
You may or may not remember Ellen MacArthur as the solo yachtswoman who in 2005 broke the world speed record for circumnavigation of the globe. Today, she stays busy as the figurehead behind the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, an independent UK-based charity promoting the vision of a "circular economy." Don't know what that is? Don't worry, neither did we until we watched this fun, well-made......read more
London's Eco Age is a store, showroom and consultancy that acts as a hub for all things green. Founder Nicola Giuggioli doesn't think "sustainable design" should infer any particular aesthetic. Neither do we. Here, Giuggioli discusses the concept....read more
Wind power may be clean, green, and renewable, but it doesn't come without it's problems. Turbines are noisy as hell and they pose serious risks to flying wildlife and sensitive shoreline habitats. So Cornell University engineers have responded with a brainy new way of drawing electricity from moving air. The prototype technology, called Vibro-Wind, involves oscillating wind pads that......read more
We always look forward to getting our minds expanded by new work from Shabazz Palaces (aka Black Constellation). This gorgeous short film from the Seattle-based hip-hop collective does the trick and then some. The piece, which carries the unwieldy title of Ode to Octavia part 12: (Sparkles)... Recollections of the Wraith, was shot on location in Methow Valley, Cascade foothills and in......read more
David Hertz is widely recognized as one of green design's leading innovators. At the Studio of Environmental Architecture, the LA-based design firm he founded, Hertz focuses primarily on custom residential projects with particular experience in climate responsive, environmentally sustainable homes. He is perhaps best known for the seminal Wing House, an imaginative Malibu residence constructed......read more
Rick Rubin is near the top of the list of the famous people who like to chill with. The legendary record producer, who famously launched Def Jam with Russell Simmons from his NYU dorm room, is not only one of most important architects in the history of popular music, but also a sage-figure on the path to spiritual enlightenment. In this short film, created by Alison Chernick for Nowness, Rubin......read more
It is a rare scenario when new year's resolutions last for a whole year. Hell, we're barely a week into 2013 and mine are already in the toilet. That's what makes this Jonathan Britnell-directed video, spotted on Booooooom, so impressive. In 2012, looking to add a dose of creativity to his daily routine, Britnell resolved to shoot one second of footage every single day of the year. Shot by a......read more
On October 2, Los Angeles beatsmith Flying Lotus will issue Until the Quiet Comes, his highly anticipated new record on Warp. In anticipation of the drop, he just released this short film to coincide with the project. Directed by Kahlil Joseph, the "Until the Quiet Comes" short ncludes the songs "See Thru To U" (ft. Erykah Badu), "Hunger" (ft. Niki Randa) and "Getting......read more
In "America's Dead Sea," award-winning photojournalist Jim Lo Scalzo serves up a beautiful but disturbing document of the Salton Sea, the heavily polluted saline lake southeast of Los Angeles. Lo Scalzo manages to find a fresh perspective on the notorious, much photographed sea, which was formed in a desert basin when the Colorado River flooded just over 100 years ago. With no outflow, and......read more
We've said it before: fan-made music videos are one of the internet's greatest gifts. Add this one to the pile. Director/editor/photographer Franck Deron cobbled together some vintage visuals to set with Washed Out's "Before," a highlight off his well-received Within and Without LP, released a week ago on Sub Pop. The grainy, nostalgic clips sit well with the bliss-pop rhythms and Ernest Greene's......read more