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This is the first in a series I’m writing for SHFT called Ars Natura: art in nature, nature in art. Though I typically blog abut media and technology I have become increasingly aware that the problems our civilization faces are not going to be solved by technological ingenuity alone. Yes I believe we can solve the energy problem and perhaps even find a way to deflate the planet’s......read more
Light bulbs have been around since the days of Thomas Edison, but they're not the same old bulbs anymore. Technology is improving rapidly, and with that progress comes new levels of efficiency and sustainability. In his new book 'Plan B 4.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization,' author Lester Brown explains that one of the easiest and quickest ways that we can reduce electricity use......read more
Siddhartha Upadhyaya, designer of the eco-fashion label August Fashion, has created a new form of garment design and production called Direct Panel on Loom (DPOL). The process connects a computer to a loom that weaves sections of a garment, which are made to fit into the garment as a whole. By creating a garment in pieces, fabric waste is completely eliminated since there is no cutting. The......read more
Some green tech is so next-level that it's hard to believe. Like wallpaper that cleans the air. Yep, you read right. Inhabitat reports Bluecher Technologies has just produced a "breathable, glass fiber/polyester non-woven paper-like covering" with absorbants that capture harmful chemicals like PCBs, PCP, pesticides, and radon. The wallpaper, called Saratech Permasorb, might be the......read more
There are 2.7 million miles of roads stretching across the United States. On hot days, all that asphalt absorbs warmth from the sun, heating to 140 degrees or more. The energy potential of this phenomenon has not gone unnoticed. Researchers from the University of Rhode Island are looking into several ways to harness the solar energy potential of roads to melt ice, power streetlights and signs,......read more
Get the official Climate Counts app for FREE! If you are serious about supporting global climate change, put your dollars to work by supporting the right companies. We can’t change our climate overnight, but we can make a difference every time we shop by voting with our dollars! Here’s how it works. We analyze companies, and our ranking scale tells you how well the company is......read more
Nick Gentry's floppy disk paintings are musings on throwaway culture and technological change. The London artist assembled this video of his work, scored by a track from UK beat maestro, Burial. From Nick's artist's statement: "Since graduating from Central St Martins in 2006, the focus has been to explore how technological advancement is affecting society. Throughout history,......read more
Cement production accounts for five percent of global CO2 emissions, which is double the emissions from all airline traffic. That spells a massive greenhouse gas problem, just so society can continue to build and expand its infrastructures. But there has to be another way, right? Cement is the glue that holds concrete together. Concrete is so ubiquitous as to be nearly invisible. Producing the......read more
In the shift from the wasteful and earth-damaging ways of the past toward a more sustainable future, technology is our pal. Advances in renewable energy systems, materials production, and waste recycling have transformed our ability to live greener lifestyles. Recently, researchers at the University of Warwick made one such advance in the realm of plastics recycling. Typically, only around 12%......read more
As an artist, Clement Valla says he's interested in "processes that produce unfamiliar artifacts and skew reality." These Google Earth images, generated when he zoomed in at just the right angle, are just that. Like digitized Dali landscapes, Postcards from Google Earth depict melting, collapsed bridges and roads. The concept is extra poignant given the surreal events taking place in Japan right......read more
