistan a man made calamity

noreply@blogger.com (Hannan) — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 14:25:00 +0000

The number of causalities and the vast devastation brought with floods of 2010's monsoon in Pakistan are sad and shocking and we should support the victims as much as we can. Every one was very happy when the rains started during the mid of July and had no idea that these rains would lead to divesting natural calamity in the coming weeks. Calamity we may say but can we really call it natural? and if floods are a natural phenomena then there must be a solution in place for them by nature.
It seems so bizarre that humans who pretend to know the best act so ignorantly towards nature, mostly never considering the consequences.

Floods in Pakistan like every where else in the world are natural, but the destruction and damage caused by them is almost always man made. Accounts of the Indus river from the times of Alexander's campaign indicate a healthy forest cover in the region, which has now considerably receded. The Mughal Emperor Babur writes of encountering rhinoceroses along its bank in his memoirs (the Baburnama).

Extensive deforestation and human interference in the ecology of the rive banks has led to deterioration in vegetation and growing conditions. The Indus valley regions are arid with poor vegetation now. Massive deforestation of the KATCHA initially under the British Raj and then by the common man and Pakistani government has lead to an almost non existent flood buffer....in fact massive human settlements have sprung all over what was 30 miles of Jungle on each side of river Indus. This massive jungle on river banks was commonly know as KATCHA in Sindh and Punjab, and acted as a flood buffer with thousands of natural dips in the elevation of its scape. During monsoon all the KATCHA area would come under the flood which would contain it to a great extent, slowing down the water spill to the agricultural flood plains. Even until 1870's most of the agriculture done on the agricultural flood plains was done after the flood water started seeping out of the KATCHA. Thus human settlements were obviously protected by these two natural buffers, the KATCHA & the agricultural flood plains. The jungle on the river banks would also release its organic content to the agricultural flood plains making them fertile.

The banks of river Indus should be declared as conservation land and the human settlements should be moved inland, the conservation areas should be reforested with man made water containing dips or pockets.... undoubtedly this would be a plan which would be executed by generations of Indus dweller, but this is the only natural solution because even a 100 dams cant contain the mighty Indus....

Above Image: Notes from field by Imran who is part of the Pakistan Wetlands Programme of WWF - Pakistan.

TEDx Lahore 2010 was ORGANIC

noreply@blogger.com (Hannan) — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 21:07:00 +0000

TEDx Lahore 2010 was ORGANIC, had a GREEN twist to it, nothing less then inspirational and we need events like this to be held more frequently and telecasted on TV ....

Talking to the attendees was great, the musical performances were amazing and the food was nice.... kudos to the Tedx Lahore 2010 team/presenters for their simple, confident, loud & Proud manner that made the event an absolute success.....and that's why the few sound and visual errors every now and then were the beauty and organic nature of the event.... it was like picking a tomato from a plant in ones back yard .... nothing like a polished shiny hybrid beast from the aisles of a supermarket.....

I don't think anything needs to be said about the speakers but strangely i feel confident to make the bold attempt of concluding every presentation into one single word..... COMMUNE..... it felt as if each speaker was urging us for community build up to think original and to communicate ..... while Arif Hasan Sab was trying to paint the picture of a village water well providing community space ..... Dr. Haque wanted Pakistanis to think local.....Dr. Rehman & Saima Zaidi did a great job in presenting the much real past and the wider horizon of commune. People like Mudassir Zia and Asher are all about community anyway.....and both Dr. Usmani and Dr. Khan reassured us about the good quality of Made in Pakistan..... thus Collective Genius

Greed and temptation took over and i couldn't resist to pick couple of left back tree saplings and put em in my goody bag..... thoroughly enjoyed the drums and was not the last to leave.........

Thank you TEDx Lahore 2010 team.....

2600 years old living fossil saved by photovoltaic

noreply@blogger.com (Hannan) — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 17:03:00 +0000

With the installation of 3600 watts of photovoltaic at the remote village of Bara Zizri in Ziarat district of Baluchistan Pakistan, there is hope for the second most ancient Juniper forest on the planet. With one of most fragile ecosystems in Pakistan, the forest has an extremely slow growth rate and faces very harsh climatic and geophysical conditions. The forest ecosystem has important wildlife species and medicinal plants. The main threats are debarking and cutting trees for fuel wood and other uses by the local communities.

Now with the help of IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), PCRET (Pakistan Council of Renewable Energy Technologies) has installed photovoltaic to produce 3600 watts of renewable electricity that lit up 120 households, 6 schools and 6 mosques in the area.... this should reduce the pressure on the forest. 17 local woodcutters have also been trained to manage the photovoltaic panels and the electric supply, giving them an alternate livelihood.

More on IUCN's efforts...

More about the ancient forest.....

Dry Farming Tomatoes

noreply@blogger.com (Hannan) — Thu, 13 May 2010 16:38:00 +0000

Like killer tomatoes, drought tolerant tomatoes make sense, try dry farming your tomatoes. Dry farming tomatoes results into best flavor possible. To dry farm tomatoes we need to build the soil with organic matter with compost and growing cover crops. After planting tomatoes water them once and cover the ground in two layers of mulch. You could mulch your tomato beds with organic material and then with some hard mulch like gravel or bits of terracotta to prevent evaporation, and let the tomatoes grow without watering. You only water the tomatoes when their leaves start to turn yellow and then you do so rarely and deeply. Once the tomato plant develops fruit you stop watering all together. This allows the plant to focus not on new growth, but developing the fruit. You tomato plants will be ugly and straggly by doing this and your yield will be small, but you’ll have great tasting tomatoes. These sharp tasting tomatoes are perfect for sun dried tomatoes.

Concept of Sustainable Living

noreply@blogger.com (Hannan) — Sat, 08 May 2010 19:28:00 +0000

Sustainable living refers to a lifestyle that attempts to reduce an individual's or society's use of the Earth's natural resources. Its also an attempt to reduce carbon footprints by altering methods of transportation, energy consumption and diet form furious consumptions to sensible choices. Sustainable and ecological living promotes living in manners that are consistent with sustainability, in natural balance and respect of humanity's symbiotic relationship with the Earth's natural ecology and cycles. The practice and general philosophy of Sustainable living is highly interrelated with the overall principles of Eco friendly development. Its also about minimizing our "ecological footprints to an extent that it dose not create an environmental impact. Proponents of Eco friendly living hope to preserve the Earth for future generations of human beings and other life.
Sustainable living branches from the concept of self-sufficiency. In recent years, its has been expressed as "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Self-sufficiency is the core principle of green living in which individuals or societies consume only that which they have produced.
Sustainable living demands environment friendly urban infrastructure in form of self sufficient design, which adheres to the principles of Eco friendly living. Its main principles are to achieve technological and governmental policies that enable urban planning for sustainable architecture and agriculture.
According to Lester R. Brown, a prominent environmentalist and founder of the World watch and Earth Policy Institutes, "Sustainable living in the 21st century is "shifting to a renewable energy-based, reuse/recycle economy with a diversified transport system."
There are many movements that oppose further mechanization of society vis-à-vis technological achievements. Eco consciousness, however, adheres to the belief that technological progress can be effectively achieved through appropriate technology.

There a many movements that may appear similar to sustainable living, which oppose further mechanization of society vis-à-vis technological achievements. Sustainable living, however, adheres to the belief that technological progress can be effectively achieved through appropriate technology.

The Stinky Story of Deodorant

noreply@blogger.com (Hannan) — Sat, 08 May 2010 17:25:00 +0000

Every one uses deodorants while knowing about the cancerous effects of deodorants on our body. Modern day deodorants have 7 deadly ingredients that should be avoided. While buying deodorant read the ingredients. Deodorants brands put them in very tiny print on the back of the Deodorant's can. Reading you deodorants ingredients is critical because what you put on your skin while using deodorants can be absorbed directly into your bloodstream & can have potentially deadly effects on your body.

Below are your 7 ingredients to avoid when choosing your deodorant:

Aluminum compounds from deodorants is absorbed through the skin and accumulates in the body. It has been suggested that there is an association between aluminum and Alzheimer's disease.

Parabens in deodorant are all derived from toluene, a toxic petrochemical derivative harmful in contact with the skin. There is some evidence that repeated exposure to toluene may cause reproductive harm. Since 2000, 13 research studies have shown that various types of parabens in our deodorants act like estrogen in animals and in tissue culture. Estrogen is known to drive the growth of cancerous cells.

Deodorants with Triclosan is a skin irritant and may cause contact dermatitis. It may kill healthy bacteria as well as harmful bacteria. It may contain carcinogenic contaminants. It is stored in body fat and is classified as a pesticide by the FDA.

Talc is classified as a carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer if it contains asbestiform fibers. The quantity of asbestiform fibers in cosmetic grade talc is unregulated. If talc is listed on the deodorant's label, there is no way of knowing whether or not it contains asbestiform fibers.

Propylene glycol absorbs from usage of deodorants is a penetration enhancers. It may cause delayed allergic reactions. NIOSH says propylene glycol is a neurotoxin and may cause kidney or liver damage. The EPA says it's not fully investigated for carcinogenic potential.

Silica in deodorant is a skin irritant. It may be contaminated with crystalline quartz, which is a carcinogen.

Steareth-n (n may be any number like say 100 in deodorants), may be vegetable derived but is reacted with ethylene oxide (ethoxylated), a known human carcinogen.

Very few herbs supplied to deodorant manufacturers are free of synthetic preservatives unless they are extracted in vegetable glycerin. To make sure that the products you buy are healthy and free of these harmful chemicals.

But I'm not hippy enough to stink :(

Choose deodorants with ingredients like vegetable glycerin, natural preservatives like bioflavanoids and lichen, herbs or herbal extracts, de-ionized water or distilled water, green tea, aloe vera, baking soda, Alum and essential oils. Better yet use these natural products directly and raw.....they workkkk.

Journey Towards Green Vehicles

noreply@blogger.com (Hannan) — Sat, 01 May 2010 13:23:00 +0000

Watch the movie and Hulk says, you wouldn't like me when I'm angry just before he turns green. Cut to the real world and some of the biggest car manufactures are trying to make Green cars to cash in on the enormous market share to be gained as the world becomes more ECO conscious. Living in the real world you start to realize that Greed not green is a far better motivator of Human Response to adversity, or maybe its just the cynic in me.
Seldom have we stumbled on to a viable solution at the first attempt, there are a number of possibilities which have so far been created and demonstrated within which we will be replacing the traditional petrol/diesel burning car. Just because a car is running on an alternate fuel does not necessary makes it a solution viable enough to replace the fossil fuel.
There are still a number of factors that will determine how efficiently we can manage resources. It is always wise to remember that there are no miracle cures to a century old ECO problems.
Alternate fuels which replaced fossil fuel in our fuel tanks so far are Electricity, Ethanol & Bio diesel, Hydrogen, kinetic energy, air & steam power...

Let's look at how alternate energy has been fighting its way into the tarry market of fossil fuel.

kinetic energy, air & steam power:

Trams before WW2 were being run on air and steam engine. Paris operated trams that were powered by compressed air using the Mekarski system in 1876. These were replaced in 1911 by cheap fossil fuel based electricity which is now taking its toll on people of Paris with cost of producing electricity using Eco enemy fuels.....trams have been running on steam & kinetically powered engines as well in past. India has been working on Air engine and Tata intends to run taxis powered by air.

Image Above: A bouillotte mounted on the front of a tram built by Mékarski and used in early trials in Paris. (Drawing 1875)

Image Right:La Nature of a New York air loco 1882.

Image Below: German electric car, 1904, with the chauffeur on top.

Electricity:

We all know that our vehicles can be driven on electricity but we are not satisfied with the speed, but electricity is one of the greenest most Eco friendly options we have..provided electricity used for charging our plug-in's has been produced with renewable energy. Electric vehicles also seem to be the most commercially viable option at the moment.

Image Right:The Henney Kilowatt, a 1961 production electric car.

Hydrogen:

A hydrogen vehicle is an alternative fuel vehicle that uses hydrogen as its onboard fuel for motive power. The engines of such vehicles convert the chemical energy of hydrogen to mechanical energy either by burning hydrogen through internal combustion , or by reacting hydrogen with oxygen in a fuel cell to run electric motors.
Hydrogen fuel does not occur naturally on Earth and thus is not an energy source, but is an energy carrier. Currently it is most frequently made from methane or other fossil fuels. However, it can be produced from a wide range of sources (such as wind, solar, or nuclear) that are intermittent, too diffuse or too cumbersome to directly propel vehicles. Hydrogen as fuel is not commercially viable..at the moment.

Ethanol & Bio diesel:

No good words for Ethanol and Bio diesel from me.... i hate the idea and find it utterly non sustainable. in fact the impact of producing and using Bio diesel & Ethanol is a hundred times deadlier then fossil fuel. Firstly because it is produced from food..... making farming land and agriculture yet another highly captalistable industry....leading to even more food insecurity & deforestation......and lets not forget there are still fumes involved....

Our commitment with electric vehicles & mass transports like Maglev trains from Germany & Japan can lead us to cleaner, breathable future....

DENIEL ANGERER BREAST MILK CHEESE! YAY OR NAY

noreply@blogger.com (Hannan) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:15:00 +0000

We been hearing about Chef Daniel Angerer's breast milk cheese controversy since last week, and for anyone who’s up in arms over DENIEL ANGERER’S very special cheeses which he made using his wife’s breast milk, can put those pitchforks and torches away now. Speaking to 1010WINS today, Deniel Angerer affirmed that “My Spouse’s Mommy Milk Cheese” is not being sold at his restaurant. Daniel Angerer’s breast milk cheese came under media firestorm after a blogger misinterpreted in his blog post and declared that the cheese was for sale to the public. Even the Health Department came nosing around, and Deniel Angerer had to assure them that the thought of selling the breast milk cheese didn’t even cross his mind. He says: “Do you want to have your wife’s milk eaten by somebody else, no not really!”
But why is this so awful or scary or gross? Its local, organic & healthy cheese made from breast milk. Also how is this any less gross than eating cheese that came from the manure-covered teat of a factory-farmed, hormone-laden, antibiotics laden cow? After all, you have to admit that when it comes to foods that are organic, local, natural and free, human breast milk ticks all the boxes. And, remember, the stuff is naturally DESIGNED to be the ultimate human sustenance. So what do you think? Would you eat cheese made of human breast milk?

THE CARVER HAND ON HEART

noreply@blogger.com (Hannan) — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 23:46:00 +0000

Ah! Carver ... Sweet sweet Carver!

No gadget or vehicle except Carver in my 25 years of life has made me excited enough to want it until while looking for efficient vehicles on line i saw the Carver in video feathering Robert Hammond of top gear... I know i saw Carver 6 years late but this machine is the ultimate toy until they come up with a flying car as sexy as the Carver.... Now who would say no to a three wheeler that has a 660 CC turbo charged engine which is good for 115 crazy miles an hour....The carver is an absolute lunatic, doped and stoned vehicle, made to tilt as much as a freaky 45 degrees...depending on the pressure we you exert on the steering wheel....made by the amazing crazy Dutch the Carver is a jet fighter moving on roads.....only missing a couple of machine guns on its sides...Carver has an electric motor powered by a battery which on draining down to 80% gets more power form an engine with 4 gallon fuel tank..Now think of sitting on a chair fixed at 45 degrees....and then imagine the chair is moving at about 60 miles per hour..... the Carver is a gadget to end all gadgets....and i WANT ONE....and i know that Carver one filed for Bankruptcy & Venture one is the successor of the technology...

5 Places to Visit Before They Vanish

noreply@blogger.com (Hannan) — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 16:54:00 +0000

Whether it’s raising sea level, desertification, and torrential monsoons, melting glaciers or oceans acidification. Climate change is rapidly altering the landscape of our planet.
We may be one of the last generations to witness Earth’s most cherished places. Here’s my list of 5 places to see before they completely vanish.

Lake SaifulMalook, Naran Valley, Pakistan

Deforestation has been a major problem all over Pakistan, Naran Valley and lake SaifulMalook have been experiencing rise in temperatures since 1980’s leading to shorter winters every year which is resulting is loss of habitat for the local flora & fauna. The only breather this picture perfect valley got in the last two decades was natural disaster of 8th October after which the road to the lake was destroyed, but as the deforestation continues it’s only a matter of time before the area turns into nature’s great demise.

Glacier National Park MT, USA

Just slightly more than a 100 years ago, there were as many as 150 ancient glaciers strewn through Glacier National Park in MT. By 2005 only 27 remained and those are expected to disappear completely by 2030 if not earlier. Many of the plants and animal species that call this park home depend on cold water for living, meaning the ecosystem of the park stands to change dramatically when the glaciers are gone.

Venice, Italy

Venice during a severe flood in Nov 09 was submerged into water when water level reached 131 cm. Venice has long been sinking, but raising sea levels have made the situation direr. The frequency of floods increase each year, leaving many to wonder how much longer Venice can stay above water.

Great Barrier Reef, Australia

It is so large that it can bee seen from space, but the great barrier reef Is disappearing at an alarming rate due to climate change and acidification of the oceans. What took 8000 years of naturals work hours may disappear in our lifetime.!

Maldives

Maldives is the lowest-lying country in the world with a maximum natural ground level of 2.3 meters, and an average of only 1.5 meters above sea level. If sea levels rise too much, the country would earn an unwanted superlative: the first nation to engulfed by ocean of global warming.

photo editing at picnik

noreply@blogger.com (Hannan) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 07:00:00 +0000

Picnik team headquarters are down at Seatle. Picnik has developed an online photoshopic software which is futuristic , user friendly, very reliable and secure through which we can not only apply effects to our pics but also share them to other sites like facebook,photobucket,and myspace etc. I have seen many online editing sites but picnik stands out awesome effects collection great precision everything is great.It even has addons for firefox and extension for google chrome

Apple Vs Google

noreply@blogger.com (Hannan) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 05:30:00 +0000

World's tallest lookout suddenly shut down

noreply@blogger.com (Hannan) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 10:57:00 +0000

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – The world's tallest skyscraper burj khalifah has unexpectedly closed to the public a month after its lavish opening, disappointing tourists headed for the observation deck and casting doubt over plans to welcome its first permanent occupants in the coming weeks.

Electrical problems are at least partly to blame for the closure of the Burj Khalifa's viewing platform — the only part of the half-mile high tower open yet. But a lack of information from the spire's owner left it unclear whether the rest of the largely empty building — including dozens of elevators meant to whisk visitors to the tower's more than 160 floors — was affected by the shutdown.

The Persian Gulf city-state had hoped the 2,717-foot (828-meter) Burj Khalifa would be a major tourist draw. Dubai has promoted itself by wowing visitors with over-the-top attractions such as the Burj, which juts like a silvery needle out of the desert and can be seen from miles around.

In recent weeks, thousands of tourists have lined up for the chance to buy tickets for viewing times often days in advance that cost more than $27 apiece. Now many of those would-be visitors, such as Wayne Boyes, a tourist from near Manchester, England, must get back in line for refunds.

The precise cause of the $1.5 billion Dubai skyscraper's temporary shutdown remained unclear.

In a brief statement responding to questions, building owner Emaar Properties blamed the closure on "unexpected high traffic," but then suggested that electrical problems were also at fault.

Condoms From Brazil

noreply@blogger.com (Hannan) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 07:38:00 +0000

It is unlikely you ever will get a chance to use the “Green Johnny”, a male preservative based on eco-friendly extracted natural latex from the Amazônia rainforest. Maybe when you ever visit Brazil during the carnival or one of the holiday centres you might be offered one of the 120 million condoms courtesy of the federal government of Brazil. Brazil’s Public Health Ministry distributes the free condoms as part of its successful Health Programs to combat STD/Aids.
Up till now the approx. 120 million condoms are imported from China, South Korea and Thailand, made from cultivated rubber trees. That will change soon.

Natex, a Brazilian company founded by the Public Health Ministry and the government of the federal state of Acre, will manufacture male preservatives from pure natural latex extracted from the Amazon rainforest in a sustainable and eco-friendly way. The condoms will be solely sold to the federal government for its national program to combat STD/Aids.
The expected initial production of condoms will be 100 million pieces a year. The factory, the only one in the world to use natural latex as raw material, will have a future capacity of 270 million condoms a year. The construction of the factory is based upon sustainable, social and environmental development.
Natex will create 150 direct jobs and employ 700 native families of the Chico Mendes reservation for the supply of the raw material. It is estimated that in the Amazon rainforest of Acre some 70.000 native rubber tappers are active.

Turbine Light keeps your night drives safe with wind energy

noreply@blogger.com (Hannan) — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 11:18:00 +0000

Concept highway lighting powered by renewable energy.

Concerned about the safety of the ever increasing number of cars on the highways, designers over at TAK Studio have come up with a sustainable lighting system dubbed the Turbine Light. The design is an entry in this year’s Greener Gadgets competition, and it aims to illuminate highways using renewable energy.

The system features a built-in wind turbine that uses the moving air from cars on the highways to generate clean energy, which is then used to power the lights. However, the practicality of the system is debatable as without a working prototype it would never be easy to check if moving cars produce enough wind energy to illuminate the lights all night long.

Introduction to Eco-Artware.com

noreply@blogger.com (Hannan) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 22:43:00 +0000

Eco-Artware.com is a web-based gallery commitment to selling eco friendly green products since 1999. This eco friendly web site has been showcasing earth friendly gifts made by artists who are committed to sustainability. Eco-Artware.com has been offering products of 25 eco friendly artists who consider the environment into their work. One can find a wide range of beautifully handcrafted items and products made in independent workshops, including handcrafted jewelry, home décor, recycled stationery and eco friendly office products.
Another specialty of Eco-Artware.com is custom designed green business promotions and awards made of recycled or reused materials. My favorite piece on Eco-Artware.com is Grow-A-Note Plantable Cards these unique eco friendly handmade cards are the ultimate in eco-friendly living. Made from 100 percent post-consumer recycled fiber printed with soy ink, the notes are embedded with a variety of wildflower seeds: Annual Gaillardia, Baby's Breath, Catchfly, Siberian Wallflower, Chinese Houses, Baby Blue-Eyes and California Bluebells! After the recipient reads and cherishes your note they can plant it and flowers will bloom! Easy planting instructions appear on the back of each card, along with the seed content. Each handmade tree free paper card will recycle naturally into the soil as the seedlings grow. The paper envelopes for these eco cool note cards contain 30 percent post consumer waste. .

Eco-Artware.com has been featured in Time, Good Housekeeping, The Wall Street Journal and many other publications.

Visit Eco-artware.com

Shoes That Tweet

noreply@blogger.com (Hannan) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 06:39:00 +0000

You’ve MySpaced, Facebooked, Plurked, and Tumblred. Tweeting your life in 140 characters or less was only the next logical move. But if all this public posturing still rates as undersharing, take heart: You can now microblog with every step you take. Ricardo Nascimento, an artist and multimedia producer from Brazil, has created the Rambler, a pair of sensor-equipped sneakers that tracks movement and then blabs about it on Twitter

EVERY MOVE YOU MAKE
Depending on the pressure exerted on the soles of the shoes, each footfall is translated as a “tap” or “.” This information is then transmitted via the magic of Bluetooth to a cellphone, which, in turn, updates the Rambler’s Twitter page. “Following these postings, one can know if the wearer is walking or not and also predict his speed,” says Nascimento.

Depending on the pressure exerted, each step is translated as a “tap” or “.”

The Rambler isn’t in earnest, however—it’s more of a satirical statement on our navel-gazing Internet culture and the glut of completely pointless information circulating the Twitterverse. Now excuse us, it’s time for a java break—and, by God, 1,180 of our closest friends need to know about it

The Sprinkle Dress is a Plant-Filled Gown You Have to Water

noreply@blogger.com (Hannan) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 06:31:00 +0000

We’ve encountered accessories made from living plants before, but an entire dress? That takes a special brand of…oh, dedication. Constructed by Italian designer Linda Schailon—who also makes anemone-like rings from recycled straws—the Sprinkle Dress features a full garden-wire skirt that supports a phalanx of thriving botanicals, all neatly potted in discarded yogurt containers.

PLANT-HER
Schailon tapped into her childhood princess fantasies, which she recalls with vivid detail, involving “hedges of hawthorn adorned with jewels” and “caressing the grass under the hot sun.” “It would be nice to bring nature to onself, not only in your heart,” Schailon says. “So you can close your eyes and imagine for a moment being in an enchanted place

Tea Bag composting

noreply@blogger.com (Hannan) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 22:20:00 +0000

Tea is the social drink of the world & it’s dead fashionable to compost these days, so other then our regular organic waste why not compost Tea Bags as man kind consumed 5.2 million metric tons of tea in 2009 alone. Tea Bag composting should be a simple task but thanks to many manufacturers using syntactic Tea Bags instead of paper, one needs to be a bit conscious before chucking their Tea Bag into the compost bin, as you don’t wanna picks those tiny plastic bags once you intend to use your compost…
If your Tea Bag's made out of paper and has an organic thread with a paper based tag then all you need to do is to throw the used bag in your compost bin straight away and the Tea Bag should take about 4 days in humid conditions before releasing the tea inside while the paper and thread should take about a month before breaking down…
If the tea bag is made out of a synthetic material then you might wanna cut the bag and put its contents in the compost bin… other then Tea Bags one can also compost used tea leaves.
In countries like China, Pakistan, Morocco & India tea leaves are infuse in water to create mix tea which is then strained before serving, these strained tea leaves can also be washed under a tap in the strainer and then dumped with other organic waste to compost bins….
Tea leaved and tea bags are great for composting as they increase the mass of compost really quickly and also help in speeding up the composting processes as they posses’ acidic phosphates…which become great heating agents in a compost bin.
So next time think twice before wasting a used tea bag as its green gold you’re about to trash….

10 of my Favorite Green ideas of 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Hannan) — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 19:57:00 +0000

Solar Eye for the Blind:

Researchers at Stanford University recently announced that they have developed a new artificial retina implant that uses photovoltaic power and could help the blind see. The problem with previous implants was that there was no way send power to the chip in order to process light and data inside the eye. Now, miniature photovoltaic cells are being used to provide power to the chip as well as to transmit data through the eye to the brain. The new device has great promise to help people afflicted by the loss of photoreceptor cells by using the power of the sun. The device is placed behind the retina and is essentially an array of mini solar devices. In addition, the system utilizes is an external video camera that captures images, a pocket pc to process the video feed, and a bright near-infrared LCD display built into video goggles, which transmit infrared light pulses to the photovoltaic device in the eye. The light pulses then produce electricity in the device, which transmits data through the eye so the brain can process it into a hazy picture. The implant is built to a width of 3 mm wide and 0.03 mm thick, and includes 3 layers of flexible photovoltaic cells mounted with silicon posts. This new system is capable of producing vision of 20/200, which is beyond what is considered legally blind, but the researchers reasonable expect to achieve 20/100, which would produce a picture clear enough that a person could recognize faces and read large print.

Algae Based Batteries:

Every one talks about producing biofuel using Algae, but creating ultra thin batteries using Algae is pretty revelatory. Algae is often touted as the next big thing in biofuels, but the slimy stuff could also be the key to paper-thin biodegradable batteries according to researchers at Uppsala University in Sweden. Eventually, the bio batteries could compete with commercial lithium-ion batteries. Conducting polymers have long been thought to be a solution in developing lightweight, flexible, nonmetal batteries. But up until now, these polymers have had been impractical because regular paper can?t hold enough of them work effectively. Now Uppsala researcher Maria Stromme and her team has found that the smelly algae species that clumps on beaches, known as Cladophora, can also be used to make a type of cellulose that has 100 times the surface area of cellulose found in paper. That means it can hold enough conducting polymers to effectively recharge and hold electricity for long amounts of time. The algae-based paper sheet batteries hold up to 200% more charge than regular paper-based cellulose batteries, and they can recharge in as little as 11 seconds. Eventually, they could be used in any application that requires flexible electronics for example, clothing or packaging that lights up. Perhaps most importantly, the algae batteries could one day cut down on e-waste from conventional metal batteries.

Japan's Solar Space Post:

Japan is definitely getting in on the action with its latest spacey plan. A $21 billion solar-powered generator in the heavens to produce one gigawatt of energy, or enough to power 294,000 homes. The Japanese government announced the plan back in June, but there has been an important new development Mitsubishi Electric Corp and industrial design company IHI Corp are now teaming up in the race to develop new technology within four years that can beam electricity back to Earth without the use of cables.

Mitsubishi and IHI are joining a research group containing 14 other countries to tackle the daunting task of getting Japan's four square kilometer solar space station up and running in the next three decades. By 2015, the Japanese government hopes to test a small satellite decked out with solar panels that beams power through space and back to Earth.

There are still a number of hurdles to work through before space-based solar power becomes a reality though. Transportation of the solar panels into space is too expensive at the moment to be commercially viable, so Japan has to figure out a way to lower costs. Even if costs are lowered, solar stations will have to worry about damage from micrometeoroids and other flying objects. Still, space-based solar operates perfectly under all weather conditions, unlike Earth-based panels that are at the mercy of the clouds.

Japan isn't the only country in the race for space power. Solaren and California's Pacific Gas and Electric utility are working together on a project to deliver 200 megawatts of power from space over a 15-year period that begins in 2015. The concept of space-based solar power was introduced way back in 1968, but it's only recently that the world has latched on to the idea.

Thin-film solar tubes:

There are hundreds of solar companies developing new materials, new business models, new installation techniques and new manufacturing processes in an effort to bring down the cost and improve the efficiency of solar panels. But there's only one company that has made progress in 2009 with uniquely-designed solar tube-shaped panels: Solyndra. Only founded in 2005, and starting its first shipping in mid-2008, Solyndra has designed its solar panels into a series of skinny tubes that can absorb sun light from all directions, and can be installed flat on a roof (in contrast to traditional panels that need to be nailed down at an angle). That means the panels can be installed more easily and can in theory be cheaper.

Solar windows:

The Queensland University of Technology recently announced that it has been working with Dyesol to develop an innovative solar cell technology that re-envisions windows as clear, clean energy providers. Professor John Bell has said that these dye-infused solar cells would significantly reduce building energy costs, and could even generate surplus energy to be stored or sold. The development has been touted as the most promising advance in solar cell technology since the invention of the silicon cell.

Modern architecture has a love-hate relationship with windows: they contribute light and levity to interior spaces, yet they are the most frequently cited culprits for thermal energy loss. Traditional approaches to the problem have tended towards increasing insular ability, however this new development would imbue windows with power producing capabilities, actually providing energy instead of leaking it.

Dyesol's solar cells use an innovative technology called artificial photosynthesis, wherein a dye analogous to chlorophyll absorbs light to generate electricity. The panels are composed of an electrolyte, a layer of titania (a pigment used in white paints and tooth paste), and ruthenium dye sandwiched between glass. Light striking the dye excites electrons which are absorbed by the titania to become an electric current.

Dye solar cells are cheaper and require less energy to manufacture than silicon cells, since they dont require expensive raw materials. They also produce electricity more efficiently, even in instances of shadowing, where overcast skies and shadows from trees and other buildings can cause a loss in collected power.

These solar windows will offer an enticing new option for skyscrapers and houses looking to break the zero-energy barrier imagine the net power that a floor-to-ceiling glass.

Laser Cut Leaves are Nature?s Unique Business Cards:

If you're in the market for new business cards or a cutting-edge new advertising medium, you should take a look at this brilliant idea your message or logo etched right onto a real leaf, no paint necessary! The resulting leaves are simple, stunning when looked at against the sunlight, and the best part is that if they are thrown away, there is no adverse effect on the environment. Design Firm Tatil Design of Brazil came up with the elegant marketing idea, which they recently used in 2008 during the 55th Cannes Advertising Festival to promote their Designing Naturally workshop. Natural Medium, which is what they call their amazing laser cut leaves, was so popular and well received at the festival that it won the Bronze Award for the 2009 International Design Excellence Awards in Eco Design. Tatil Design came up with a simple idea that not only demonstrated the purpose of their workshop, but was elegant and beautiful to look at. The designers collected fallen leaves and then selected images that expressed the intent of the workshop. Designs varied from animals to dancers, burgers to planes, and ants to a soup can. The images were then laser cut into the dried leaves, which left a beautiful silhouette of the picture and the wording to advertise the workshop. The leaves were a big hit at the festival.

Solar Powered Camel Clinics:

Kenya's camels recently started sporting some unusual apparel eco-friendly refrigerators! Some of the African country's camels are carrying the solar-powered mini fridges on their backs as part of a test project that uses camels as mobile health clinics. Organizers hope the eco-friendly transport system will provide a cheap, reliable way of getting much-needed medicines and vaccines to rural communities in Kenya and Ethiopia. For the past decade, Nomadic Communities Trust has been using camels as mobile health clinics in Kenya's Laikipia and Samburu districts, isolated areas with few roadways. While the camel convoys provide a cost-effective method of traversing the harsh terrain, the group had no way of delivering medicines and vaccines that required refrigeration until now. The mini fridge is housed in a bamboo saddle that is lightweight and durable enough for camels to easily carry it across miles of rough terrain. The device itself is covered with crystalline solar panels that provide power for the compartmented fridge?s generator. The solar panels themselves can also be used by the mobile clinics for lighting and refrigeration in the field. The solar-powered fridges are currently being tested on camels in Kenya and Ethiopia, but Amatullo says the system could be used by any rural communities with access to camels. If the project has secured enough funding, it should be implemented in earnest in 2010. Lets hope the eco-friendly venture received the money it needed in the Laikipia and Samburu districts alone, 300,000 people do not have access to the mobile health clinics.

Trash-Powered Street Lamp:

Think about how much trash goes into a bin in, say, New York City's Times Square on a daily basis. What if all that garbage could be used to generate energy? Thats the thinking behind designer Haneum Lees Gaon Street Light a lamppost powered by garbage! Lee's lamppost features a trash can at its base. Pedestrians toss their old food products inside, where they are composted. Methane from the compost is used to power the lamp, and the entire process begins again. It?s an interesting concept, but there are a few problems with it. How much trash would be needed to keep the lamp turned on and what happens when the inevitable pedestrian throws regular trash into the food waste bin. The Gaon Street Light would undoubtedly work best in areas with heavy foot traffic, but those are the places where people are most likely to toss their regular trash into the wrong bin. Still, Lee's idea is promising, and at the very least, compost waste may one day be able to partially power our street lights.

Electricity Generating Street pavements:

Any one point on a busy street can receive up to 50,000 steps a day, so imagine if you could take all that foot traffic and turn it into something useful. Like energy! A new product designed by Laurence Kemball-Cook, the director of Pavegen Systems Ltd., can do just that. With a minuscule flex of 5mm, the energy generating pavement is able to absorb the kinetic energy produced by every footstep, creating 2.1 watts of electricity per hour. Every time a rubber Pavegen stone is stepped on it bends, producing kinetic energy that is either stored within lithium polymer batteries or distributed to nearby lights, information displays, and much more. Just five slabs spread over a lively sidewalk has the ability to generate enough energy to illuminate a bus stop throughout the night. But applications are not limited to the street. Extended into other public and private spaces the system has the potential to power lights, computers, automatic doors, ticket machines, refrigerators, shop signs, microwaves's Depending on the usage, the payback period could be as little as one year, and each Pavegen stone has an estimated system life of five years of use, or 20 million steps. Constructed from marine grade stainless steel and recycled materials, the surface (which comes in a variety of choice colors) of each slab features the rubber from old tires, and the internal components are made from recycled aluminium. Whenever a slab is stepped on it emits a glow (which only uses 5% of the total energy produced) this not only informs the passerby of their contribution, but also reinforces a sustainable attitude and an increased awareness of the energy that is continually created and expended by each individual. So far Pavegen has been tested out in East London and will continue onto various destinations in the UK in 2010. If all goes well it will hopefully be jetting off to some of the most trafficked and amazing places all over the world like New York's Times Square, the Eiffel Tower or even Disney World.

Cheap PV's made out of Human hair:

Did you know that melanin, the pigment in hair, is light sensitive and can be used as a conductor? Well, thats what an 18 year old in Nepal recently discovered, and is now using human hair to replace silicon in solar panels. Since the price of hair is considerably cheaper than silicon, this enterprising youth may have just found a breakthrough technology to help bring down the cost of solar and give thousands of people in developing nations access to affordable renewable energy. Karki, who attends school in Kathmandu, started reading a book by Stephan Hawking that discussed ways of creating static energy from hair. From this idea, Karki realized that melanin was one of the factors in energy conversion, and that it could possibly serve as a substitute conductor. He and four other classmates worked on a prototype, which they found could charge a cell phone or a pack of batteries for lighting. The panels themselves are 15 inches square and can produce 9V or 18W of power and cost around $38 to produce. Karki thinks that if they were mass produced though, they would cost half as much. In Nepal, human hair costs about 25c for half a kilo and can last for several months. Hair is also basically a renewable resource and can be replenished by the owner of the solar panel as it wears out. This low cost and low tech device could be a revolutionary step in solar power bringing down the cost of the technology, bringing power to the masses and using materials which are common to everyone in the world.