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German engineering goes green with a fog-collecting system that serves the water needs of an arid Peruvian village.
Biologists Kai Tiedemann and Anne Lummerich are finding ingenious ways to help people living in arid regions find and develop new sources of water. Bellavista, a small, hillside settlement near Lima, Peru that is unconnected to the municipal water supply is enveloped in fog through most of the winter. There, the pair designed a fog-catching system that captures and collects fog-water for use by the local population. Built in 2006 by members of the community, the system delivers hundreds of gallons a day to its resevoir during the foggy winter months.
(via National Geographic, photograph by Anne Lummerich)
After 12 years in development, the Seaorbiter is finally becoming a reality. With construction slated to begin in October, the futuristic marine vessel, designed by French architect Jacques Rougerie, could be exploring the seas as soon as next year. Sustainability principles thread through the entire Seaorbiter design, which is projected to cost $43 million. The vessel is designed to drift with......read more
Ladies and gentlemen, allow us to introduce you to the world's first remote-controlled LED bulb. Insteon's networked 8W LED bulb, which glows at the same intensity as a 60-100W incandescent, makes dimming the lights to set the mood as easy as a couple taps on your smartphone. Of course, remote-controlled ambience comes at a price, in this case $29.99 for each bulb plus $99.99 for the SmartLinc......read more
Feeling a little down about the state of the planet? Here's a two-minute slice of techno-optimism for you. Filmmaker Michael Marantz assembled "The Future Is Ours" from a bunch of clips he found on the net, and the result is this stirring tribute to the people pushing humanity ahead into the future. According to Marantz, "We need to be inspired by the immense possibilities of the future and......read more
While the term "sustainability" and the values it implies have gone mainstream, global atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide yet continue to rise, as do per-capita consumptions rates in developed and developing counties. "Consumer cultures" in places like the U.S. apparently die hard. Meanwhile, a warming planet dissolves ecosystems and life-sustaining natural cycles and resources like......read more
This iPad sleeve from Mujjo's Originals collection is another nice win for Dutch product design. The minimalist design is comprised of wool felt and hand-dyed, veggie-tanned leather, with a simple closure to keep your iPad or iPad 2 snug and protected. An additional storage department offers ample space for plugs, headphones and documents. From the designers: Wool felt is a sustainable......read more
With a peak output of 1,250 watts, Goal Zero's Yeti 1250 is powerful enough for large-scale applicances. And unlike traditional diesel generators, there's no loud sound or stinky exhaust. Perfect for off-the-grid travels into the bush, or for power blackouts at home. The Yeti collects a full power charge in 20-22 hours with the two included Boulder 30 solar panels, or 16-20 hours with AC power.......read more
Imagine, if you will, a world where building windows and computer screens produce electricity via clear solar cells. Well, it may not be as far off as you think. Researchers at the UCLA have developed a new transparent solar cell that can absorb radiation without compromising your ability to see through it. That means that the film can be attached to glass and......read more
Neoprene, the spongy Dupont fabric commonly used for wetsuits, has become a ubiquitous go-to material for gadget-protecting sleeves and cases. And for good reason: it's rubbery, light, and flexible, so it makes a perfect cocoon for laptops and tablets. Looptworks intercedes in the waste stream of wetsuit production, taking leftover Neoprene scraps to make gadget sleeves in a variety of......read more
