Via Inhabitat: What with gas prices being as high as they were this summer, we didn’t go on as many road trips as we would have liked to. If we had a camper like the Verdier Solar Powered Camper, we definitely would have embarked upon more road trips to beautiful National Parks and done it in eco-style. Verdier’s eco-RV is based upon a classic VW Westfalia that has been upgraded with many green elements, like a hybrid engine, solar panels and a lot of high-tech systems that makes this bus a hippy’s Pimp My Ride dream come true.
The magic and mystery of life. It’s worth looking after!
Where skyscrapers and a giant Buddha graze the heavens, the W sign dazzles amid Kowloon’s urban neon. In one of the world’s greatest culinary cities, the W Hotel Kowloon is a recent addition to the skyline of the Hong Kong metropolis. Disappear in the decadent indulgences that await your exploration, immersion, savouring, lingering, mingling and celebrating. Hong Kong offers explorations beyond the glitter and neon. In Aberdeen, you’ll discover sampans, Chinese junks and a huge floating restaurant in this former fishing village that provides a glimpse into Hong Kong’s past. At Stanley Market, enjoy some quiet beach time, a beautiful seaside promenade and stroll the crooked bazaar streets where you’ll find everything under the sun for sale. In my opinion there is no more favourable hotel group than the W chain and its mere presence in any country induces the need to travel.
This is an incredible example of how to use the web creatively for educational purposes! I’m not into pushing drugs but I have to say you should go ahead and click …
“Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”
JFK was the thirty-fifth President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. He was the second-youngest President (after Theodore Roosevelt), and the youngest elected to the office, at the age of 43. Interestingly, Barack Obama is 47 and it makes me wonder if the youth of presidency often allows for optimistic hope in tackling difficult issues? Certainly JFK was a hero for this and one that I am sure Barack Obama will no doubt become.
Continue reading ‘the new greenpeace campaign’
Now is your chance! Today is Sol 583. On Earth it is August 24, 2005. You’ve been here for 583 Martian days. The desolate and rocky Martian horizon surrounds you and stretches in every direction as far as you can see.
Born in 1946, Yann Arthus-Bertrand has been interested in the wilderness and animal world throughout his lifetime. Using a camera, he started to create a record of his observations and eventually discover his gift: testifying through images. In 1991 Arthus-Bertrand became a photojournalist and founded Altitude, the leading aerial photography agency in the world. Inspired by the link between humankind, wildlife and nature, he partnered with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to focus his vocation on a long-term documentary photography series: The Earth From Above, Wild Animals, Horses, and 365 Days. Earth From Above will be on show at the World Financial Centre Plaza in NYC from May 1 – June 28, 2009 (for those who are over there - Yen?). An inspiring visual record for future generations, Earth From Above is an outdoor public art exhibition and experiential event presenting awe-inspiring portraits of our planet, and a new perspective on the need for sustainable living.
theworldfor.com is dedicated to providing a voice for world opinion in one of the most important elections in United States history. While this election will ultimately be decided by US citizens at the ballot box, this site can inform those voters as to the world’s interest in this election, in an era when we are all interconnected. It’s interesting to note that those voting for McCain show up in countries like Somalia, Uganda, Iran, Libya … Who do you vote for?
Window shopping with Amazon. This is pretty cool.
With over 28 billion tons of CO2 emitted each year, an innovative firm is working on transforming the abundant supply CO2 available to produce renewable and sustainable fuels for global consumption. Carbon Sciences is developing a breakthrough technology to transform carbon dioxide emissions into the basic fuel building blocks required to produce gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel and other fuels. The largest and most concentrated source of CO2 emissions is the growing use of coal-powered electricity generation, especially in developing countries where coal is abundant and inexpensive. In 2030, there is projected to be about 43 billion metric tons of C02 exhaled into the atmosphere. Whilst I believe the preferred method of energy is purely renewable, Carbon Sciences offers a positive idea for a transitionary energy system utilising what is currently wasted.
I love innovation and ideas that become action. There are many wonderful people on this planet doing extraordinary things for the benefit of the future of the planet. Ultra is an innovative form of Personal Rapid Transit (PRT). The idea emerged from a fundamental reappraisal of the transport needs of a city. Conventional forms of public transit require passengers to collect in groups until a large vehicle is scheduled to travel on predetermined routes. In contrast, Ultra offers personal transport with no waiting, and takes passengers non-stop to their chosen destination. This is a transport system which is as convenient as, or in congested environments more convenient than, the car, but with minimal environmental impact. Continue reading ‘a revolution in public transport’
According to a recent article in The Courier Mail, Australians have topped the rankings in a prosperity index of more than 100 countries – with its quality of life and economic strength pushing it into number one spot. What an amazing opportunity to take advantage of this position and show the world that economic wealth can be used to assist and help solve complex climate change problems. And generate new ideas based on our relationship with the planet in the future rather the pursuit of extreme wealth linked to excessive consumption. Last night I watched The Burning Season on the ABC. I was so inspired by the actions of a young Australian environmental entrepreneur, Dorjee Sun, who is offering a solution to sell the carbon credits represented by large forest areas to big polluters in the West. Met with a mixture of surprise, intrigue, confusion and scepticism in a period of four months, Dorjee’s proposal is rejected 203 times!!!! Whilst his ideas need a degree of regulation in order to prevent large polluters taking advantage of the concept, at 29 years old, Dorjee is an amazing example of the heart needed to pursue in the ideas that will generate positive change for climate change.
The image is of orphaned Orangutans displaced from the burning of the Indonesian forests.
When the red supergiant V838 Monocerotis suddenly brightened for several weeks in early 2002, it showed it was cloaked in a never-before-seen cloud structure. The burst of light reflecting off the clouds, called a light echo, was captured by the Hubble Space Telescope.
Baz Luhrmann’s new Tourism Australia ad was launched today. The new ad with the tagline ‘Come walkabout’ is a complete departure from the cheekiness of the last Tourism Australia campaign ‘Where the bloody hell are you’. In true Baz Luhrmann style the ad uses music and emotion to stir the heart strings. Some will say it’s cheesy, I like it. What do you think? For a bit of Baz nostalgia, check out the the famous sunscreen song above from the early nineties.
I was surprised when I heard that Boeing’s new aircraft operate with the fuel efficiency of a hybrid car – 3.5 litres per 100 kilometers (per passenger) - so I thought I would investigate. Whilst Hydrogen is still along way off it was inspiring to see this video of the Fuel Cell Demonstrator Airplane, shown at the 2008 Farnborough International Airshow, which achieved the first manned mission where a straight-level flight was powered solely by a hydrogen fuel cell. Supposedly air transport’s contribution to Climate Change represents 2 percent of human-produced CO2 emissions and this could reach 3 percent by 2050, according to updated figures from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The industry is now working towards carbon-neutral growth – no increase in carbon emissions in spite of traffic growth – as a first step towards a future of carbon-free energy. What an incredible world we could live in if Hydrogen, with a waste product of water, could be used one day along with the many other exciting renewable technologies.
The following letter is from Steve Rayner (Professor of Science and Civilisation at Oxford University) and was published in Wired Magazine.
Mr President
The outgoing administration failed to come to grips with climate change out of fear that reducing greenhouse gas emissions would damage the economy. But the decision to deal with climate change doesn’t lend itself to cost-benefit analysis. It is a strategic choice, like the decision to get married. You have an opportunity to define the nation’s character and upgrade its infrastructure — and bold action would be consistent with America’s historical role as a leader in innovation. It would also encourage India and China to participate in the effort. Here are a few points to keep in mind.
Continue reading ‘Mr President … I mean prime minister’
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