eco

Surfwear company Billabong is using a new material called ECO Supreme Suede for some of its boardshorts and swim suits. The exclusive material is eco-friendly made from recycled textiles and plastic soda bottles (rPET). The company says its cool new material doesn't sacrifice on quality.

Humanity's inability to resolve it's differences peacefully has moved seraglia to create this rare and spectacular necklace. Of especial concern is the continued and projected use of nuclear weapons, whether as missile warheads or as depleted uranium in conventional weaponry. It is hoped that this necklace will help spread the message, and also raise funds for the continuing work of CND.

"All warfare is based on deception" Sun-Tzu Chinese general & military strategist (~400 BC)

This necklace has been crafted from:

* Fire opal faceted Swarovski beads and crystals
* Fire polished Japanese Miyuki bugle beads
* 1940's plastic pendants from US occupied Japan
* Ancient Roman carnelian and rock crystal beads circa 400 AD
* Vintage glass cylinder beads from Czechoslovakia
* Traditional brass accent pieces from the USA
* Vintage coral and amber beads

Jonas Samson, an innovative interior designer from the Netherlands, has created a new kind of wallpaper that also serves as a light source. Samson's wallpaper will enable us to use two-dimensional light sources instead of the 3D lighting fixtures currently in use around the world. The light emitting wallpaper can be turned on and off and is made of light emitting diodes (LEDs), which consume very little power and are relatively cheap.

Record breaking attempt: Earthrace, will attempt to circumnavigate the globe running 100% biodiesel, and with a net zero carbon-footprint.

Demonstrating further commitment to the cause, the skipper Pete Bethune underwent liposuction and donated enough to produce 100ml of biofuel, while two other, larger volunteers also had the procedure, making a total of 10 litres of human fat. This in turn produced seven litres of biofuel, which could help the boat travel about 15km.

A new energy-capturing knee brace can generate enough electricity from walking to operate a portable GPS locator, a mobile phone, a motorized prosthetic joint or an implanted neurotransmitter, research from the University of Michigan shows.

The wearable mechanism works much like regenerative braking charges a battery in some hybrid vehicles - Regenerative brakes collect the kinetic energy that would otherwise be dissipated as heat when a car slows down. This knee brace harvests the energy lost when a human brakes the knee after swinging the leg forward to take a step.

The dude needs to sort out his sock/shoe situation however.

There is an Organisation in San Francisco called Matter of Trust, which, as one of its many projects, collects human hair from thousands of salons across the country and sends it to Georgia to be woven into mats.

These mats are then used to absorb used motor oil. The used, oil-soaked mats are seeded with oyster mushrooms, which thrive on and absorb the black gunk, and after three months the whole lot can then be safely composted.

Something that all coastal town folk should consider setting up...

via Tiny Choices

It is important to have medicinal plants around the house - you never know when you might need them. So here is a list of plants that have the highest medicinal value... Save yourself a trip to the Chemist.

This is an Open Source Energy Project to design and build a system that uses indirect solar collection to generate electricity and store thermal energy in a economical, environmentally friendly, scalable, reliable, efficient and location independent manner using common construction materials.

Think purchasing a diamond is an ethical dilemma? You don't know the half of it. A host of common consumer items helps fuel conflict, ruins the environment, and relies on child labor. Check this list for a heads up.