Green Environment

To promote the value of turning garbage into something valuable, artist and designer Francis Sollano transformed discarded nursing uniforms into a spectacular chandelier he’s called ‘Farfalla’ (aka “bow-tie pasta”). The DIY project can be applied to any fabric, varying on the patterns and colors depending on the look one aims to achieve. Want to learn how to make your own? Follow the instructions after the jump! The article above was submitted to us by an Inhabitat reader. Want to see your story on Inhabitat? Send us a tip by following this link. Remember to follow our instructions carefully to boost your chances of being chosen for publishing! Read the rest of DIY: Learn How to Make a Gorgeous Farfalla Chandelier with Recycled Fabric Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: butterfly chandelier, farfalla, farfalla chandelier, francis sollano, green lighting, recycled materials chandelier

If your heart has ever ached looking at pictures of animals pent up in tiny pet store cages or pens at the zoo, prepare to be outraged. CNN and other internet sources have uncovered a souvenir scheme in China that seems like a sick joke, but isn’t. Live animals—turtles, fish, lizards and other amphibians—are being trapped in tiny plastic bags and sold as decorative key chains. Vendors claim that the bag contains crystallized oxygen and nutrients designed to keep the animals alive, but in reality, most die within a day or less due to oxygen deprivation. What’s even more shocking is that thanks to China’s lax animal protection laws, most customers are encouraged to microwave and then eat the animals upon their demise. Read the rest of Live Animals Trapped In Plastic Bags Sold as Key Chains in Horrifying Chinese Souvenir Scheme Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: animal abuse, animal rights, Beijing, china, live animal key chains, souvenirs

We recently told you about Moto Electra‘s bold attempt to drive an electric motorcycle across the United States in just 3 days – and on June 6th the team accomplished this world record-breaking feat! Battling temperatures over 100 degrees, punishing rain and bike repairs, the racing team hit their goal while showing the world the potential of electric motors. Read the rest of Moto Electra Sets World Record by Crossing the US on an Electric Motorcycle in 3 Days Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: battery technology, coast-to-coast drive, coast-to-coast motorcycle drive, coast-to-coast motorcycle record, cross country drive, electric bike, electric motorcycle, electric motorcycle coast-to-coast, electric transportation, electric vehicle, Moto Electra, Moto Electra Racing, Thad Wolff, world record drive

There may be killer asteroids headed for Earth, and NASA has decided to do something about it. The space agency announced a new "Grand Challenge" on June 18 to find all dangerous space rocks and figure out how to stop them from destroying Earth.

Dwell on Design, America’s largest modern design event, is set to kick off this Friday at the Los Angeles Convention Center! This annual exhibition features a vast array of green designs ranging from home products to larger eco-pavilions and even prefab homes. This year’s lineup includes more than 2,000 products from more than 400 exhibitors, five full-scale prefab homes – including the next-generation LivingHome C6 – and more than 200 speakers dishing on the latest in modern design. The event runs from June 21-23 and tickets are still available, so register today! + Dwell on Design Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: "green furniture", design shows, dwell, dwell on design, Dwell on Design 2013, furniture design, interior design, la, LA Convention Center, Los Angeles, modern design, modern furniture, prefab house, Prefab Housing

Ann McClain's mother was in her front yard rose garden when her daughter called with the news.   "You'll never forget this moment," McClain, a 34-year-old major in the U.S. Army told her mom. "I've been selected as an astronaut candidate."

If you pound the pavement every day for your commute or just a little exercise, you can use some of your stride to power your electronic devices. The SolePower is a shoe insole that allows the wearer to generate electricity as they move. Able to be slipped into a piece of footwear, the system runs a wire to a rechargeable battery worn around the ankle or clipped to the shoe. Power is generated and stored as you stroll and can later be used to charge phones, GPS units, music players, and other gadgets. Using mechanical linkages and generators, the SolePower works much like a smaller, slimmer version of a hand-cranked flashlight. Read the rest of The SolePower Harvests Energy from Walking to Charge Your Gadgets Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: carnegie mellon university, charge, developing nations, first responder, hiker, insert, insole, iPhone, kickstarter, kinetic energy, pennsylvania, pittsburgh, podiatrist, shoe, solepower, walk

A lost city known only from inscriptions that existed some 1,200 years ago near Angkor in what is now Cambodia has been uncovered using airborne laser scanning.   The previously undocumented cityscape, called Mahendraparvata, is hidden beneath a dense forest on the holy mountain Phnom Kulen, which means "Mountain of the Lychees."

Here at Inhabitat, we’ve been following New Zealand designer David Trubridge‘s career since we first spotted him at Milan Design Week years ago. As one of his country’s most celebrated designers, Trubridge emerged on the international design scene in 2001 with his airy bentwood lounge chair known as the Body Raft, and has been innovating ever since. These days, he has jumped into lighting design with his iconic organic lights and his flat pack system. In that spirit, Trubridge has released a a brand new book called So Far to share his design mind with the world. So Far is the autobiography of his life that parallels his personal journey with his design evolution, perfectly weaving the two together in a beautifully illustrated book. Read the rest of BOOK REVIEW: David Trubridge’s ‘So Far’ Explores How His Design Process has Evolved to Become One with Nature Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: "lighting design", Body Raft, book review, David Trubridge, David Trubridge autobiography, design book, flat pack lamps, furniture design, green design, Green Design Book, green design innovation, green furniture design, green lighting design, New Zealand designer, Seed System packing, So Far book review, So Far by David Trubridge, travel book, Trubridge So Far

Read the rest of Tiny Off-Grid Hawk House has Soaring Views of the Big Sur Mountains Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: Alex Wyndham, Big Sur California, California cabana, Hawk House, Hawk House Alex Wyndham, mountain refuge, Mountain Retreat, off the grid home, off-grid houses, small dwellings, small spaces, small timber houses, timber, timber house Big Sur, timber structure, tiny houses