Category Archive: sustainable design

REVERSE GRAFFITI: South African Artists Tag Walls By Scrubbing Them Clean

REVERSE GRAFFITI: South African Artists Tag Walls By Scrubbing Them Clean

Graffiti is one of the most controversial art forms out there since it defaces public property – but what if graffiti artists actually cleaned up the walls they tagged up by etching their sketches into the grime that already exists on them? The delig…

 

READER TIP: Birdhouses Upcycled from Discarded Shipping Pallets

READER TIP: Birdhouses Upcycled from Discarded Shipping Pallets

Olson Lewis Dioli & Doktor Architects recently shared their appreciation of upcycling with youngsters at the Brookwood School Sustainability Fair by teaching them how to turn trash into treasure. The firm taught children at the elementary school ho…

 

Nokia Files Patent for Kinetically Charged Cell Phone

Nokia Files Patent for Kinetically Charged Cell Phone

Photo: JurvetsonTelecom giant Nokia recently filed a patent for a cell phone powered by kinetic energy (one of our favorite kinds of energy here at Inhabitat!). The conceived phone would charge via built-in piezoelectric generators that will convert th…

 

Collapsible Cargoshell Shipping Container Cuts Emissions

Collapsible Cargoshell Shipping Container Cuts Emissions

Ocean-bound shipping containers are an often-overlooked source of CO2 emissions — over 90% of all non-bulk cargo carried worldwide arrives in containers, and many of them are sent back empty. Enter the innovative Cargoshell collapsible shipping conta…

 

Airnergy Charges Your Gadgets With Wi-Fi Signals

Airnergy Charges Your Gadgets With Wi-Fi Signals

This year’s Consumer Electronics Show is over, but there are still a number of nifty devices trickling into our inboxes. One of our favorites is the RCA Airnergy, a USB-connected device that converts Wi-Fi antenna signals into usable power for your g…

 

Discarded Electronics Are Poisoning African Children!

Discarded Electronics Are Poisoning African Children!

If you’ve ever wondered where that computer, refrigerator or TV you threw away ended up, you may not like the answer. A recent expose on ABC.com reveals the dirty secret behind electronic wastes: many products discarded by developed nations like Germ…

 

Forget Tesla: The Maniwa Wooden Car is a Real Green Supervehicle

Forget Tesla: The Maniwa Wooden Car is a Real Green Supervehicle

We come across plenty of slick green cars in our daily treks across the Internet, but the Maniwa wooden sports car takes the cake as the simplest. The vehicle, which was designed and handbuilt by wood craftsmen at Sada-Kenbi, is street-legal in Japan. …

 

Kris Kuksi’s Recycled Toy Sculptures Will Scare the Kids

Kris Kuksi’s Recycled Toy Sculptures Will Scare the Kids

The beautiful thing about upcycled materials is that the end results often bear no resemblance to the original items. Such is the case with sculptor Kris Kuksi’s toy sculptures, which are constructed out of old toys, statues, and mechanical parts. …

 

Los Angeles Without Traffic!

Los Angeles Without Traffic!

It’s a ghost highway in the middle of LA! Not the result of road closures, the apocalypse, a zombie scare, or a massive increase in the price of petroleum, this series of car-less highways are the brainchild of photographer Tom Baker. Curious as to w…

 

Savior Bud Device Produces Drinking Water from Tree Leaves

Savior Bud Device Produces Drinking Water from Tree Leaves

Drinking water is all around us — if we know where to look. The Giving Tree-inspired Savior Bud designed by Seol Ah Sun and Kim Hyo Jin is a portable device that attaches to tree leaves and slowly collects water. After four hours, a full cup of water…