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Over at NG Daily News, we learned about Indiana start-up company Bright Automotive and its plug-in hybrid cargo van, the IDEA, which goes 38 miles in pure electric mode before switching to hybrid mode with an impressive fuel economy of 36-38 mpg. Designed for the American market, the IDEA is large in size but more efficient than typical trucks and cargo vehicles in this country. Using......read more
With the proportion of people living in urban centers at an all-time high--and national governments seemingly incapable of promoting the shift toward sustainability--cities are in the best position to implement solutions to big problems. NYC's billionaire mayor Michael Bloomberg agrees, and he's putting his money where his mouth is. This week Mayor Bloomberg announced a new competition to......read more
The internationally-focused TEDGlobal recently wrapped a fantastic week of stimulation and inspiration, centered around the theme of Radical Openness. Hosted and curated by Bruno Giussani, the European Director of TED, the international non-profit dedicated to "Ideas Worth Spreading." TEDGlobal is the TED Conference's flagship event with a global focus, weighing heavily towards talks that cover......read more
They’re calling it “the greenest neighbourhood in the world.” Built on an abandoned brownfield site, the 1.5 million square foot 2010 Vancouver Olympic athlete's village is the crown jewel in the City's sustainability plan. The list of green features at the eight-block site runs long: rainwater harvesting, green roofs, upgraded insulation, and interiors containing low-VOC......read more
How do you break the world record for largest sculpture made of recycled materials? Get a bunch of kids to do the work for you! Inhabitat reports on 5,000 Spanish elementary kids collecting 50,000 containers to make a record-breaking castle of milk cartons. You've seen Simon Christen's stunningly epic time-lapse portrait of San Francisco. Now check out a similarly amazing video that......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
Designed in Singapore, made in Portland, Vanguard Bikes specializes in restoring and customizing vintage bike frames into fresh new rides. The company's output is 'limited edition' at its most extreme. Each bike is a one-off that will never be duplicated. What unites their work is a deep understanding of bike design history, and an unwavering commitment to bikeriding's soulful......read more
Just a couple days after scoring a major environmental victory in the courts, the White House landed an even larger fish on Thursday, when a sharply divided Supreme Court upheld the individual insurance mandate at the heart of "ObamaCare." Grist hit up leading figures in the eco community to get their thoughts on the decision, among them our friend and advisor Gary Hirshberg and Van Jones, who......read more
Van Jones is a lawyer and activist who is America's leading advocate for green jobs. He is a co-founder of three successful non-profit organizations: the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, Color of Change and Green For All. Van's first book, The Green Collar Economy, is a clear-headed and optimistic discussion of the need for clean energy solutions to......read more
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) has included Van Jones among the recipients of its 2010 Image Awards. For some, the award offers Jones, the best-selling “author of “The Green Collar Economy” and former advisor for the Obama administration, a partial vindication; his last share of the public spotlight was a 2009 political fiasco that resulted in his......read more
