Light bulbs have been around since the days of Thomas Edison, but they're not the same old bulbs anymore. Technology is improving rapidly, and with that progress comes new levels of efficiency and sustainability. In his new book 'Plan B 4.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization,' author Lester Brown explains that one of the easiest and quickest ways that we can reduce electricity use......read more
Swedish mega-retailer announced last week that U.S. stores will stop selling incandescent light bulbs. The phase-out begins on August 1, 2010; by the end of the year, the energy-sucking home lighting alternative will no longer be available at North American IKEA stores. The move preempts federal energy-efficiency measures which will phase out incandescent lighting beginning in 2012. The bulbs are......read more
130 years after Thomas Edison brought incandescent lighting to the masses, the end is nigh for the old, energy-guzzling technology. On January 1, 2012, seven months from this week, federal efficiency regulations will effectively outlaw incandescent bulbs. Writing in the New York Times Magazine, Andrew Rice traces the rise and demise of the traditional incandescent, and looks into......read more
A few years back, a major breakthrough was made in organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technology (originally created by Thomas Edison) that allowed electrification of a luminescent membrane made from organic compounds. Futurists pronounced the arrival of a new era of architecture and design in which the surfaces of a structure could actually become the light source, eliminating the need for......read more
Yanko Design hips us to these fantastic lamps from designer Alex Kovatchev. Looking a lot like industrial-style modern lighting, Wash Lamps are actually made from a washing machine drum (the part you put your clothes in). The holes in the barrel that send water through the machine work to send light around the room. Pretty nifty!...read more
Italian lighting manafacturer ewo develops and produces advanced lighting systems for public spaces. The T-System, the firm's latest output, is an modular LED street light that consumes only as much energy as the space requires. In Bergamo, Italy, where the first T-System lights were recently installed, officials expect the LED solution to provide 40% energy savings. Oh, also, they look......read more
Home Depot announces LED lightbulb that costs under $20 -- and lasts for 30 years. Seiko Kato's collages are, how you say, AMAZING. Sea Change: Photographers respond to the BP oil spill -- with optimistic pics of sustainable farming, beekeeping, and urban homesteading. No more Mr. Nice Guy: "End of Nature" author Bill McKibben says it's time to get pissed off about climate......read more
The talk of the town at Design September 2010 in Brussels is an exhibition of Kwangho Lee's work at next-gen retailer/gallery Hunting and Collecting. The show, which is to runs from September 10-30, presents an overview of the talented Korean artist-designer's work and an animated projection of his creative process. Born in Seoul in 1981, Kwango Lee grew up in the remote countryside......read more
In a story that encapsulates all of the difficult issues involved in the global shift toward sustainability, the last remaining General Electric plant in the US that produces incandescent lights will be closed this month. A 2007 law essentially outlawed the old-fashioned bulbs that were made ubiquitous by Thomas Edison. In a perfect world, the 200 jobs lost at the Virginia factory would be......read more
Art Basel, which jumped off in Miami yesterday, runs through the end of this weekend, and we're not remotely pleased that we're not there. Luckily, Inhabitat came through with some superb images of one of the installations we're most curious about. The Exhale Pavilion, part of the Oceanfront Nights program at Miami Beach, is a massive outdoor installation made from miles of......read more