Blogs & Ecology

Image: jgraham

Mixing a sense of humour with a sense of environmental responsibility, Creative Paper Wales (CPW) has shepherded in the latest in its line of Sheep Poo Paper products – flower-fragranced Poo Pouri Air Freshener. The company claims to make all its handcrafted papers and paper gift items using eco-friendly materials and methods, but Sheep Poo Paper takes the ingenuity biscuit for exploiting the droppings of Wales’ most ubiquitous animal. New Zealand must be kicking itself it didn’t get there first.

Image: BohPhoto

We’ve all become familiar with the fair trade ethos with our food buying, but one person is trying to bring the same values to a very different part of the retail industry. Sam Roddick’s Coco de Mer is a sex shop with an environmentally friendly ethos, selling everything from corsets to clitoris creams.

Tree House Lodge

Save on the risqué Tarzan and Jane costumes and explore your inner animal at one of the world’s most breathtaking tree-top getaways. Whether it’s bare-bones lodging or some back-woods luxury these tip-top wonders are sure to amaze. So, back away from the Blackberry, strap on some boots, grab your mate, or someone better, and go climb a tree.

Jill Fehrenbacher, founder of leading green design blog Inhabitat and Inhabitos, has announced the launch of Inhabitat eco tees for kiddies and all-in-ones for babies. Both the t-shirts and onesies are made from 100% organic cotton, printed by hand with eco-friendly, water-based inks and feature Habby, the Inhabitat owl, with the message ‘I give a hoot’ on the front. They cost $20 each and all proceeds go towards Inhabitots, the website that promotes sustainable design for next generation.

Image: REI

Anyone who’s into the ‘green lifestyle’ knows that walking is one of the most environmentally-friendly modes of transportation around. Really, there are only two things keeping it from being an entirely eco-friendly exercise: the shoes on your feet. Most modern shoes are made using PVC, nylon, leather, and other non-sustainable materials. Considering most active people should replace their shoes every six months, that adds up to quite a lot of elements going to waste.

The idea of dragging the kids around a supermarket normally fills most parents with dread and fear. And those who don’t have children are all too aware of the struggles parents seem to face come the weekly shop, which is probably why they choose to remain sans sproglings.

Image via Jerome Melan

Set in lush green farmland is a cluster of buildings resembling alien spacecraft landing stations. Otherwise known as tulou, these earthen buildings are actually communal living spaces in southern China. Built mostly between the 12th and 20th centuries, tulou are thought to be early precursors to modern-day high-rise apartment blocks, up to five stories high and having enough rooms to house up to 80 families, or 800 people.

Image: pastalane

Anyone who has ever ridden in an auto-rickshaw in India will know the experience, though exciting, can lead to a few extra grey hairs, or a handful in some cases, either due to the adrenalin rush of being cut up by vehicles with little regard for lanes, or the stress of breathing in clouds of exhaust fumes. And if you opted for the traditional cycle rickshaw, no doubt the guilts soon set in at the thought of the person pulling the thing busting a gut for you. If these scenes sound familiar you’ll be happy to know it’s soon set to change.

An ambitious French furniture designer has taken an unusual approach to using recycled materials in his work, and with great effect.

Oscar Lhermitte, a young designer studying at London’s Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design, has fashioned a way to use some of the thousands of free newspapers that litter the capital’s streets. His new series, called ‘X day projects’, aims to create furniture from the mound of discarded papers without using other materials to stick them together, such as screws, nails, or glue.

Written by guest contributor Chris Tew

Green is the new black as today’s handbag lovers become more eco-friendly. The luxury labels of Louis Vuitton and Prada will always have a special place in our hearts, but more modern style icons are ditching these designers for more environmentally-friendly accessories.

Written by Chris Brewster

With the recent spate of natural disasters, it’s no wonder that canny designers have created homes able to withstand the elements. Earthquake-proof, hurricane-resistant, thermal efficiencies and solar power are just some of the selling points touted by Solalaya, the US distributor of Domespace Homes. Resembling something from outer space, the design and concept are unique.

Caravanning is bringing sexy back. Yes, it’s true. No longer left entirely to the realms of feisty family holidays the caravanning world is about to turn ice cool.

An exciting new prototype caravan, the Mehrzeller, was revealed at this week’s Caravan Salon in Düsseldorf and is getting campers and RV enthusiasts all hot under the collar.

WebUrbanist, a great site dedicated to architecture, design, travel and culture, has just announced the launch of their sister site, WebEcoist.

Based on the premise that the natural environment is, not only fundamentally important in practical terms, but also amazingly intriguing in ways many rarely consider, WebEcoist plans to cover a broad range of green issues, but with a twist.

The new environmentally-orientated site commented:

With all the concern about ongoing climate change and the need to conserve our environment, it seems like even financial institutions are becoming more responsive towards the green aspirations of their customers, but are their efforts genuinely green or are they merely jumping on the great big eco bandwagon so it looks as if they’re being environmentally-friendly?