Old gum boots? Best pets ever!

Who in the world would see dogs in old gum boots?  The best kind of pets ever to keep.  No pee, no poo and no taking out for walks.

Yes, I would like to know the creator too and have him or her rub off some of his or her creativity to me.

Let's play a better game.

Let's play a better game?  How?  By changing our goals this way.

Rotten potatoes? Great for rust!

If your potatoes are already sprouting on you or going bad, don't throw them away.  Nick Engler has a way with potatoes to help get rid of rust on metal surfaces.  Be prepared though.  Anything left to rot in water is bound to stink!



OK, if that is not your cup of tea, try using your potatoes to propagate wood stem cuttings.

Learn how to do it right from Back Yard Diva.  You can't fail growing something with this method.  If the cuttings failed to take root, most likely the potatoes will.

Discards? Keep them for decor.

It is alright to run out of ideas on how you can refresh your home decor because French designer, Pierre Lota of LOTA DESIGN is willing to share some of his decorating trick.



So, now you know.  When you plan to redecorate your home just do what Pierre is doing and don't run out of discards.

Displayed! Trashy art.

What would you expect to see displayed at international airports?  At the San Francisco International Airport Terminal 3 they are showcasing trash.  Before you huff and puff off the notion of visiting such an exhibition, look at what Recology Artist in residence have done with them.

The show is over. What now?

The show is over.  What now?  

If you can think like artist, Matthew Mazzotta , you will be able to fold up your theatre neatly back into a house.  How?  Let’s take a look at what Open House, a transforming theater that can seat 100 people, is all about.

It is obvious that instead of complaining that old abandoned property is an eyesore and blighted the look in their neighbourhood, the residents of York in Alabama have taken charge and make merry in a very environmentally friendly way by re-using material from them.

Architect, Shigeru Ban? Why trust him?

I wrote about the cardboard Cathedral in Christchurch, created by Japanese architect, Shigeru Ban, as a "temporary replacement" for the one damaged during the earthquake of February 2011.

Want to know what Shigeru Ban did to gain confidence in the statutory authority involved to consider allowing him to use cardboard tubes as construction material for the Cathedral?  Just take a look at some of the past projects he shared during his talk at TED.

The eyesore? Can raise funds.

Large discarded items are often left uncollected for a period of time.  This is in view that the municipal council have a schedule for collecting them which are often missed.  If you are living in Kajang and you would like to complain about the eyesore, you can find the list of contractors engaged by MPKj to collect them at their link to SENARAI KONTRAKTOR SAMPAH MENGIKUT ZON MPKj.

Then take a look at the list of items that can be recycled by Community Recycle for Charity (CRC) or Pertubuhan Kebajikan Masyarakat Melalui Kitar Semula (PKMMKS) for raising fund to run  charity homes or school projects.

They will send their workers to your place to collect large items, such as, furniture, electrical items, etc. Just give them a call:

Community Recycle for Charity (CRC) or 
Pertubuhan Kebajikan Masyarakat Melalui Kitar Semula (PKMMKS) 
017-3638 100 
10am to 6.00pm 
Monday to Saturday or 
email: community@crcbox.com.my

You can also go one step further by allowing CRC (Ren Ren) to allocate a recycle bin by contacting or writing to the Management Office at:

Community Recycle for Charity (CRC)
47-1, Jalan 5/2, Taman Sg. Besi Indah 
43300 Balakong, Selangor 
Tel: 03 – 8941 5959 
Fax: 03 – 8941 1959 
Email: community@crcbox.com.my 
www.crcbox.org 
www.crcbox.com.my 

What do they do with the items collected?  The items will be refurbished and sold at very affordable prices if they are not required by the charity homes.  

I think that recycling is a great way to raise funds for the projects they support, don't you? 

New look? Let's start from old.

Spring cleaning?  Take a look at what Pablo Fernández can do with the stuff you are likely going to throw out of your house.



Decision made?  Still throwing them?  Before you do, make an online search for "unwanted items pick up" to see if there are any charitable group that could make good use of them.   

Happy thoughtful cleaning. 

Cardboard Cathedral possible? Yes!

Let's build a Cathedral out of cardboard?  Not a miniature to play with but one to worship in?  Sounds cool but are you kidding me?   No, it's not a joke and Japanese architect, Shigeru Ban, made it possible with some shipping containers and ninety-eight cardboard tubes for decoration with timber beams inside to hold the load.

Why do that?  Do you remember the earthquake of February 2011 that struck the South Island of New Zealand? Its historic Anglican Cathedral in Christchurch was damaged.

Well, the so called "temporary replacement" which can last 50 years is finally completed.  And here is how it looks like.  Beautiful.

I picked this up from Gizmag.  It makes you wonder what else have been created with cardboard that are commercially viable, doesn't it?  OK, let's take a look then.



And if you think that it would be too difficult to do your own cardboard furniture, you just have to check out this video by Industrial Designer, Adrian Candela, where he shared why and how his cardboard furniture was created with easy to follow instruction, Ikea style.



Do a search on YouTube for "cardboard furniture" and you will find many more of such creations to inspire you.

Pots? Broken to perfection!

I have been doing some spring cleaning and have decided that some of the odd bits and pieces of toys that got separated from the main sets, most of which have been given away, have to go.  Dumping them is no easy task though.  Just think about the years of attachment my children have hanging on to  (hiding) them.

Maybe we should start a project together so that we can incorporate these toys into our "work".  My son shared an idea with me this morning when he showed me some photos of miniature gardens grown in broken pots.

I did a search and found the same photos posted at Ella and it was one of the ideas they found on Different Solutions. 

Will it be easy to recreate?  There are some free tutorials to check out at The Garden Diaries, About Miniatures, BuckEye Gardening and some videos to watch at Miniature Garden Shoppe to decide on what to grow.

OK, children, you can keep the toys but before you start breaking any of my pots, lets go find some broken ones from the parks nearby.

Let'us get to the park before anyone start burning the cuttings thrown at the park.

A new look? Use reclaimed material!

Americans!  The next time you want to renovate your home, maybe you should run through what you intend to discard with PlanetReuse Marketplace as they maybe looking for that very material for their next building project. In fact, it is very likely too that you can find some stuff in their warehouse to re-use for your renovation

And if you think that it is not cool to utilize used items in your "upgrading" project, maybe taking a look at how used items are utilized at Pinterest can change your mind.  Also, there is Dan Phillips, an American designer and builder from Texas who can give you some ideas on how to incorporate reclaimed material into your home.

A company that sells reclaimed building items?  Can they be trusted?  PlanetReuse Marketplace did make it on WSJ Start Up of the Year List for 2013, if that is of any assurance to you.

Free course: Energy, the Environment and Our Future

Learn without limits at Coursera.

It offer courses online for anyone to take, for free and you can learn in the language you are comfortable with.

I picked this up from Nancy Meyer who will be attending an 8 weeks long course by Dr. Richard B. Alley on Energy, the Environment and Our Future.  Who is Dr. Richard B. Alley?  Is he an authority in this subject?  You decide.



What will he be sharing?  This is the Course Syllabus which is subject to change before course begins.

●    Lesson 1. Sustainability: Why Energy Matters (and Money)
●    Lesson 2. What is Energy—Units and Such; What we use, and how much good it does
●    Lesson 3. Oil, Coal and Natural Gas, Drilling and Fracking and Reserves
●    Lesson 4. Global Warming I—Physics
●    Lesson 5. Global Warming II—History  and Impacts
●    Lesson 6. Options: Solar, Wind
●    Lesson 7. Options: Geothermal, Waves, Tides, Nukes
●    Lesson 8. Options: Conservation
●    Lesson 9. Options: Geo-Engineering
●    Lesson 10. Economics
●    Lesson 11. Policy Options
●    Lesson 12. Ethical issues

Students who successfully complete the class will receive a Statement of Accomplishment signed by the Dr. Richard B. Alley.

Happy learning and making this world a better place to live in.

See plastic? Akinori Ito sees oil.

I wrote about the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch" where a vast quantities of plastic and marine debris have been drawn towards the swirling vortex of ocean currents.

Is anyone doing something about it?  I know that Jose Luis Gutierrez-Garcia is, through Upcycle the Gyres and they are seeking funds to get it moving. 



You heard it right!  They are going to invest in a desk top machine that will turn plastic waste into oil.  Wow!  Is that possible or just an idea to work on?

Take a look at Blest, an invention by Japanese, Akinori Ito, and you will know that this is not a pipe dream.



Good luck, Jose.

A kitchen island for free? Pallet possible.

Looking to get yourself an island for your kitchen?  Before you head off to the shops to find one, check this eco and rustic looking island out and see if you can try making it yourself.



Yes, you saw it right.  Spanish designers, Alessandra Samson and Paco Serinelli from Anatomica Design, had figured out how to built their very own Paletina out of wooden pallets.

So, how many pieces of reclaimed wooden pallet would you need to give that a go?  Here are the numbers:

6 pallets 120 x 80cm (47 x 31.5 inch)
3 pallets American type 100 x 120cm (39.5 x 47 inch)
1 pallet 60 x 80cm (23.6 x 31.5 inch)
1 pallet American type from 130 x 110 cm (51 x 43 inch)
1 pallet 100 x 80 cm (39.5 x 31.5 inch)

To complete the look and make it functional, you will also need:

1 laminated glass sheet
1 stove top
1 oven
1 kitchen sink

While it is cool and environmental friendly to use reclaimed wooden pallet, remember to pop by GreenUpgrader for some hints on how to tell if your collection of pallet is safe for upcycling.

I picked all this up from Gizmag.

Lego, the printer wannabe?

Matthew Krueger make it possible for his Lego bit and pieces to be transformed into...

...LEGObot, the working 3D printer.

 

What's green about LEGObot is that it is made up of everything that Matthew already has on hand.

So, now you know. You can never outgrow that Lego connections and there is always a second life for everything you have, if you put your mind to it.

Shelves to sit on? Buy!

Shelves that you can carry around, sit on, is fashionably modular to last and 100 percent recyclable.  A green project at Indiegogo worth looking into.

Playing with Earth

If you want to start something, you just have to make the first move and inspire others to join you.  Here is a video Derek Sivers shared to prove his point during his talk at TED.



I am inspired to start a conversation with you.  I am playing with letters picked out from the word "EARTH" and I realised that there is a story to share.

What do you see on "earth" as in your "heart"?
Lend a "ear"
"Hear" me
Feel the "heat"?
"Hate" that?

On "earth" there is "heart"
Be that "heart" for the "earth"
The "art" to loving is in your "heart"
"Rate" it!
See the "tear"?
Moved?

I hope I can move you to take similar action.  Just remember that we can play with words but not our EARTH.

Cardboard? Light it up.

Cardboard.  A great packing material.  Though can be recycled, usually discarded .  Left in the bin and damaged by rain. Can't anyone see the value in it?

Vicara did with the creation of Cartonado lamp.  See the light.

VICARA from VICARA on Vimeo.

Be inspired.

Batteries? Not required to light up.

Best kept warm to enlighten.  It's not me I am talking about.  It's the "Hollow Flashlight", an invention by a 15 years old Canadian high school student, Ann Makosinski, that lighted up by the warmth of  her hand holding it.

Here is a video of her talking about her submission of the "Hollow Flashlight" for the Google Science Fair.



No batteries required?  Definitely, the torchlight of the future to have.

Help! Cut less trees.

What have wheat straws got to do with paper?  Saving them is a step forward solution to using 80% less trees in the production of paper.  So, ask for "Step Forward" paper if you can get them.

I picked this up from Woody Harrelson, the guy I watched playing bartender on "Cheers".



Cheers, Woody.

Beyond your budget? It's time for change!

Yes, it is time for change if the house of your dream is beyond your budget.  How?  Dan Phillips, an American designer and builder from Texas can give you some ideas.  See what he can build on a low budget through his construction company Phoenix Commotion.

Vinyl records? Vinylized for good.

I remember the good old days when my father used to play his vinyl records on his turntable, set in a huge wooden box.  That was a very popular way to listen to music until the 1980s when the compact disc (CD) players came into the market.

CD became a popular way to record music as the quality of sound playing from one is better.  And, as there is less possibility of scratches on the surface to affect the sound, some owners of vinyl records have their favourite oldies saved on disc.  

So, what happens to all those vinyl records that are no longer in use?  Why bother to know?

Vinyl records are made out of polyvinyl chloride, commonly abbreviated as PVC.  It requires hazardous chemicals in its production.  If discarded vinyl records end up in landfills, the additives used in its process can leach into the ground to reach groundwater.  We can't be burning them in incinerator either.  Dioxin released from that process can travel on air currents and is carcinogenic to any breathing life form.

Tipton Eyeworks has a solution.  They are vinylizing to create their eyewear.  And if you are wondering how they go about doing that, watch this video.

A reason to stay slim and green.

Forward! Let's charge! Not with bow and arrows, please.

Just with SolePower insoles placed in your shoes, you can start charging a battery fastened around your ankle or to the top of your shoe just by walking around.

 How far must you go to fully charge the battery for, let's say, an iPhone? Currently, a two-and-a-half to five miles (4-8km) walk will do, which designers, Tom Krupenkin and J. Ashley Taylor, hope to bring down to the minimum distance.

Cool. That sounds like a gadget that will allow shopaholics to proudly say that they have been out charging all day.

For the heavy users, which I mean here, as being overweight; if this gadget starts selling, it will provide a good reason for them to reduce some weight as it can only accommodate users of up to 350 lb (159 kg).

Back Tom and Ashley up at KickStarter if you want this gadget.

 

I like the idea that there is a "buy one pair, send one free" programme for those in need living in a 3rd world country.

Trash to play with

The kids of Cateura live in homes built on slum. So, how could they possibly consider starting an orchestra if they can't afford the musical instrument required? If you think that they are hopeless dreamers, then you ought to check out what they have achieved at Landfill Harmonic. They have created music with trash. What can you create with yours?

Slim and well adorned? Clear them out!

Slim and well adorned.

That's what they are always eyeing.  To them the next one is always better with a lot more to play with! When will they stop groping for the next one that comes along?

Yeap!  Mobile phones! The latest model wins hands down again.

So, what did you do with the older models?

How about selling and donating part of the payment to a charitable organization?  Mark Bowles makes it possible for Americans to do just that with his ecoATM, as long as they are willing to have their license and thumb print scanned.  A great way to verify ownership and prevent sales of stolen mobile phones.

So, what do they do with the gadgets collected by ecoATM?  75 percent of the devices are sold to refurbishers while the rest go to e-waste recyclers.  What a great way to reduce e-waste and re-use what are still applicable.

OK, let's check out what this machine, which won the Popular Science's , “The Best of What’s New Award" in 2010, is all about.

Wood you be inspired?

Watch this video and see if you wood be inspired to create your own furniture.



Need more ideas? Then pop by Johan Bicycle Centre in Kajang to pick up some other designs using the same principal.

 

Plastic waste? An issue to sit on.

Plastic bottle waste is going to be an issue of the past if we can keep coming up with ideas to utilize them.  Here is one from Studio Nuy van Noort to sit on and start thinking.

Be a Green Philanthropist? How?

You want to be a green philanthropist but don’t know how to go about it?  Then, try doing this.

1) Look around to see if you can find any mechanical or industrial equipment that have gone obsolete and could end up at a dump site.

2) Do some creative thinking to see if there are any parts and components that you can salvage to create something out of the ordinary.

3) Selling this eco creation will make you “green” but don’t stop there.  Gain yourself that “Green Philanthropist” title by encouraging your potential buyers to consider donating a sum for a cause you support towards owning it.

Don’t think that will work?

Then you obviously have not heard about Tim Zemanovic, the CEO of Aircraft Demolition, LLC.

Take a look at the High Top Table that his company created from components of aircraft engines.  How cool is that?

This is what he will be offering the highest bidder during the MRO Americas 2013 event in Atlanta, GA.  The money received will go towards the Aviation Student Scholarship Fund that they have set up.

You can check out this eco creation at their booth #1919.  Note that the bidding closes at 11am EST on 18 April, 2013.

Good luck in your bid.

Way to go, Tim.

Need an egg separator?

Can't find that gadget to remove the egg yolks from the whites when you need it? Don't get frustrated. And don't bother putting "egg separator" on your shopping list, ever.

 Just look around for an empty 500ml mineral water plastic bottle and watch this egg separation trick.

 

This could be a Guinness World of Records trick in the making.

 

Old cars? Bicycled!

"Bicycled"! No typo error here. That is a new word I picked up today because that is the way Lola Madrid named bikes made out of cars found at the junkyard. Teachers, take note, "bicycled" is now acceptable in and out of class.

Skip your way to power

While we can't fly up, up, up and away like Superman, there is a way for us to skip, skip, skip our way into power; battery power, that is.

Check out Kyung Guk Lee's "E-Rope", a skipping rope innovation that can work to fully recharge four batteries while you skip and burn off some fat.  20 minutes is all it takes to change the LED lights on the side of the skipping rope handle from red to blue to indicate that you have fully charge  the batteries.



Let's skip, skip, skip our way into power!

See $ in coconut shells?

What can one do with dehusked coconut shells in Asian countries, where the consumption of coconut flesh and its milk is high?

Iyan has an idea.  He processed them to sell.  Take a look at the end product.

Want to make a guess as to what Iyan's staff  are making out of the otherwise discarded husk?

Did you get it right?  These are COCONUT SHELL CHARCOAL!

Iyan is definitely creating abundance ($) from the abandoned by selling them as Coconut Cocolabrico!

What other green ventures is Iyan into?  I will let you know in the next posting.

Broken plastic toy? Print it!

The best toy you can buy your kids is a Filabot 3D Printer.  With it, your kids will be picking up plastics waste so that they can create their own toys.  Don't like what they created?  Never mind, put it back into the Filabot to recreate.  What a great way to explore their creativity.

And no more tears or complaints that a younger sibling has broken yet another favourite plastic toy.  Go print it out, kids.  How?

Let's see.

Sugar's sweet. So are batteries?

No kidding.  Sugar is sweet and so are bio-batteries powered by sugar.  A battery with sugar in content?  Obviously not toxic but is it rechargeable?  Let's see.



Yes!  Just add sugar.

If roads can talk...

If roads can talk, I would expect them to hope that they could one day be like Cermak Road in Chicago. Why? See for yourself.  
Wake up! Road can't talk but we can. Let 's talk about seeing green streets in our country.

This presentation will give you an idea of what we can talk about.

Going Green Begins By Thinking Blue: Rainwater Strategies for Cermak Road from Center for Neighborhood Technology