Indian corporate giant The Tata Group and MIT are collaborating on new research that produces energy from water. The technology, developed by MIT scientist and SunCatalytix founder Daniel Nocera, is founded on a basic scientific priniciple: sunlight + water = fuel. Nocera's process essentially mimics photosynthesis by using sunlight to split hydrogen from water. It is said that it can generate......read more
In three short years, the Prix Pictet has become the global prize for excellence in environmental photography, assembling some of the most powerful images of sustainability (or lack thereof) from around the world. The theme for this year's competition is Growth, which organizers call "one of the great conundrums facing humanity in the early decades of the 21st century." True enough. The winner......read more
Though Barack Obama and Mitt Romney present opposing stances on most issues, they both agree that the planet is warming and humans are at least partly responsible. But you wouldn't know that from the presidential debates, where the words "climate change" weren't uttered by either candidate. Even when the conversation veered toward energy issues, including oil drilling, renewable energy......read more
For a Manhattan-based company, Best Made Co. sure knows how to make quality goods for the outdoors. Beginning with its now-famous axes, Best Made has built a nice stable of woodsy products, all with an eye on good design and local manufacturing. These new Elkskin Chopper Mitts continue the trend. Made from natural 3.75oz American elkskin, a washable material that remains warm even when wet, the......read more
Using mid-century design as his inspiration, Osaka-born, Montreal-based woodworker Mitz Takahashi breathes new life into discarded wooden offcuts, crafting the pieces of reclaimed lumber into everything from clocks to bookshelfs to guitar amps. With a deft hand and a keen sense for sustainability, Takahashi blends mahogany, walnut, oak and other salvaged woods to create......read more
Mitchell grew up in Redding, CA and graduated from UC Santa Barbara in 2009 with a major in Global Studies and a minor in Spanish. He is a current Santa Barbara-ite and all around dilettante, working as a sustainable entrepreneur as owner of a vegetable gardening business and moonlights as a writer for SHFT. Mitch’s upcoming move to the eco-geek mecca of San Francisco in January of next......read more
SHFT.com(www.shft.com) will help curate art, music and sustainable design products to be incorporated into the event. Co-founder Peter Glatzer will speak to the various ways in which the idea of sustainability has impacted our culture in the areas of art, music, new media, product design, architecture and food, as well as produce the gadget lab withWIREDmagazine. SHFT.com is a new media platform,......read more
More than any other U.S. retailer, Best Buy has been instrumental in building national awareness of the need for electronics recycling through free, in-store collections. But cost considerations are forcing changes to the groundbreaking program, which has collected more than 1 billion pounds of electronic waste since 2009. The move underscores a sad reality for the e-cycling movement: While......read more
Four years ago, 16-year-old artist Dimitra Milan began painting when her parents opened Arizona's Milan Art Institute, allowing her to take any class that caught her attention. Since then, she's worked to cultivate her own style. From classical oil techniques to contemporary mixed media, Milan's skill set grew along with her desire to paint. She then started homeschooling so she could......read more
There's an exciting marketplace for clean technology in Los Angeles right now. You'd be hard-pressed to find another conference in North America with this array of thought leaders, investors, academics, policymakers and entrepreneurs. LACI’s Cleantech Global Showcase: GloSho’15 is taking place on Wednesday, October 21st and Thursday, October 22nd and it's a sign of the times......read more