Care to Air Design Challenge by Levi's
by: TreeHugger Design, 2010-05-27 10:19:03 UTC
Air-drying clothing is definitely the cheapest, and especially the most eco-friendly way of drying your clothes; no energy or machinery is needed. However, if you live in a small space, a rainy country or simply are a busy (or forgetful) person, line-drying can be a little impractical, or even, banned by the authorities depending on where you live (see video Drying for Freedom)! Levi's wants us to come up with a solution and will launch the Read the full story on TreeHugger

Green Roofs as Greenwash Come to China
by: TreeHugger Design, 2010-05-26 14:36:14 UTC
Designboom Architects use all kinds of tricks to make their buildings look better in renderings; mirrored glass used to be a favourite, with renderings of buildings showing reflections of sky and clouds as the building just blended into the landscape. As we have noted before, green roofs are the new mirrored glass, as architects bring roofs down to ground level and blur the line between landscape and building. But just imagi... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Eco-Friendly Hotel Goes Underground in the Alps
by: TreeHugger Design, 2010-05-26 15:30:07 UTC
Images: Matteo Thun Italian architect Matteo Thun, whose Milan-based firm is known for a range of elegant architectural works, attractive interiors and stylish, flexible product designs (like this Transformer couch), has come up with a wonderfully unobtrusive way to enjoy the Alps: a mountainside hotel that is partially nestled underground, using local materials and passive design principles to heat and cool its interiors. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Most Americans Still Don’t Know Smart Grid
by: Environmental Leader, 2010-05-26 14:53:11 UTC

Most Americans are still unfamiliar with the term ‘smart grid,’ according to a recent survey by EcoAlign and Clasma Events. The survey, “Separating Smart Grid from Smart Meters,” is the 8^th EcoPulse survey the partnership have published, and was released in conjunction with the ConnectivityWeek 2010 event taking place in California this week. The goal of the survey was to test consumer expectations and perceptions of smart grid technology.

Although about 70 percent of American had not heard the term ‘smart grid’ before, once participants had the concept explained to them they responded favorably. Fifty-five percent said smart grid modifications will be of substantial benefit to them, according to the report. Half of those surveyed said the ability to monitor their energy use would be of significant benefit to them.

Roughly a quarter of those surveyed said they would use smart grid technology to review their energy bill on at least a weekly basis.

However, the survey also identified some potential pitfalls with meeting consumer expectations. With the primary consumer expectation for smart grid technology being the reduction of energy bills, failure to realize such savings (due to increasing energy prices or increased energy use) could cause consumers to sour on the idea of smart grid technology.

The entire report can be downloaded for free by registering on the EcoAlign website.

Podcast: Sustainable Futures at the Design Museum
by: Dezeen, 2010-05-22 09:24:12 UTC

Dezeen podcast: curator Nina Due gives a guided tour of the Sustainable Futures exhibition on show at the Design Museum in London. (more…)

Size Doesn't Matter in Reducing Environmental Impacts
by: Design & Innovation | Design | GreenBiz.com, 2010-05-19 13:00:29 UTC

A seasoned lifecycle assessment engineer recently pointed out differences between big-impact elements and small ones, and suggested they must be big enough to be worth an effort in an LCA-driven impact reduction exercise. That's where he lost me.

The Last Straw
by: Yanko Design, 2010-05-20 08:29:08 UTC

Boo to you, you-land-polluting-extra-plastic STRAW! We don’t need you!

Not a great slogan for the green-brigade, but most definitely do-able. Ditch the straw and have the drinks-packs include an “Internal Straw”. A neatly folded layer of the box itself becomes the pipe to sip your drinks from. Simple, easy and GOOD!

Designer: Kyung-soo Park

The Designer's Material of the Year: Cork
by: TreeHugger Design, 2010-05-17 21:11:04 UTC
Last year at ICCF the material du jour was felt; while its presence is still being, well, felt, this year the stuff that dreams are made of is cork. And not just thin sheets of cork but big honking blocks of the stuff. It is post-industrial recycled cork (what is left after the wine corks are cut out), ground up and compressed with a polyurethane binder. The importers, Ecosupply, have been using Suberra Cork for kitchen counters for years. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Living Future 2010: Bill Reed on Regenerative Design
by: Worldchanging: Bright Green, 2010-05-17 17:04:00 UTC
http://www.worldchanging.com/local/seattle/archives/008117.html

Small Shelter offers instant refuge during emergencies
by: The Design blog, 2010-05-12 12:03:30 UTC

Providing safe shelter or refuge, other than food and medication, to the affected during emergencies is one of the essential tasks for management and aid workers. Conceived by Costa Rican designer Arlette Calvo the “Small Shelter” is a temporary installation for crisis that helps in rescuing the victims. Comprising four modules united at the center to form a communal space for social interaction, the Shelter is made in canvas, covered with thermal insulation and galvanized steel structure. The modules, when required, can also be placed separately, each offering adequate space for two people.

[Cheers Arlette]