Eco-Vlog

Aedas gana el concurso para construir una nueva sede sostenible Junto al estrecho de Qiongzhou, en China, la Nueva Zona de Haikou Jiangdong es una zona que se está desarrollando con nuevas sedes industriales. Aedas ha sido recientemente adjudicataria de la sede industrial internacional de SHCCIG (Hainan), donde tiene previsto crear nuevos edificios sostenibles. Tanto el cliente como el diseñador ven esto como una oportunidad para fortalecer la región con infraestructuras inteligentes. Haikou tiene un clima tropical, por lo que se ha adoptado una disposición de bloques lineales amplios para maximizar las vistas al mar cercano y aprovechar al máximo el clima optimizando la exposición a la luz solar y la ventilación. Mientras tanto, el personal vivirá en una parte de esta sede donde habrá zonas comerciales, residenciales y de formación y reunión del personal. "Está diseñado para ser un punto de referencia orientado a la ecología para toda la zona de libre comercio", dice Kev...

Electrolux y Rave Review se han unido para ayudar a la crisis de los residuos de moda desechables inspirando a la gente a conservar su ropa durante más tiempo. Electrolux es una marca de electrodomésticos sueca que espera inspirar a la gente para que rompa este patrón colaborando con los diseñadores suecos Rave Review, creando una colección de moda única hecha con ropa desechada. La ropa de la colección procede del segundo mayor cementerio de ropa del mundo, el desierto de Atacama. En todo el mundo, hasta el 73% de los residuos textiles acaban en el vertedero o se incineran. Chile, patria del desierto de Atacama, se ha convertido en un símbolo de la crisis de los residuos textiles y la moda rápida, donde se tiran 39.000 toneladas de ropa al año. Según la CEPE, 21.000 millones de toneladas de ropa acaban en los vertederos cada año. "Más allá de los retos de la moda rápida, está claro que tenemos que cambiar la forma en que usamos y cuidamos nuestra ropa", dijo Vanessa Butani,...

Acaba de darse cuenta de que quería que su próximo reloj fuera sostenible, fabricado con residuos de alimentos reciclados y que tuviera un ligero olor a café. El primer reloj del mundo fabricado con café reciclado acaba de ser lanzado y se llama The Coffee Watch de Lilienthal Berlin. En colaboración con la marca independiente berlinesa Kaffeeform, el diseñador creó este reloj tras un exitoso Kickstarter el pasado otoño. El reloj estará disponible en la tienda online de Lilienthal Berlin. De hecho, el nuevo diseño ya ha ganado varios premios, como el iF Design Award, el Green Product Award, el German Design Award y el Green Good Design Award. Kaffeeform aporta su experiencia en materiales, mientras que Lilienthal Berlin aporta su experiencia en el diseño de relojes. Juntos producen esta creación única para una línea de productos sostenibles. El reloj no sólo utiliza un poco de café en el diseño: está tan lleno de residuos de café molido reciclado que incluso tiene el maravilloso aroma...

Una nueva isla emerge tras una erupción volcánica en el Pacífico Una nueva isla surgió en las aguas del suroeste del Océano Pacífico. La isla fue observada por los satélites del Observatorio de la Tierra de la NASA tras una erupción volcánica cerca de la isla Home Reef. La isla está situada en una cresta del fondo marino dominada por actividades volcánicas submarinas que van desde Nueva Zelanda hasta Tonga.  El 10 de septiembre, uno de los volcanes submarinos de la cresta entró en erupción. La erupción provocó la propagación de cenizas y gases en la atmósfera, sofocando los cielos circundantes. Las cosas empezaron a calmarse en pocas horas y la erupción acabó por convertirse en una nueva isla.  La nueva isla fue vista por primera vez 11 horas después de la erupción, pero sólo cubría una pequeña superficie de unos 4.000 metros cuadrados. Para el 20 de septiembre, la isla había crecido hasta medir 24.000 metros cuadrados. La nueva isla no es más que una de las muchas islas oceán...

Some green-minded folks have been betting on hydrogen energy, but a new study shows that heating your house with hydrogen power could cost 70% more than using natural gas. This could present a hiccup on the U.K.’s road to net zero by 2050. MCS Foundation , a renewable energy charity, commissioned the report. Energy analysts Cornwall Insight carried it out. Related: Germany has the first hydrogen-powered trains in the world “While hydrogen does have a part to play in the decarbonization pathway, through for example use in the industrial sectors and in the use of surplus electricity, current and forecast costs all show it is simply uneconomical to use 100% hydrogen fuel for heating our homes,” said Jitendra Patel, senior consultant at Cornwall Insight, as reported by The Guardian. One possible solution is to blend hydrogen with fossil fuel gas, a compromise to reduce carbon emissions while keeping the price from increasing drastically. British Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng has promis...

Los niveles de agua en el lago de agua dulce Poyang, el lago de agua dulce más grande de China, han disminuido a un mínimo histórico. Esto ocurre después de meses de sequía que han afectado la vida normal y las actividades económicas. Los niveles de agua han disminuido de 19.43 metros a 7.1 metros en los últimos tres meses. Después de este drástico cambio en los niveles de agua, la provincia central de China de Jiangxi declaró una bandera roja de suministro de agua el viernes. Los funcionarios de Jiangxi dijeron que los niveles de agua estaban en un mínimo histórico después de una intensa sequía en los últimos tres meses. Según el Centro de Monitoreo de Agua de Jiangxi, se espera que los niveles de agua disminuyan aún más en los próximos días. Aunque aún hay poca lluvia, los expertos esperan lo mejor. Según los funcionarios, la precipitación dentro de la región sigue siendo un 60% menor que el año anterior. En agosto, 267 estaciones de monitoreo meteorológico en toda China reportaron t...

The role of the construction industry in combating climate change is a relatively new consideration, but one that is gaining prominence on sustainability agendas at a global scale. At the recent U.N. Climate Change Conference , the program included a day dedicated to buildings and cities, as well as the Build Better Now virtual pavilion , showcasing 17 sustainable projects .  In advance of COP26 , the Royal Institute of British Architects and Architects Declare hosted a Built Environment Summit , prompting a collective call to the built environment sector to embed, replicate and scale up sustainable best practice designs . Similar to local recycling efforts, individual home owners, contractors and developers each have a role to play in reducing carbon emissions at the residential scale. Here are five project examples that illustrate how you can build single-family housing sustainably and with style.  Related: These 4 homes were built to the Phius building standard Urban ...

La Junta de Recursos del Aire de California (CARB) propuso prohibir la venta de camiones comerciales diésel para el año 2040. La propuesta llega solo unas semanas después de que el estado tuviera que luchar contra altas temperaturas que amenazaban con causar apagones en todo el estado. California prohibirá la venta de camiones con motor diésel para el año 2040. California ha tomado consistentemente medidas audaces para ayudar en el cambio climático. Sin embargo, algunas de sus acciones también han sido examinadas de cerca. Se espera que su última propuesta encuentre oposición de los actores de la industria del transporte y otras partes interesadas. Si bien es un hecho establecido que el transporte es el mayor contribuyente de emisiones en el estado, parece haber acciones contradictorias por parte del gobierno. Por un lado, el gobierno está presionando para poner fin a los vehículos de gasolina, mientras que al mismo tiempo se les pide a los residentes que se abstengan de cargar sus aut...

Wyoming is known as one of the most conservative states in the U.S. But it could be a climate change hero once it completes building the world’s largest direct air carbon capture plant. Dubbed Project Bison, the facility’s goal is to remove five million tons of atmospheric carbon dioxide each year by 2030. It’s a joint venture between Frontier Carbon Solutions and CarbonCapture. CarbonCapture will build the Wyoming facility and Frontier Carbon Solutions will sequester the carbon. Related: World’s largest direct air capture plant coming to Iceland Project Bison will operate similar to smaller plants already at work in Switzerland , Iceland, the U.S. and Canada. Fans will push air through special filters that bind chemically with the carbon dioxide. When the filters are heated and put under a vacuum, they’ll release the CO2, which will then be compressed under high pressure. The technology is still fairly new and controversial. Currently, an Icelandic operation called Orca is th...

The Free Hiker 2 from Adidas has all those cool performance features that buyers want in an athletic shoe, plus all the good looks and styles you might want. But these shoes are made with ocean plastic and they’re standing strong as an example of how even the biggest brands can start changing the world for the better. The Free Hiker 2 is part of the Adidas TERREX line, which is made for high performance and comfort in all terrain in all weather conditions. Coming as no surprise, this shoe is the latest edition of the original Free Hiker. It also comes in a number of colors. Related: Adidas 100% recycled jacket is solving plastic pollution The company’s goal is to end plastic waste altogether, which is a pretty lofty ambition. In the world, plastic is being replaced with other more eco-friendly materials in many products. That includes this shoe from Adidas. A strong commitment to ending plastic pollution is definitely needed. Unfortunately, plastic pollution has found its wa...

The residents of Puerto Rico have found themselves engulfed in darkness after power supply systems were destroyed by Hurricane Fiona. The Category 4 hurricane has caused 3.1 million residents left in darkness. By Wednesday, some of the power had been restored but at least 1.1 million people were still in darkness. The devastating damage to Puerto Rico’s power supply goes beyond the expected threshold for various reasons. Experts warn that most American states should prepare or could find themselves in a similar situation. Underneath the damages are the scars left by Hurricane Maria in 2017. While the island has tried to rebuild, most of the efforts have only been temporary in nature.  Related: Brutalist home in Puerto Rico is resistant to weather The blackouts happened on the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Maria, serving as a reminder of the devastating aftermath of the event. More than 3000 homes currently have tarps for roofs resulting from Maria’s effects. Th...

In good news for people who love plant-based dining, the CEO of vegan chain Native Foods is about to be inducted into the Fast Casual Hall of Fame. Carin Stutz will share the limelight with two other inductees at Fast Casual’s Executive Summit in Indianapolis on October 9. This honor is one more indication that vegan food is going more and more mainstream. Stutz talked to Inhabitat about her award and what it means for vegan dining. Wait, there’s a Fast Casual Hall of Fame? Fast casual dining became popular starting in the 1990s. It’s a little nicer and pricier than fast food , but still on the less expensive side of the restaurant spectrum. You often order at the counter and have the choice of dining in or getting your food to go. Fast casual food is usually made-to-order, including items like bowls, salads, burritos and sandwiches. Often, the restaurants offer relatively health-conscious choices. Chains are highly branded and don’t usually have drive-throughs. Related: Vegan...

In the South Gobi Desert of Mongolia, a building created by Margot Krasojevic Architects for SIAC is exploring dormant monolithic architecture in the sand dunes. The Sand Drift Proving Ground responds to the local climate by merging with its environment. The design looks like materials being blown on site by the desert winds. It will rise out of the landscape when in use and buried under snow and sand when lying dormant. This buried desert building activates with motion. The building is covered or revealed by the shifting sands where it sits low in the sedimentary bedrock. This is a year-round proving ground for off-road vehicle testing, including viewing tunnels, flooded zones and various surface and ground gradients to test the limits of vehicles. Related: This futuristic energy-positive hotel will harness power from the tides Additionally, the test track design, sponsored by SIAC cars, features three zones: torsional obstacles, twist tracks and surface response. There are als...

A leading brand in sustainable furniture design, Naturedesign is now in its third generation and is continuing to explore ways of shaping modern furniture out of centuries-old wood. Naturedesign, based in Cerea near Verona, Italy , is now led by Thomas Franco, who has created a new collection using traditional artisan techniques from Italy. This year the brand showed out at the Salone del Mobile Milano at Milano Design Week 2022, with a new collection of materials including reclaimed rare woods paired with stone, leather, glass and metal in new designs. The company is exploring the region’s traditional artisanal crafts, for example, using traditional glassmaking from Murano. Related: Metal furniture by Division Twelve is now carbon neutral Take the ILL table: the top is made of reclaimed wood from architecture that is centuries old, treated with non-toxic sustainable paints and placed on a base made of glass cast on cast-iron molds. This technique gives this sustainable material...

Is that smell coming from Beyond Meat a delicious charbroiled faux burger ? More likely, alas, it’s cash “being incinerated at a troubling rate,” as Motley Fool put it. The promising mock meat brand, a darling of the early pandemic, now is struggling to survive inflation and a fickle public. In 2020, refrigerated plant-based meat sales soared 75%. But sales dropped off in 2021 and haven’t picked up in 2022. Beyond Meat has especially flailed. And its desperate attempt to save itself with a vegan jerky launch has put the brand further in the hole. Related: Taste-testing the latest versions of Beyond and Impossible burgers “Although Beyond Meat Jerky has approximately quadrupled the size of the plant-based meat snacks sub-segment, we had very high expectations for this product and velocities are now turning below initial forecast,” CFO Phil Hardin said of the launch, as reported by Motley Fool. That’s a distinct downward velocity, with a $278 million loss in the first half of 2022....

On Sunday, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law a bill that allows composting of human remains. This effectively means that the residents of California have one more way of disposing bodies of their loved ones. Traditionally, the ways of dealing with dead bodies were cremation and casket burials.  The move aims to reduce the environmental effects caused by methods of burial such as cremation. Currently, cremation  accounts for more than half of the burials in the state. However, the process is energy intensive and emits gasses such as CO2 into the atmosphere. Related: Barcelona cemetery has a new 100% biodegradable burial area The bill signed on Sunday now allows for natural organic reduction (NOR), a process through which the human remains are naturally broken down into soil. The law now promotes this alternative as an environmentally safe way of burying dead bodies. The law was introduced as Assembly Bill 351, drafted by assembly member Cristina Garcia....

Recently, UNStudio’s designs for NION, an office building in Germany , were selected for further development and construction. The building uses a multifaceted sustainable design strategy that features its own microclimate, incorporates efficiently-designed spaces, harnesses passive systems and encourages social interaction. The site is located in Europaviertel West, a lively district of Frankfurt, which has been continually growing since its establishment in 2005. NION is carefully woven into the developing urban fabric. The area forms a part of the Europa-Allee urban green corridor and, therefore, vegetation is a key component of the design . Lush greenery on the interior and exterior of the building, including green zones within the commercial spaces and lush green terraces and roof gardens, create a calming, healthy work environment that boosts occupant well-being. These spaces also create a microclimate and serve as a means to enhance biodiversity in the area. Related: Biophili...