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What started as a Kickstarter project has become one of the cooler iPhone cases on the market. Departing from the slim and sleek aesthetics of the Apple device, the rugged Aqua Tek S offers waterproof protection for your iPhone 4 or 4S, complete with an integrated solar panel and 2000mAh battery that increases the charge by up to 1.5 times. The outer shell is made from ultra-durable......read more
A form of year-round, sustainable agriculture called aquaponics — a combination of hydroponics (or water-based planting) and aquaculture (fish cultivation) — has recently attracted a zealous following of kitchen gardeners, futurists, tinkerers and practical environmentalists. It is either a glimpse into the future of food growing or a very strange hobby — possibly both...MORE -Michael......read more
Falling Up: Almost a year ago, we happily reported that global deforestation rates were falling sharply, thanks in large part to less logging in the Amazon. But newly released study, is turning our upside-down frowns back around again. The figures in the report say that Amazon deforestation rates are up 1000% from last year. Dirty Air Act: Faced with stiff pressure from Congressional......read more
As food issues go, they don't come more divisive than fish farming. Even within the environmentalist community, there are people on both sides of the argument. Advocates argue that aquaculture reduces stress on wild seafood stocks, while opponents point to viruses and sea lice that spread from farms to wild fish. Nowhere is this fish farm debate more lively than on British Columbia's west......read more
Driven by demand in Japan's seafood market, stocks of the bluefin tuna have depleted 85 percent over the last forty-odd years. Can aquaculture help meet the demand and save the threatened species? In "The Farmer and the Bluefin," The Perennial Plate hones its cameras in on a bluefin tuna farm in Wakayama, Japan. Whereas most bluefin farming operations capture young fish......read more
If you're into eating mutant animals, it's time to get excited. The FDA declared last week that genetically engineered Atlantic salmon "is as safe as food from conventional Atlantic salmon," clearing a major obstacle in its upstream swim toward our dinner plates. If the idea of eating a fish developed in a science lab sounds unappetizing to you, maybe you'll change your......read more
This futuristic home concept, developed by Polifactory for British Columbia's 100 Mile House design competition, makes use of every sustainable technology imaginable to produce food and energy for its inhabitants. Dubbed HOUS.E+, the residence is constructed from rammed earth walls (using soil excavated on-site) that act like breathing structures that allow air exchange without significant......read more
The city farming movement conjures images of growers covered in soil, planting and picking in community or rooftop garden plots. But perhaps the most promising technique for urban agriculture involves pumps and pipes in squeaky clean labs. It's called aquaponics, and it may revolutionize the way we eat. In a piece for The Atlantic Cities, UrbanFarmers CEO Roman Gaus describes how it......read more
Patrick of Stillmotion shot this lovely footage at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta. The aquarium is home to more than 100,000 animals living in 8.5 millions gallons of marine and fresh water, making it the world's largest aquarium. The soundtrack is "The Ballad of Winslow Homer" by The Dimes. ...read more
Okay, so Christmas just passed and giving gifts may not be the first thing on your mind. But this might be the greatest gift ever... provided that the recipient isn't a klutz. The EcoSphere is a hand blown glass pod that contains its own self-sustaining ecosystem populated by aquatic critters like marine shrimp, algae and micro-organisms. All you need to provide is indirect light and......read more
