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Sustainable Design: A Critical Guide
World Water Week
Courtesy of Stockholm International Water Institute New edition features 14 essays on water and water quality issues that build upon research presented at the 2010 World Water Week in Stockholm. On the Water Front vol. 2 offers a collection of the most innovative and important insights on water and water quality presented at the 2010 World Water Week in Stockholm. This compendium is a must-read for those interested in the latest knowledge, tools and strategies to resolve the planet’s most pressing water quality challenges. Each of its chapters are authored by leading luminaries from science, business, and public policy and build upon research presented at the 2010 World Water Week in Stockholm, includingStockholm Water Prize Laureates Dr. Rita Colwell and Prof. Takashi Asano and have been edited and peer reviewed by the World Water Week Scientific Programme Committee. Download it here to gain knowledge on how the public health sector will be impacted by climate change, the most potent policy cocktails to protect coastal waters, the best-practice solutions to wastewater reclamation and reuse, what the potential onset of peak water and peak phosphorus could mean to humanity, new ideas to mitigate the growing dangers of chemical and agricultural pollution to human and environmental health, and much more.From The Green Blog Network
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On the Water Front vol. 2 presents new analysis from global thought-leaders
Paris Velib' Passion
The Velib’ bicycle program in Paris celebrated its one millionth bicycle voyage last month. If you’re not yet familiar with Paris’s city-sponsored bicycle program, it’s such an innovative and “green travel” program in the form of a public transportation service, that the Velib’, in and of itself, is a reason to visit Paris.
The Mairie de Paris (Paris City Hall) has made Velib’s more easily accessible for tourists and visitors. The price of a Velib’ for day use is now the same cost as a Metro ticket: EURO 1.70. And the price for 7 days access for use of a Velib’ is 5 to 8 Euros with the first 30 minutes of use free. You can get your Velib’ tickets on the internet at http://velib.paris.fr and also at the Mobile Kiosks that you find at every Velib’ station which provide instructions in English. It's a great alternative to hopping on a bus or the metro or walking everywhere.
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Since the Velib’ stations are nearly as numerous in the city as the Metro stations, most people can get where they need to go within a half an hour, drop off the bicycle, and pick up another one for their return voyage after their rendezvous. If you go over the half-hour time allotment per session (not per day), you pay for the extra time starting at 1 Euro for an extra half-hour.
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Commuun Paris Runway Show F/W '11
By Paige Donner
Commuun is one of the few Designer labels showing in Paris regularly who sport an ethical fashion approach. And like their famous colleague (Stella) their front foot is on design with their inspiration derived from nature, a respect they carry forward into their fashion designs from collection to collection.
When asked backstage what is the one constant in their collections, Iku Furudate and Kaito Hori responded that sourcing organic textiles is one of their trademarks for their collections. This year's runway shows in Paris saw a lot of sheers, material that Commuun often uses in their collections.
Many of the fashion label's fans at this year's runway show in Paris held on March 7th agreed that this year's collection bears witness to the design duo's maturation and growth into their world-class label. Some of the textiles they used - all organically sourced - included an inversed velvet. The pops of color in the collection, too, are nature inspired and their name has nothing to do with "common" but rather references the concepts of community, communion and communication.
All photos by Paige Donner, Copyright Paige Donner
All photos by Paige Donner, Copyright Paige Donner
The NY trained, Tokyo originating design duo of Iku Furudate and Kaito Hori launched their label in 2005 which is also when they first began showing in Paris. In 2007 they won the LVMH and Longchamp ANDAM prizes.
Paige Donner is Founder and Ed. In Chief of Greening Beauty and Greening Hollywood
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Earth Awards, Calling All Entries!
By Marissa Moss
Calling all sustainable designers – The Earth Awards wants you! The 2010 Earth Awards are on a global mission to discover creative and sustainable design solutions and innovations and bring international attention to the designers who created them. The grand prizewinner receives $50,000 and category winners take home $10,000, so if you think you make the cut you must submit your designs by May 10th. The six entry categories are: built environment, fashion, products, systems, future and social justice. Submissions must also meet the following criteria: achievable, scalable, measureable, useful, original and ecological. The 2009 winner is Neri Oxman, founder of Materialecology, an “interdisciplinary design research initiative at the interface between science, art and design. Submit your design and find more information at www.theearthawards.org. The Awards will take place in London on September 16, 2010.
Submissions Deadline: May 17, 2010
Marissa Moss is a public relations consultant for GriffinSchake based in NYC. She is also a freelance journalist.
Ferrari Design At Coal Harbour Green
A Vancouverite recently described Coal Harbour as the "Park Avenue of Vancouver." The concentrated downtown core neighborhood overlooks the city's main harbor, Stanley Park and the city's new - green-roofed - Convention Center which is currently called the Olympic Broadcast Center. Right now, it also boasts exceptional views of the Olympic Cauldron, lit by Wayne "The Great One" Gretzky on Opening night of Winter Olympics 2010.
Enter Harbour Green Place. It is a stunning $1 billion, three-tower development that seeks to attract the world's rich and famous. It will offer a communal Ferrari for residents of Coal Harbour Green to drive, among other super-luxe amenities. The $200,000 kitchens are designed by Paolo Pininfarina, the Ferrari designer. Since August 12, 2008, he has been the acting Chairman of Pininfarina S.p.A.
Green Blog Network asked Mr. Pininfarina what his thoughts were on sustainable design, and found that the designer had a lot to say on the subject:
Paolo Pininfarina: Sustainability is the heart of design in 2010. It's a must.GBN: Where do you see sustainable design going in the future?PP: In the future sustainability will drive the creation of new products. It's a big part of the work of designers in the next 20 years.GBN: Ferrari is symbolic of copious consumption. Can this continue?PP: We absolutely need to reduce consumption. In a city such as Vancouver, you don't feel it so much. But other parts of the world, you really notice the over demand on resources. Even the Chairman of Ferrari said we have to do something to reduce consumption. I am fortunate to be able to design in such a technological laboratory. We are orienting towards observing environmental cautiousness.GBN: Can a quality product such as Ferrari also be designed to be sustainable?PP: Designers are, by definition, creative people. Beautiful products are not enough. They must be beautiful and sustainable. There is an aesthetic to sustainability. For example, an ugly product is disturbing from an aesthetic point of view. There is a sustainable aesthetic to beauty.GBN: What do you think of the Tesla?PP: A person who drives a Tesla is saying "I have the money to be sensible." We are looking for a more affordable approach. We'd like to design a zero emission vehicle that is affordable to more people.
Electric cars make good company cars. Companies who buy electric vehicles for their employees' use can be trendsetters. An EV is ideal for commuting between home and office. Then, if necessary, you have another vehicle, or a hybrid, for longer weekend journeys.
I see it evolving along the lines of the cell phone. The first breakthrough was when the company managers were provided cell phones. They used their mobiles in the car. Once that was established, then it was just a matter of time before everyone had a cell phone.GBN: Can the populace at large, then, be conditioned to want to buy an EV or a hybrid?PP: Certainly. It's a question of building out the infrastructure. There are models developing now where you can purchase the automobile and then rent the batteries.GBN: And at Ferrari?PP: Ferrari is a dream. At Ferrari we are selling dreams.
For more information about Paolo Pininfarina's kitchens designed for Coal Harbour Green, go to: Three Harbour Green or ASPAC Developments.
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