Daylit studio and courtyard breathe new life into a 1940s house in Seattle

A daylit new studio and Chinese-inspired courtyard maximize the potentials of an existing residence in Seattle. Wittman Estes Architecture + Landscape designed the project, called Grasshopper Studio and Courtyard, to encourage flexibility and create a beautiful outdoor space filled with greenery. The project is located on a rectangular parcel with an existing house built in the 1940s. It comprises a multi-functional studio space at the rear of the property, and a sunken courtyard and provides...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/daylit-studio-and-courtyard-breathe-new-life-into-a-1940s-house-in-seattle
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For the first time ever, all villages in India have electricity

For the first time ever, every single inhabited village in India has electricity. There are nearly 600,000 villages in the country, and in August of 2015, Prime Minister Modi promised that they would all be connected to power within 1,000 days. Leisang village was connected to India's power grid last Saturday, completing that promise. https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/990456201296142336 Leisang in Manipur was connected to India's main power grid, but some villages have relied on...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/for-the-first-time-ever-all-villages-in-india-have-electricity
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Germany just approved 1,610 megawatts of offshore wind power

Offshore wind power could provide more electricity for Germany — to the tune of 1,610 megawatts (MW). The country recently granted six offshore wind power projects licenses for construction. The wind energy parks, according to Reuters, will be able to produce as much power as one big nuclear energy plant or two large gas- or coal-fired stations.

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/germany-just-approved-1610-megawatts-of-offshore-wind-power
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Brooklyn SolarWorks can turn almost any rooftop into a sun-powered oasis

Brooklyn SolarWorks is all about helping New Yorkers get solar power installed — and one of their products, the Solar Canopy offers solar in spots where solar panels might not be able to be placed due to fire codes. They recently released stunning renderings that paint a picture of just what solar in the city could look like. Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/brooklyn-solarworks-can-turn-almost-any-rooftop-into-a-sun-powered-oasis
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Unreleased internal FDA emails show glyphosate weedkiller residue in almost every food tested

For the past two years, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been testing food samples for the weedkiller glyphosate, but the agency hasn't released any results of their findings. This week, the Guardian, using a freedom of information request, found that the FDA has had "trouble finding any food that does not carry traces of the pesticide." Internal FDA documents show that scientists have found traces of glyphosate in a wide variety of foods. “I have brought wheat crackers, granola...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/unreleased-internal-fda-emails-show-glyphosate-weedkiller-residue-in-almost-every-food-tested
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Thousands of California 'hipster succulents' are being stolen in plant poaching crisis

The dudleya, a succulent native in California, has become a symbol of hipster lifestyle, according to The Guardian. But now so-called plant poachers are stealing the succulent by the thousands, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife has made five busts this year alone. Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/thousands-of-california-hipster-succulents-are-being-stolen-in-plant-poaching-crisis
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These colorful hexagonal wall tiles are made from sound-absorbing "wood wool"

Fresh from the scene of Stockholm Design Week, these colorful hexagonal wall tiles by Form Us With Love strike a brilliant balance between sustainable materials, economy and functionality. The modular tiles are available in a variety of different colors and

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/colorful-hexagonal-wall-tiles-made-from-sound-absorbing-wood-wool
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An adventurer just journeyed into Americas largest national park - and here's what he found

The largest national park in America is one few have ever heard of, and even fewer have visited. Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve encompasses 13.2 million acres of glaciers and forests in the southeast of Alaska. Mark Jenkins, writer-in-residence at the University of Wyoming, decided to journey into the big unknown of the park's landscape for Smithsonian magazine to capture what it looks like today, knowing that in 10 years, it would look entirely different thanks to climate change....

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/an-adventurer-just-journeyed-into-americas-largest-national-park-and-heres-what-he-found
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The world's tallest active geyser in Yellowstone keeps erupting - and scientists don't know why

Something strange is happening at Yellowstone's Steamboat Geyser - and scientists can't explain why. Steamboat Geyser is one of the world's tallest, shooting up to 300 feet in the air. But over the past six weeks, the geyser has erupted three times, which is unusual. Scientists are baffled as to why the geyser has suddenly become so active, but don't panic, they don't believe it is an indication that Yellowstone's supervolcano is getting ready to erupt. The last time Steamboat Geyser was this...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/the-worlds-tallest-active-geyser-in-yellowstone-keeps-erupting-and-scientists-dont-know-why
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This all-weather bicycle highway could fulfill the dreams of bike commuters everywhere

Architect Richard Moreta has unveiled MINILOOP, an enclosed cycleway that, if built, would be a dream come true for bicycle commuters. Envisioned as the “ideal zero-emission transportation system,” the MINILOOP circuit is designed to harness renewable energy and supply excess power to the local city grid. Geared to satisfy even the most fair-weather cyclist, the cycleway would be enclosed in a weather-resistant elevated pipeline system and cater to bicycles and electric bicycles. Inspired...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/this-all-weather-bicycle-highway-could-fulfill-the-dreams-of-bike-commuters-everywhere
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Undulating green-roofed aquarium proposed for Viennas Schnbrunn Zoo

3XN and GERNER GERNER PLUS recently revealed their proposal for the design of a new aquarium for Vienna’s Schönbrunn Zoo. Titled “Poseidon’s Realm,” the proposed aquarium stretches across the landscape like an undulating “veil” that the architects describe as “elegant, simple and mysterious.” The green-roofed design received second place in an international design competition for the aquarium, with the winner yet to be announced. Created in collaboration with aquarium...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/undulating-green-roofed-aquarium-proposed-for-viennas-schonbrunn-zoo
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Pyramidal floating buildings envisioned for a self-sustaining city on the sea

As the world’s first floating city draws closer to completion, designers like Pierpaolo Lazzarini have begun drawing up their own utopian sea-based societies as well. The Italian designer recently unveiled plans for Wayaland, a floating self-sustainable community comprising solar- and wind- powered pyramidal buildings. Lazzarini hopes to turn the futuristic scheme into reality with a crowdfunding campaign that offers people the chance to stay in a yet-to-be-completed floating module for €1,000...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/pyramidal-floating-buildings-envisioned-for-a-self-sustaining-city-on-the-sea
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The Fire Prevention Skyscraper brings sustainable housing to areas affected by forest fires

This modular skyscraper aims to reintroduce sustainable housing and restore the biodiversity lost during large forest fires that swept through south-central Chile in the last couple of years. Architect Claudio C. Araya Arias designed Waria Lemuy– the Fire Prevention Skyscraper– as a modular system that can grow incrementally and mitigate future catastrophes. The project won third place in this year’s eVolo Skyscraper Competition, which calls for innovative proposals that push the...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/the-fire-prevention-skyscraper-brings-sustainable-housing-to-areas-affected-by-forest-fires
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You can relax: A man in China did not just discover the world's largest mosquito

If you think getting bit by your average mosquito is irritating, imagine being stabbed by one with a wingspan longer than your hands. Insect expert Zhao Li claims to have caught the world's biggest mosquito, with a four and a half inch wingspan - 10 times longer than your average backyard sucker. Zhoa Li is famous for discovering the longest insect in the world - a two foot long megastick insect found in China. Now he is breaking records again. Li identified the world's largest mosquito in...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/you-can-relax-a-man-in-china-did-not-just-discover-the-worlds-largest-mosquito
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The Earth-like planets orbiting this star could hold 250 times more water than Earth

Recent research has suggested that the seven Earth-sized planets that orbit the dwarf star TRAPPIST-1 are composed mostly of rock while a few may be capable of carrying more water then our own planet. Through the European Union-funded SPECULOOS project, scientists have been able to focus on the planets of TRAPPIST-1, discovered only about a year ago and less than 40 light years away, as they search for life on other planets. "In the temperate – and potentially habitable – Earth-size...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/the-earth-like-planets-orbiting-this-star-could-hold-250-times-more-water-than-earth
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Fairytale-like Gingerbread House hits the market for $2.2M

If you’ve ever wanted to live in a fairytale-like haven, prepare to fall in love with this charming estate that’s just hit the market in Massachusetts. Set on nearly four acres in the town of Tyringham in the Berkshires, Santarella includes four structures modeled after rural British architecture with charming features like timber-clad silos, oversized thatching, and lush landscaped gardens. Henry Hudson Kitson, an English sculptor known for his various Civil War memorials previously...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/fairytale-like-gingerbread-house-hits-the-market-for-2-2m
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EU approves complete ban on bee-killing insecticides

In a monumental decision that has been years in the making, all member nations of the European Union have approved the total ban of neonicotinoids, the most widely used insecticide in the world and well-documented danger to bees and other pollinators. The ban is expected to begin by the end of this year, though the use of the insecticide will still be allowed in greenhouses. The rapidly declining population of pollinator species in recent years has in part been due to the widespread use of harmful...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/eu-approves-complete-ban-on-bee-killing-insecticides
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Breakthrough polymer could lead to 'infinitely' recyclable plastics

Even though we're aware of the environmentally damaging effects of plastic, many people still use the material because it's long-lasting, convenient, and inexpensive. Colorado State University scientists just made a breakthrough that could allow materials to possess those qualities but be completely recyclable. They discovered a new polymer that can be infinitely recycled without intensive procedures in a laboratory or using toxic chemicals. Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/breakthrough-polymer-could-lead-to-infinitely-recyclable-plastics
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Bill Gates-backed startup will give you real-time video of nearly anywhere on Earth

Start-up EarthNow is promoting its proposed service of offering real-time video, taken from space, of any point on our planet. Backed by such high-profile supporters as Bill Gates and Airbus, EarthNow promises to boldly go where no one has gone before through a proposed "constellation" of satellites that will offer clients their pick of locations and angles from which to capture real-time video of Earth. EarthNow promises the delivery of video with only a one-second delay, without the need to wait...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/bill-gates-backed-startup-will-give-you-real-time-video-of-nearly-anywhere-on-earth
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World's fastest electric car charger offers 120-mile range in 8 minutes

Electric vehicle (EV) charging equipment is surging forward — maybe faster than the cars it's supposed to fill up. ABB recently launched their Terra High Power charger, which provides a stunning 120 miles in eight minutes, but New Atlas pointed out many EVs can't yet handle the 350 kilowatts at which this fast charger operates. Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/worlds-fastest-electric-car-charger-offers-120-mile-range-in-8-minutes
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This charming old-fashioned caravan tiny house is 100% self sustaining

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from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/this-charming-old-fashioned-caravan-tiny-house-is-100-self-sustaining
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Vertical village built almost entirely of wood to rise in Paris

Sou Fujimoto, Nicolas Laisné and Dimitri Roussel have won a design competition to design a striking new mixed-use development as a counterpoint to Paris’ urban sprawl. Titled “Vertical Village,” the 164-foot-tall tower will serve as a “new gateway” to the east suburb Rosny-sous-Bois and be built almost entirely of timber. The nearly 400-foot-long timber-framed structure will be reinforced with a concrete base and supporting column. Developed by La Compagnie de Phalsbourg...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/vertical-village-built-almost-entirely-of-wood-to-rise-in-paris
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Historic Copenhagen post office transformed into a beautiful mixed-use hub

A historic gem in the heart of Copenhagen has been sensitively revamped to suit the modern needs of the bustling city. Årstiderne Arkitekter transformed the 18th-century former post office, known as Postgården, into a mixed-use hub with retail, showrooms, and offices, with workspaces for 800 people. Located on one of Copenhagen’s busiest shopping streets, Postgården has enjoyed a storied history as not only the first to print Danish stamps in 1851, but also as the post office...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/historic-copenhagen-post-office-transformed-into-a-beautiful-mixed-use-hub
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Vegetarian diets could help avert one-third of early deaths, new research finds

Plant-based diets might be more beneficial than we thought. New calculations from Harvard University scientists revealed one third of early deaths might be avoided if people started eating vegetarian diets. Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/vegetarian-diets-could-help-avert-one-third-of-early-deaths-new-research-finds
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Studio Gangs 40 Tenth Avenue "Solar Carve" tower tops out near NYCs High Line

A commercial building that aims to connect those inside with the natural world recently topped out in New York City. New images reveal progress on the construction of 40 Tenth Avenue, formerly called the Solar Carve Tower, near the city's 1.45-mile High Line park. Designed by Studio Gang, 40 Tenth Avenue features a chiseled shape informed by incident angles of rays of sunlight. The 10-floor, LEED Gold-targeting Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/studio-gangs-40-tenth-avenue-solar-carve-tower-tops-out-near-nycs-high-line
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New research links LED streetlights to increased risk of cancer

Researchers at University of Exeter and the Barcelona Institute for Global Health have concluded that there is a "strong link" between exposure to LED lighting and increased risk of breast and prostate cancer. Specifically, the "blue light" emitted by LEDs seems to affect circadian rhythms and sleeping patterns, which then impacts hormone levels. "Humans have evolved to need light during the day and darkness at night," researcher Alejandro Sánchez de Miguel told The Telegraph. "As towns and cities...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/new-research-links-led-streetlights-to-increased-risk-of-cancer
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11 inspiring designs we loved at Milan Design Week 2018

If you think that you’ve already seen everything in contemporary design, take a look at these 11 findings we spotted at the Milan Design Week 2018. Unexpected use of wood, conscious designers transforming recycling into not only objects but also into a wider educational projects, and technologic lights are among out picks from what Milan had to show us this year. Sila lamp by the Hungarian architect based in Helsinki Zsuzsanna Horvath is an ethereal lighting design emerging from two-dimensional...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/11-inspiring-designs-we-loved-at-milan-design-week-2018
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Elon Musk says he is building a cyborg dragon, btw

If you're running three companies and selling hats and flamethrowers in mystical spare time you somehow seem to have, why wouldn't you then build a cyborg dragon? That sentence could perhaps only apply to Elon Musk — and that's exactly what he said he's doing on Twitter.

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/elon-musk-says-he-is-building-a-cyborg-dragon-btw
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Macron says what Trump won't and urges action on climate change in US Congress

French President Emmanuel Macron has spent the past several days in Washington DC as the special guest of honor for the first State Dinner of the Trump Administration. Despite reportedly sharing a special bond based in part on their shared experience as initially underdog candidates, the two presidents are oceans apart on the issue of climate change, as made clear by Macron's speech to the United States Congress on April 25th. "Some people think that securing current industries and their jobs is...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/macron-says-what-trump-wont-and-urges-action-on-climate-change-in-us-congress
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UK smashes days-old record, goes without coal for 76 hours

Just over a week ago, the United Kingdom set a new record: almost 55 hours without using coal. It didn't take them long to shatter that record. CleanTechnica reported the country just went 76 hours without the polluting fuel — "for the first time since the 1880s," according to a National Grid Twitter account. Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/uk-smashes-days-old-record-goes-without-coal-for-76-hours
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This California gym is powered by people as they work out

https://youtu.be/iBP2BerV0ps Related: + Americas for SportsArt

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/this-california-gym-is-powered-by-people-as-they-work-out
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This alpine tiny house is a beacon for lost hikers in severe weather

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from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/this-alpine-tiny-house-is-a-beacon-for-lost-hikers-in-severe-weather
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New images revealed for Zaha Hadid Architects LEED Platinum-seeking Generali Tower in Milan

Zaha Hadid Architects just revealed new images of their soon-to-be-completed Generali Tower, a twisting glazed landmark in Milan targeting LEED Platinum certification. The sculptural building was created as part of the massive CityLife masterplan that, when completed in 2020, will mark the largest new civic space and public park created in the city since the opening of Parco Sempione 130 years ago. The 44-story Generali Tower, along with two other towers, serves as the centerpiece for CityLife. The...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/new-images-revealed-for-zaha-hadid-architects-leed-platinum-seeking-generali-tower-in-milan
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Pollution Pods let visitors taste pollution from around the world

Air pollution is a silent killer responsible for millions of death worldwide. In a bid to highlight the environmental problem, British artist Michael Pinsky set up five interconnected geodesic domes, dubbed the “pollution pods,” that let passersby sample air quality from five cities around the world including Beijing, São Paulo, Brazil; London; New Delhi; and Norway’s Tautra Island. Created in collaboration with Danish air filtering company Airlabs, the temporary installation popped up for...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/pollution-pods-let-visitors-taste-pollution-from-around-the-world
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Scientists pledge to sequence the DNA of all 1.5 million known species on Earth

An international group of researchers is organizing a massive effort to sequence the DNA of every single one of the 1.5 million species on Earth. The Earth BioGenome project is the largest genome sequencing project ever, and will help scientists understand and protect the plants, animals and fungi that call our planet home. Researchers announced their ambitious plans this week at the World Economic Forum. “Increasing our understanding of Earth’s biodiversity and responsibly stewarding...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/scientists-pledge-to-sequence-the-dna-of-all-1-5-million-known-species-on-earth
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EPA to consider burning wood a 'carbon neutral' energy source

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a new policy earlier this week, which will classify the burning of wood as 'carbon neutral.' EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt unveiled this policy shift to an audience of timber industry leaders in Georgia, who have a vested interest in whether they can market wood-based fuel products as 'green energy.' “Today’s announcement grants America’s foresters much-needed certainty and clarity with respect to the carbon neutrality of forest biomass,”...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/epa-to-consider-burning-wood-a-carbon-neutral-energy-source
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Nearly all new US energy capacity came from solar and wind in early 2018

In the first two months of 2018, wind and solar together constituted ninety eight percent of all new power generation capacity installed in the United States. This positive sign for American renewable energy was documented in the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) latest “Energy Infrastructure Update," which reports that 1,568 megawatts (MW) of wind and 565 MW of solar were installed in January and February of this year. Meanwhile, only 40 MW of natural gas capacity was installed...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/nearly-all-new-us-energy-capacity-came-from-solar-and-wind-in-early-2018
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Arctic sea ice is filled with record levels of microplastics

Even the Arctic can't escape plastic pollution. Scientists gathered ice samples from five distinct regions in the Arctic Ocean, and those samples contained sometimes over 12,000 microplastic particles per liter of ice. They uncovered 17 different kinds of plastic, including paints and packaging. Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/arctic-sea-ice-is-filled-with-record-levels-of-microplastics
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The EPA wants to limit what science can be used for crafting regulations

Just weeks after this year's March for Science, it seems like Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator Scott Pruitt is taking a shot at science — "secret science," in his words. Pruitt recently proposed a rule that would limit the kinds of research the agency could draw on in crafting regulations. Reuters described the move as "an apparent concession to big business" which has angled for the restrictions for a long time. Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/the-epa-wants-to-limit-what-science-can-be-used-for-crafting-regulations
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Shimmering Solar Arch to generate power for a post-industrial Connecticut town

A giant gleaming arch clad in solar panels is set to transform the waterfront of downtown Willimantic. This spectacular energy-generating artwork, called Rio Iluminado, was revealed today as the winner of Land Art Generator Institute’s most recent design competition. Designed by Pirie Associates Architects in collaboration with architect Lindsay Suter and sculptor Gar Waterman, the public artwork is capable of generating 25.5 MWh of clean energy a year for a 3.4-acre remediated brownfield. Developed...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/shimmering-solar-arch-to-generate-power-for-a-post-industrial-connecticut-town
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This whimsical tiny house with its own pizza oven was built for just $15,000

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from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/this-whimsical-tiny-house-with-its-own-pizza-oven-was-built-for-just-15000
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This spiraling sculpture can absorb the emissions of 90,000 cars

This eye-catching “Breath/ng” sculpture by Kengo Kuma is a smog absorbing device designed for smart cities of tomorrow. Its special fabric is capable to absorb the equivalent of 90,000 cars worth of pollution sensibly improving the air quality. The installation is a real scale prototype prompt to make our cities a better more breathable place. Kuma’s “Breath/ng” is made of “The Breath”, a cutting-edge fabric comprised of a nano-molecule activated core which separates and absorbs...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/this-spiraling-sculpture-can-absorb-the-emissions-of-90000-cars
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Tiny alpine cabin rewards mountaineers who reach its stunning yet wild heights

Made mostly from timber and aluminum, the Kanin Winter Cabin is a handsome and modern structure precariously perched on a ledge overlooking stunning views to Triglav, Soca Valley, and the Adriatic Sea. The structure was prefabricated off-site and installed with help from the Slovene Armed Forces helicopter crew in an extremely difficult process that took three tries to complete due to bad weather. The partially cantilevered cabin is carefully placed to minimize impact on the ground and built to withstand...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/tiny-alpine-cabin-rewards-mountaineers-who-reach-its-stunning-yet-wild-heights
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The National Park System just got its first Dark Sky Sanctuary

While there are numerous Dark Sky certified National Parks across the US, for the first time ever, the park system is getting a Dark Sky Sanctuary. The stunning Rainbow Bridge National Monument was just awarded the world's fourth International Dark Sky Sanctuary designation - the first ever for a National Park System site. That means you can enjoy the night sky as our ancestors saw it for eons, without the light pollution that we've all come to know. The International Dark Sky Association...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/the-national-park-system-just-got-its-first-dark-sky-sanctuary
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Maryland just banned the sale of puppies and kittens in pet stores

Maryland is slated to be the second state in America to ban pet stores from selling kittens and puppies, The Washington Post reported. Governor Larry Hogan is to sign legislation in law this week. Animal rights advocates say the move will help cut demand for animals from puppy mills — but pet store owners aren't happy. Following California, Maryland Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/maryland-just-banned-the-sale-of-puppies-and-kittens-in-pet-stores
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Couple restores an old Airstream into a chic tiny home on wheels

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from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/couple-restores-an-old-airstream-into-a-chic-tiny-home-on-wheels
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General Electric to debut world's largest wind turbine in UK

General Electric (GE) has announced that it will begin testing what is currently the world's largest wind turbine at its facilities in Blyth, northeast England. The project received a recent boost when the United States-based General Electric's renewable energy department signed a five-year contract with the British government-funded Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult to begin trials of the 12 megawatt (MW) known as the Haliade-X. “This is an important agreement because it will enable us to prove...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/general-electric-to-debut-worlds-largest-wind-turbine-in-uk
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Cows could one day be the largest land mammals left because of human activity

The world's largest land mammal is the African bush elephant, which can be 13 feet tall and 24 feet long. But this elephant, and giraffes and hippos and other large mammals, could go extinct because of human activity, leaving the domestic cow as the biggest terrestrial mammal in a couple centuries, according to a new study. Researchers scrutinized large mammal extinction as humans spread, and their study is, according to the University of New Mexico, "the first to quantitatively show...that size...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/cows-could-one-day-be-the-largest-land-mammals-left-because-of-human-activity
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California's wild extremes of flooding and drought will only get worse as the planet warms

Between 2011 and 2017, California suffered through one of the worst droughts in its history. As the drought broke in what would be California's wettest winter in a century, extreme flooding caused severe damage and killed several people. In a study recently published in the journal Nature Climate Change, researchers predict that similar patterns of polarized weather will continue to define California's climate well into the 21st century, particularly if greenhouse gas emissions are not immediately...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/californias-wild-extremes-of-flooding-and-drought-will-only-get-worse-as-the-planet-warms
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Governor Cuomo announces a bill to ban single-use plastic bags in New York state

10 cities and towns in New York have already put plastic bag bans in place. Now the state could follow. Governor Andrew Cuomo just introduced a bill to ban single-use plastic bags in the state, where people use 23 million billion of the bags a year. Could New York be the next state to ban plastic bags? Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/new-york-governor-introduces-a-bill-to-ban-single-use-plastic-bags
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5 major ways millennials are changing office culture and design

This is where the gallery goes. 1. Flatter Company Hierarchy and a More Open Office In a literal and a figurative sense, millennials want to flatten-out the average company. Pictures of the quintessential office — cubicles at the bottom and high-powered offices at the top — represent both a physical and a psychological barrier to workplace harmony and productivity. It doesn’t have to be that way. Millennials seem to know this. Employees who’ve had direct interaction with their...

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Outside Van's Powerstation is a rugged yet luxurious tiny home on wheels

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Colorado meth lab transformed into a minimalist artist retreat with rammed earth walls

A former meth lab in North Boulder, Colorado has received a refreshing new lease on life as Swoon Art House, an artist retreat with a beautifully minimalist design. Denver-based tres birds workshop headed the makeover with a careful eye on environmental stewardship, which led to the use of “100% renewable resources” including rammed earth walls and geothermal wells. Created as part of the Swoon/Boulder Museum Contemporary Art International Artists Residency, the 7,000-square-foot...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/colorado-meth-lab-transformed-into-a-minimalist-artist-retreat-with-rammed-earth-walls
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Flint activist and stay-at-home mom wins the Goldman Environmental Prize

A stay-at-home mom of four children just won an award often described as the Nobel Prize for the environment. LeeAnne Walters earned the prize for her work leading a citizens' movement to test tap water in Flint, Michigan to help expose the water crisis — revealing lead levels in water higher than the Environmental Protection Agency's safety threshold in one in six homes. Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/flint-activist-and-stay-at-home-mom-wins-the-goldman-environmental-prize
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Even NASA isn't quite sure how to explain these holes in the Arctic Sea's ice

Do you know what the holes in the sea ice pictured above are? If so, let NASA know. They posted the image snapped over the Beaufort Sea on their Earth Matters blog as their April 2018 Puzzler — but even they aren't quite sure about the answer, although they ventured a few ideas. Related: The first salty lakes discovered in the Arctic could hold the key to finding alien life

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/even-nasa-isnt-quite-sure-how-to-explain-these-holes-in-the-arctic-seas-ice
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This pop-up bar made from a recycled shipping container brings the party to you

To prove the versatility of its new pop-up bar made out of a recycled shipping container, Canadian prefab home builder Honomobo transported one of the structures up the snow-covered hills of Fortress Mountain in the Canadian Rockies. The Honomobo team spent the day on the mountain and used Honomobar to have a quick drink, relax, play games and enjoy breathtaking views of the snow-covered peaks. The Honomobo can function as a modular, easy-to-transport respite for skiers and snowboarders. It can...

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This great ape was discovered 6 months ago and it's already threatened by a dam

The Tapanuli orangutan, the world's latest great ape discovered only last year, is already under threat of extinction from human development. Native to northern Sumatra, only 800 Tapanuli orangutans live in the wild today. Despite the importance of their discovery, state-run Chinese company Sinohydro has plans to construct a dam, a project which will result in the deforestation of the orangutan's habitat. If completed, the dam could pose an existential danger to the orangutans. “Building the...

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MIT study shows that China's climate policy could "more than pay for itself"

Is China turning the tide on pollution? The country stands to benefit not just environmentally, but financially as well. A new MIT study found if China reduces carbon dioxide emissions by four percent a year, in 2030 they could net around $339 billion in health savings. Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/mit-study-shows-that-chinas-climate-policy-could-more-than-pay-for-itself
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Michael Bloomberg pledges $4.5 million to fund the Paris climate agreement

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has pledged to personally cover the bill for the United States, offering to pay  the $4.5 million that the US is obligated to contribute as part of the Paris Climate Agreement. In doing so, Bloomberg, a wealthy New Yorker, is picking up the slack for another wealthy New York, the one in the White House, who dramatically withdrew the United States from the Paris agreement in 2017. “America made a commitment and as an American, if the government’s...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/michael-bloomberg-pledges-4-5-million-to-fund-the-paris-climate-agreement
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The United States' first Passive Plus House generates nearly all the energy it needs

Baxt Ingui Architects refurbished a beautiful brownstone in Brooklyn into the first Passive Plus House in the United States. Located in Carroll Gardens, 78 Third Place features an impressive array of cutting-edge renewable technologies wrapped in a thoughtful renovation that preserves the original home’s historic character. The remodeled home saves 80 to 90 percent of the energy needed to heat and cool the building and reaches near net-zero energy consumption. Originally built in...

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The Ocean Cleanup is about to send a giant plastic collector to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch

The Ocean Cleanup is making progress on their first Great Pacific Garbage Patch cleanup system, and shared images of the assembly at their Alameda Yard headquarters, the site of a former naval station near San Francisco. The plastic-scooping system could launch this summer. Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/the-ocean-cleanup-is-about-to-send-a-giant-plastic-collector-to-the-great-pacific-garbage-patch
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6 fun, meaningful ways to celebrate Earth Day!

1. Don't Drive I know, I know. At face value, this doesn't sound like much fun at all. But that's only because you've forgotten how awesome the alternatives can be. Give your car the day off this Earth Day. Plan to get to work, school, and happy hour using

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This new 3D-printed house was built by a portable robot in just 48 hours

There are a lot of 3D printed houses popping up these days, but this is the first time an architect with the renown of Massimiliano Locatelli of CLS Architetti and Arup has tackled one. The 1076 square foot house was built out of a special quick-drying mortar and was constructed in just 48 hours. Locatelli envisions 3D printing as the housing of the future - and his house could be constructed anywhere. "Even the moon." 3D Housing 05 was built on-site by a portable robot as a way to show how...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/this-new-3d-printed-house-was-built-by-a-portable-robot-in-just-48-hours
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Apple's new recycling robot can disassemble 200 iPhones in a single hour

In an effort to develop a more sustainable production system, Apple has invented a robot named Daisy, which is capable of deconstructing old iPhones and recovering usable parts for new devices.%

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Trump official delays protection of endangered species at oil lobbyist's request

A top United States Department of the Interior official appears to have used his position to delay the protection of the endangered Texas hornshell mussel at the request of oil industry lobbying groups. According to exclusive reporting by the Guardian based on acquired documents, Interior official Vincent deVito seems to have acquiesced to a 2017 e-mail correspondence with the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) asking that the mussel not be placed under protection for six months...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/trump-official-delays-protection-of-endangered-species-at-oil-lobbyists-request
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Bottlenose dolphins spotted in Canadian Pacific waters for the first time

Bottlenose dolphins tend to reside in warm, temperate waters — but researchers recently glimpsed a group of around 200 of the dolphins and around 70 false killer whales off northern Vancouver Island's west coast in Canada. They said this sighting is "the only occurrence of common bottlenose dolphins recorded in Canadian Pacific waters" — and a warming trend could be to blame. Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/bottlenose-dolphins-spotted-in-canadian-pacific-waters-for-the-first-time
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Clothing made from recycled water bottles highlights the ongoing crisis in Flint

A new fashion exhibit in Queens underscores the ongoing water-contamination crisis in Flint, Michigan.

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This fine-dining chef transforms food waste into creative gourmet dishes

Around one third of food produced in America is trashed. But Tim Ma, a former electrical engineer turned chef, incorporates food scraps others might throw out, like kale stalks or carrot peels, into dishes at his Washington, D.C. restaurant. Ma told NPR, "I'm in this fine-dining world, but I spend a lot of time going through my garbage."

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/this-fine-dining-chef-transforms-food-waste-into-creative-gourmet-dishes
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Evaporative off-grid toilets don't need plumbing, water or electricity

2.6 billion people around the planet don't have access to safe toilets. Not only does this lack impact health, but empowerment as well: women and girls "face high rates of violence when they don't have access to safe and dignified sanitation," according to protein biochemist and entrepreneur Diana Yousef, CEO of change:WATER Labs. She's working on a solution: a portable, self-flushing toilet. Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/evaporative-off-grid-toilets-dont-need-plumbing-water-or-electricity
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The Cornelia tiny house is a peaceful writer's studio built with reclaimed wood

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How Earth Day began and how it helps the planet

Earth Day is April 22nd, and to get prepared for the big day, here are a few Earth Day facts that you may not know. Founded by United States Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in, the first ever Earth Day was held on April 22nd, 1970. Day

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/fascinating-earth-day-facts-that-you-may-not-know
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Lyft is making all their rides carbon neutral

Lyft will invest millions of dollars to offset their carbon emissions. Co-founders John Zimmer and Logan Green said in a blog post the ridesharing company will become "one of the world's largest voluntary purchasers of carbon offsets" as they make all their trips carbon neutral. The co-founders said while in the future, all cars will be cleanly powered, climate change isn't waiting, so they're taking action.

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/lyft-is-making-all-their-rides-carbon-neutral
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There's a California fault far more dangerous than San Andreas - and it's ready to go off

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Finland's two-year universal basic income experiment is coming to an end

The Finnish government is planning to conclude its much-touted universal basic income experiment at the end of the original two-year study period rather than extend it, and has shown signs that it may be moving in a different direction. "Right now, the government is making changes that are taking the system further away from a basic income,” Kela researcher Miska Simanainen told Svenska Dagbladet. Since early 2017, 2,000 unemployed Finns between the ages of 25 and 58 have been receiving an unconditional...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/finlands-two-year-universal-basic-income-experiment-is-coming-to-an-end
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This amazing underwater hotel room lets you sleep while surrounded by marine life

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The UK just went for a record 55 hours without using coal

Renewables are winning out all around the world, and the United Kingdom just set a record: 55 hours sans coal. Bloomberg reported power plants in the UK went from 10:25 PM on Monday to 5:10 AM on Thursday without utilizing coal for power generation.

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/the-uk-just-went-for-a-record-55-hours-without-using-coal
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These robots assembled an IKEA chair in 20 minutes without having a meltdown

Swedish-founded, Dutch-based IKEA has made a name for itself as a purveyor of relatively affordable, relatively easily assembled furniture. If you are one of the many humans that still struggle to piece it all together, don't despair: the robots are coming. In a study recently published in Science Robotics, scientists created two robots that are capable of performing the complex movements and possess the planning skills necessary to construct an IKEA chair. The robots are able to assembly a chair...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/these-robots-assembled-an-ikea-chair-in-20-minutes-without-having-a-meltdown
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Solar outshined all fossil-fuels sources combined in 2017

An all-time record of 98 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy capacity was installed worldwide in 2017, according to a new report from the United Nations (UN). Nearly half of that solar capacity was installed in China, which also installed 157 GW of renewable energy overall in 2017. The net new capacity from fossil fuels was only 70W in 2017. “We are at a turning point ... from fossil fuels to the renewable world,” UN Environemtn head Erik Solheim told Reuters. “The markets are there and renewables...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/solar-outshined-all-fossil-fuels-sources-combined-in-2017
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UK plans to ban the sales of plastic straws to tackle ocean plastic pollution

8.5 billion plastic straws are tossed out in the United Kingdom every year, according to a recent study cited by the office of prime minister Theresa May. The government plans to take action: end sales of plastic-stemmed cotton buds and plastic drink stirrers and straws. Related: Queen of England bans plastic bottles and straws at royal estates

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/uk-plans-to-ban-the-sales-of-plastic-straws-to-tackle-ocean-plastic-pollution
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Couple converts $7,000 Joshua Tree cabin into a sophisticated desert oasis

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Zaha Hadid Architects designs robot-assisted vaulted classrooms for China

Zaha Hadid Architects unveiled designs for Lushan Primary School that blends forward-thinking construction techniques with deference to ancient Chinese culture. Located in the remote and beautiful countryside 160 kilometers northwest of Jiangxi’s capital Nanchang, Lushan Primary School will serve 12 local villages and offer a curriculum that focuses on the creative arts and STEM subjects. To reduce construction time and demands, the campus buildings will be housed in a series of modular vaulted...

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Norwegian-inspired timber cabins unveiled for a landscape hotel in France

Visitors to Breitenbach will soon have the chance to stay one of several tiny timber cabins scattered across the idyllic French countryside. Built of new and recycled timber, the 14 Norwegian-inspired cabins form the proposed Breitenbach Landscape Hotel designed by Reiulf Ramstad Arkitekter. The 17,000-square-meter hotel will immerse guests in the French landscape with lodgings that offer luxury, privacy, and stunning views of the outdoors. Located on a hillside in northeastern France,...

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Scientists just learned what makes Yellowstone's supervolcano tick

We all know about the supervolcano boiling underneath Yellowstone, but until now, we didn't know what was fueling the cauldron. This week, scientists revealed that, using supercomputers, they were able to model the behavior of two magma chambers underground. These two magma lakes nearly meet at one point, forming a slab of pressure-trapping rock. That rock could be the powderkeg that fuels the volcano.   Related: "This is the nursery, a geological and petrological match with eruptive...

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6 fun DIY projects to make for Earth Day

VINTAGE TEACUP CANDLES You've probably seen fancy candles like these selling for exorbitant prices, but you can make your own for just a few bucks. Just use teacups you already own or pick up a few at your local thrift shop for a sweet-smelling treat for

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MIT just discovered a way to mass produce graphene in large sheets

Scientists used to make graphene-based membranes in small batches in a laboratory. But Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) scientists thought for commercial use, graphene membranes would need to be produced in big amounts. So they designed a continuous manufacturing process to generate strips of graphene. Related:

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Couple restores 1969 camper into chic vacation home on wheels

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A giant, air-purifying "cloud" just popped up in the middle of Milan

A huge “water-drop pavilion” containing literally the cleanest air in Milan has landed in the heart of the Brera Design District on the occasion of the Milan Design Week 2018. Envisioned by Takehiro Ikeda it uses the cutting edge air-purifying technology developed by Panasconic. In and out this temporary installation entitled “Transition” is a real cloud you can step into to have a deep breath of a very fine air. Indeed, while the majority of cloud-like installations employ gases to create...

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The world's largest beer brewer invents low-carbon beer bubbles

Belgium-based AB Inbev, the world's largest brewing company, has created a new low-carbon method for adding bubbles to its beer. The technique, expected to reduce the company's CO2 emissions by 5 percent, involves heating the brew to just below boiling point, then pumping CO2 or nitrogen into the brew to create gas bubbles. Typically, bubbles are created during the boiling process, one that requires a great deal of heat and water, and are known to have an significant impact on the taste of the finished...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/the-worlds-largest-beer-brewer-invents-low-carbon-beer-bubbles
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Baboons use a barrel to escape biomedical research institute in Texas

Four baboons temporarily escaped a biomedical research facility over the weekend with the help of a 55-gallon barrel. Gizmodo reported one figured out how to turn a barrel upright and use it to climb perimeter fencing. Three others followed, although one returned on its own — but their freedom didn't last long.

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/baboons-use-a-barrel-to-escape-biomedical-research-institute-in-texas
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HyperloopTT plans to build the first commercial Hyperloop system in the UAE next year

It's been a busy week for Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HyperloopTT): they began building a test track in France, and now they've just announced the signing of an agreement with Aldar Properties, a leading Abu Dhabi real estate developer, for what HyperloopTT described as "the first commercial Hyperloop system in the UAE." Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/hyperlooptt-plans-to-build-the-first-commercial-hyperloop-system-in-the-uae-next-year
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This edible six pack ring feeds sea animals instead of killing them

SaltWater Brewery in South Florida is the first brewery to test biodegradable six-pack rings designed by start-up E6PR. Named for an acronym that embodies its headlining product ("Eco Six-Pack Ring"), E6PR has designed a six-pack can holder, appropriately made from wheat and barley, that can be composted and is not harmful to aquatic life if swallowed. If widely adopted, biodegradable six-pack holders could result in a significant decrease in both plastic pollution, a major problem in today's waterways,...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/beer-with-biodegradable-six-pack-rings-finally-hits-the-market
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This new green-roofed hotel with mirrored walls blends into Uruguay's mountains

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Fruit trees grow on the roofs of this rammed earth home in Hanoi

Vo Trong Nghia Architects puts a fresh spin on the ancient art of rammed earth construction in the Dong Anh house, a modern dwelling with fruit trees growing on the roofs. Taking advantage of the property’s secure and isolated location in Hanoi, the architects applied an “open garden design” that embraces nature in, around, and even on top of the home. The thick earth walls have the advantage of high thermal mass and keep the home cool by storing heat during the day and then dissipating that...

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Lush rooftop oasis flourishes on a renovated Art Deco townhouse in Mexico City

Formerly a derelict Art Deco structure, Casa Verne has been reborn as a contemporary family home with a secluded getaway in the center of a busy Mexico City neighborhood. Zeller & Moye renovated the 1930s townhouse and took care to preserve period features while injecting new modern touches. The crowning achievement can be found on the roof, where the architects created a lush garden and oasis of native plants. Zeller & Moye’s renovation of the townhouse stripped away internal walls...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/lush-rooftop-oasis-flourishes-on-a-renovated-art-deco-townhouse-in-mexico-city
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These diamonds from outer space hint at a long-lost planet

Diamonds from a meteorite gave scientists a glimpse into the universe's past. They think the meteorite came from a planetary embryo, between the size of Mercury and Mars, that was destroyed in collisions around 4.5 billion years ago. Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/these-diamonds-from-outer-space-hint-at-a-long-lost-planet
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7 biggest threats to the environment - why we still need Earth Day

Climate Change Climate change is first and foremost an issue because people can't even agree on whether or not it's an issue in the first place. Before we even get into the solutions, we all (regardless of political party) need to come to the realization

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/7-biggest-threats-to-the-environment-why-we-still-need-earth-day
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Would you ride in these bizarre standing airplane seats?

If your last plane flight left you feeling like a sardine in a can, this news is going to make your day. Italian seat manufacturer Aviointeriors has designed a seat that gives you plenty of room to stretch your legs out, even if you are taller than average. The catch? You have to fly basically standing up.  

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/would-you-ride-in-these-bizarre-standing-airplane-seats
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Architects convert old Dutch church into a gorgeous library

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from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/architects-convert-old-dutch-church-into-a-gorgeous-library
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95% of the world's population breathes unsafe air

Are you inhaling clean air? New findings suggest you might not be: an air pollution study says almost 95 percent of people in world live in places where fine particle levels are higher than air quality guidelines. The Guardian said poor communities are taking the brunt of the burden. The Health Effects Institute Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/95-of-the-worlds-population-breathes-unsafe-air
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White Castle is now offering 'bleeding' vegan Impossible Burger sliders

Iconic fast-food chain White Castle is now offering a vegan version of its signature sliders, with the "beef" provided by Redwood City-based start-up Impossible Foods. While the Impossible Burger is offered at 1,300 different restaurants in the United States, including Fat Burger, Umami Burger, and Momofuko Nishi, its featured debut at White Castle, the largest chain to partner with Impossible Foods, is a landmark for the companies involved. Impossible Foods CEO Pat Brown hopes that the White Castle...

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This moss can naturally eliminate arsenic from water

Through the magic of moss, anything is possible. Scientists at the University of Stockholm have learned that Warnstofia fluitans, or floating hook moss, is capable of extracting arsenic from water. "Our experiments show that the moss has a very high capacity to remove arsenic," said research assistant and study co-author Arifin Sandhi. "It takes no more than an hour to remove 80 per cent of the arsenic from a container of water. By then, the water has reached such a low level of arsenic that it...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/this-moss-can-naturally-eliminate-arsenic-from-water
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Scientists accidentally create mutant enzyme that chomps plastic for lunch

At a trash dump in 2016, Japanese researchers discovered the first known bacterium that had evolved to consume plastic. An international team of researchers, building on that finding, revealed the structure of the enzyme the microorganism produces — and then engineered it to be even better. Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/scientists-accidentally-create-mutant-enzyme-that-chomps-plastic-bottles-for-lunch
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This stunning brick "cave house" in Vietnam is open to the elements

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Light-filled family home sensitively embraces a British Islands native landscape

When DLM Architects was asked to create an energy-efficient and sustainable family home in St Peter Port of Guernsey, the site’s densely planted vegetation proved both a boon and a challenge. The local planning department had imposed many site restrictions due to the number of protected trees, but after four years of negotiation the architects managed to settle on a solution resulting in a beautiful and light-filled dwelling with a sensitive environmental footprint. Named ‘The...

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Soak in views of the Indian Himalayas at this bamboo-clad hotel villa

Perched high on the mountains of Uttarakhand, India sits The Kumaon, a rustic yet elegant hotel with breathtaking Himalayan views. Boasting floor-to-ceiling mountain views, the hotel designed by Zowa Architects seeks to highlight the natural landscape as much as possible with its minimized footprint and use of locally sourced materials. All hotel structures were designed to harvest rainwater that’s stored in a large holding tank at the bottom of the site, while interstitial spaces between buildings...

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France is building the world's third Hyperloop test track

The race towards a functioning, real-word Hyperloop system continues as test tracks pop up, deals are signed, and billionaires get in on the action.

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/france-is-building-the-worlds-third-hyperloop-test-track
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10 awesome eco-activities to do this Earth Day

Happy Hikers, Shutterstock 1. Take a Hike There is no better way to get back in touch with the Earth's rhythms than to actually go outdoors and experience its many wonders. This Earth Day, why not take a hike or go for a bike ride? Maybe even go kayaking?

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/10-awesome-eco-activities-to-do-this-earth-day
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This house from Skylab Architecture mimics the appearance of the Rocky Mountains

This angular retreat blends into and offer expansive views of Colorado’s mountainous landscapes. Portland studio Skylab Architecture designed the Owl Creek Residence as a rugged steel structure that enhances visual connections to the landscape and draws it inwards. The 4,200-square-foot (390-square-meter) house sits on a hillside near the town of Snowmass, a popular destination for winter sports. Its main lounge area mimics the natural slope of the site and features stepped seating that maximizes...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/this-house-from-skylab-architecture-mimics-the-appearance-of-the-rocky-mountains
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For 16 years, this stork has flown 8,700 miles to return to his one true love

Just when you thought the world was one raging garbage fire, along comes this amazing stork to set everything right. For the past 16 years, without fail, one male stork has flown 8,700 miles to be with his mate who can no longer fly after being shot by poachers.  Klepetan the stork travels from his winter nest in South Africa to his mate's Malena's home in Croatia every single March where they reunite and raise a new brood. Malena was injured by a gunshot in 1993, but a local hero...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/for-16-years-this-stork-has-flown-8700-miles-to-return-to-his-one-true-love
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UMD scientists invent new water-based battery that won't catch fire

Researchers at the University of Maryland (UMD)'s A. James Clark School of Engineering have invented a new kind of water-based zinc battery that is safer than traditional lithium-ion battery without sacrificing any power or usability.

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/umd-scientists-invent-new-water-based-battery-that-wont-catch-fire
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North American climate boundary pushed 140 miles eastward by climate change

An historic climate boundary which has marked the division between the humid eastern region of North America and the more arid western region has deviated 140 miles to the east of its original location - thanks to climate change. In a study recently published in Earth Interactions, scientists identify the three factors that contribute to the formation of the visible division between North American climatic zones: the Rocky Mountains' ability to disrupt moisture from reaching inland, Atlantic winter...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/north-american-climate-boundary-pushed-140-miles-eastward-by-climate-change
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Earth was buzzed by a giant asteroid this weekend and we didn't even realize it was coming

The Chelyabinsk meteorite injured around 1,500 people when it exploded over Russia in 2013, and an asteroid with three to six times that rock's diameter just passed incredibly close to Earth. The Catalina Sky Survey first observed the asteroid, dubbed 2018 GE3, on Saturday, and it whirled past Earth hours later. Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/earth-was-buzzed-by-a-giant-asteroid-this-weekend-and-we-didnt-even-realize-it-was-coming
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States across the country are trying to make it illegal to plan a pipeline protest

A new movement of bills being introduced in states such as Louisiana, Pennsylvania, and Minnesota aim to criminalize the process of planning a protest against the construction of an oil or gas pipeline. If signed into law, the act of simply planning a protest that might break a law, such as trespassing or other forms of civil disobedience, would itself become illegal. Legal observers note that the three states that introduced these broadly defined anti-protest bills are also home to proposed controversial...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/states-across-the-country-are-trying-to-make-it-illegal-to-plan-a-pipeline-protest
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Virtual reality helps scientists plot the ideal urban green space

Virtual reality (VR) doesn't only offer an escape into fantastical images. North Carolina State University researchers employed VR for exploring different types of urban green spaces and how they impact a person's sense of safety. The techniques they drew on could help landscape designers of the future design green spaces or improve existing parks to help city dwellers gain restorative benefits of nature. Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/virtual-reality-helps-scientists-plot-the-ideal-urban-green-space
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6 solar roads shaking up infrastructure around the world

Roads aren't just for walking or driving on anymore. Solar road or pathway projects around the world reveal roads can provide firm footing and generate clean energy. Inhabitat rounded up six projects in places as diverse as China and rural Georgia to highlight potentially game-changing technologies in the solar road sphere.

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/6-solar-roads-shaking-up-infrastructure-around-the-world
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Stunning ash staircase ties together an eco-conscious home in Mexico City

Located on a brownfield, the Cuernavaca House has an impressive eye for both sustainability and beauty—so much so that the project was long-listed earlier this year for the 2018 RIBA International Prize. Architectural practice Tapia McMahon designed the light-filled residence that fills out the entire plot, making room for light wells, greenery, and spacious rooms within. Repurposed materials and energy-saving solutions are present throughout the family home that’s beautifully tied together by...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/stunning-ash-staircase-ties-together-an-eco-conscious-home-in-mexico-city
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Cozy minimalist home in Norway is crafted as the epitome of hygge"

An hour north of Oslo, Danish studio Norm Architects have designed a family home they describe as the “epitome of hygge,” a Scandinavian term for a mood of coziness and wellbeing. Set into a hillside, the Gjøvik House comprises a cluster of six interconnected timber volumes positioned to take in views of Mjøsa lake and the Norwegian woods. The overlapping areas of the timber volumes give rise to private pockets and cozy nooks, elements that the architects say are integral to the hygge concept....

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/cozy-minimalist-home-in-norway-is-crafted-as-the-epitome-of-hygge
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173 countries agree to slash shipping industry emissions in historic deal

Shipping was the sole industry not part of the 2015 Paris Agreement, according to Bloomberg, but if the industry were a country, it would be sixth on the list of the biggest greenhouse gas emitters. But most of the nations in the world just agreed to a historic, mandatory deal to slash shipping industry emissions. Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/173-countries-agree-to-slash-shipping-industry-emissions-in-historic-deal
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New 3 in 1 Roof solar tiles power your house for half the price of a Tesla roof

Tesla is getting all the focus when it comes to solar roofing, but there are some competitors out there who are innovating in ways that even Elon Musk hasn't thought of. 3 in 1 Roof system, for instance, marries insulation, extreme wind protection and solar power, all in one. The solar roof system comes in a huge range of finishes, has a lighter load than traditional slate tiles, and is the first to introduce zero heat transference into the attic - so it reduces your heating and cooling costs all...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/new-3-in-1-roof-solar-tiles-power-your-house-for-half-the-price-of-a-tesla-roof
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The largest fire in Greenland's history warns of an extreme future

The largest wildfire in Greenland's history is burning bright as a warning sign for a future rattled by catastrophic climate change. On the world's largest island, known for its snow-covered glacial landscape, satellite images have captured the similarly colored smoke clouds now billowing from the fire. Scientists are concerned that the black carbon smog produced by the fire could be absorbed by Greenland's massive ice sheet, of which one-third has now been affected by the soot settling from the...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/the-largest-fire-in-greenlands-history-warns-of-an-extreme-future
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Zaha Hadids only house rises like a spaceship in a forest near Moscow

Zaha Hadid’s only private house has just been completed and—to the surprise of no one—looks like a spaceship that’s touched down on Earth. Created with a neo-futuristic appearance and ample glazing, the $140 million Capital Hill Residence stands in stark contrast with its leafy surroundings at the heart of Russia’s Barvikha forest just a couple miles west of Moscow. The $140 million project was completed for real estate developer and entrepreneur Vladislav Doronin, who runs Capital Group...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/zaha-hadids-sole-residence-rises-like-a-spaceship-in-the-forest
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This dream job lets you live on a Cornish island with a Medieval castle

If you've ever wanted to live on an island, this job could help get you there. A castle in Cornwall, St Michael's Mount, seeks a visitor services manager, and they'll provide service accommodation if you're the perfect fit. "Giants, mermaids, miracles, and more have all left their imprint," according to St Michael's Mount's history web page. "All you have to do is set foot on the island, look and listen. Who knows what you'll discover?" Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/this-dream-job-lets-you-live-on-a-cornish-island-with-a-medieval-castle
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Australia experiences record-setting, summer-like heat even though winter is coming

It's autumn in Australia, but you might not be able to tell from the weather. Record-breaking heat has gripped the country — the government's Bureau of Meteorology said Sydney, Adelaide, and other locations have hit the "hottest or equal-hottest April days on record."

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/australia-experiences-record-setting-summer-like-heat-even-though-winter-is-coming
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Scientists discover first salty lakes in the Arctic and they could be a key to finding alien life

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from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/scientists-discover-first-salty-lakes-in-the-arctic-and-they-could-be-a-key-to-finding-alien-life
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March for Science hits DC and over 200 other cities around the world tomorrow

Around 1.3 million people participated in March for Science rallies all over Earth last year. Concerned over the incoming United States administration's climate change denial, marchers turned out in droves — and many are marching again this year. The March for Science takes place tomorrow in Washington, D.C., and in hundreds of other locations around the world. Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/march-for-science-hits-dc-and-over-200-other-cities-around-the-world-tomorrow
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These timber tiny houses use bold pergolas to shade against the glaring sun in Israel

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from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/these-timber-tiny-houses-use-bold-pergolas-to-shade-against-the-glaring-sun-in-israel
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This alpine hotel is built with modular rooms stacked together

This minimalist and modular hotel in the mountain resort of Lenzerheide, Switzerland offers a streamlined and modern take on the traditional mountain chalet. Carlos Martinez Architekten designed Hotel Revier with prefabricated room modules, each with a glazed end wall and lined in natural, unfinished plywood. The long and narrow larch-clad building comprises three rectangular segments angled to follow the shoreline of the Heidsee and positioned to face panoramic mountain views. An...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/this-alpine-hotel-is-built-with-modular-rooms-stacked-together
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Emojis become modern-day gargoyles on a Dutch mixed-use building

Emojis have worked their way into our everyday lives—and now they’ve infiltrated the built world as well. Over 20 expressive emojis have been cast in concrete and used as modern-day gargoyles on the facade of two mixed-use buildings in Amersfoort, the Netherlands. Designed by Attika Architekten, “Emoji Architecture” taps into the world of social media to create a subtle and unusual embellishment to otherwise ordinary brick-and-concrete architecture. Set on a street corner in...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/emojis-become-modern-day-gargoyles-on-a-dutch-mixed-use-building
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The 6 most pressing environmental issuesand what you can do to help solve them

Image via Shutterstock CLIMATE CHANGE While 97 percent of climate scientists agree that climate change is occurring and greenhouse gas emissions are the main cause, political will has not been strong enough so far to initiate a massive policy shift away

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/top-6-environmental-issues-for-earth-day-and-what-you-can-do-to-solve-them
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California's desert battery could be three times the size of Tesla's

Tesla's 100-megawatt (MW) South Australia battery might not be the world's largest for long. USA Today reported Recurrent Energy has requested permission from the federal government for a 350-MW solar plant with as much as 350 MW of battery storage in the California desert east of Palm Springs.

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/californias-desert-battery-could-be-three-times-the-size-of-teslas
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This turtle with a green mohawk is one of the most endangered reptiles in the world

It's not every day you glimpse a turtle with a mohawk, even if that mohawk is made up of algae and not actually hair. The Mary River turtle is eye-catching for that stylish feature — but it can also breathe through organs in its cloaca, according to an article from the Zoological Society of London's EDGE of Existence Program herpetologist Rikki Gumbs, also a lead author on a PLOS One study supporting the turtle's placement on their list of vulnerable reptiles.

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/this-turtle-with-a-green-mohawk-is-one-of-the-most-endangered-reptiles-in-the-world
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Tesla Model Y production will power up in November 2019

With all the news about the Tesla Model 3 and the cargo hauling Tesla Semi, we might have forgot that Tesla is already hard at work on its next model, the Tesla Model Y. We have yet to see the Tesla Model Y, but according to the latest reports, Tesla has a goal of starting production in November 2019. Sources recently revealed to Reuters this week that Tesla is currently accepting bids

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/tesla-model-y-production-will-power-up-in-november-2019
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World's first electric road that charges moving vehicles debuts in Sweden

The very first electrified road that is capable of charging electric vehicles as they drive across it is now open outside of Stockholm, Sweden. While the road, which links Stockholm Arlanda airport to a nearby logistics site, is only 1.2 miles long, it is a significant step forward in Sweden's overall energy and climate change strategic plan. The country is aiming to become independent of fossil fuels by 2030, a task that will require a 70 percent reduction in emissions from the transportation sector....

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/worlds-first-electric-road-that-charges-moving-vehicles-debuts-in-sweden
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The Gulf Stream is the weakest it has been in at least 1,600 years - here's why that's really bad news

The Gulf Stream current, which serves as an important regulator of weather and climate along the Atlantic Ocean, is now the weakest it has been in at least 1,600 years. This dramatic slowing of the current, known as the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (Amoc), could usher in extreme shifts in weather patterns, such as more brutal European winters, rapid sea level rise on the American East Coast, and the disruption of essential tropical rainstorms. Suddenly, the 2004 climate-change disaster...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/the-gulf-stream-is-the-weakest-it-has-been-in-at-least-1600-years-heres-why-thats-really-bad-news
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Airstream launches its first-ever fiberglass camper for under $50K

The makers of the iconic “silver bullet” travel trailer have just launched Nest, their highly anticipated Airstream that’s unlike any you’ve ever seen before. Designed as a home away from home, the modern Nest camper is big on comfort and amenities but also resilient and easy to tow—making it the ideal adventure camper. Unlike its aluminum predecessors, Airstream’s newest addition to the family is also an innovative one and marks the company’s first departure from aluminum for the world...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/airstream-launches-its-first-ever-fiberglass-camper-for-under-50k
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New Zealand bans new offshore oil and gas exploration permits

New Zealand's prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, set a goal of zero carbon emissions by 2050 — and she's taking action now. This week, she said the country will no longer grant new offshore oil and gas exploration permits, Reuters reported. Ardern told university students in Wellington, the country's capital, "We have been a world leader on critical issues to humanity by being nuclear free...and now we could be world leading in becoming carbon neutral." Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/new-zealand-bans-new-offshore-oil-and-gas-exploration-permits
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This NYC skyscraper will clean the air "at a rate of 500 trees"

570 Broome, a new condominium building in New York City designed by Tahir Demircioglu of Builtd, will actually clean the air. A new facade material, developed in collaboration between sintered stone company Neolith and manufacturer PUERTi, will utilize sunshine to turn contaminating agents into salt and water vapor. The self-cleaning facade will have the same impact as if 2,000 cars were removed from roads for a year, or that of 500 trees. Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/this-nyc-skyscraper-will-clean-the-air-at-a-rate-of-500-trees
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Green-roofed Argentinian home boasts a thermally efficient envelope

Buenos Aires-based IR arquitectura crafted a home that feels as if it grew out of the landscape. Set in a clearing in Tortuguitas, Argentina, the timber-clad AA House embraces nature with its green roof, inner courtyard with a polycarbonate roof, and large openings framing the outdoors. Thermal efficiency was a guiding design principle that informed everything from site orientation to material decisions. Built of locally sourced wood, AA House appears as a cluster of pitched timber...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/green-roofed-argentinian-home-boasts-a-thermally-efficient-envelope
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Stellar views and a small footprint defines this Tasmanian timber cabin

A small abode perched high on the eastern slopes of Tasmania’s Mount Wellington offers spectacular landscape views. Room11 Architects designed the boxy dwelling with a deliberately compact footprint as an “intensely private” retreat that keeps the focus on outdoor views framed by large windows. In addition to enviable views, natural cross ventilation and a wood-burning stove help keep the home, called Little Big House, attuned to nature. Located high above Hobart, Little Big...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/stellar-views-and-a-small-footprint-defines-this-tasmanian-timber-cabin
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Climate change is causing spring to come earlier in national parks

More than 1.5 million people attend the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C. to glimpse a visible sign of spring. While this year's peak bloom was "in line with the 96-year average," according to NASA Earth Observatory, over the long term spring is actually springing sooner — due to climate change. NASA Earth Observatory recently published maps revealing how much earlier spring is starting in national parks around America. Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/climate-change-is-causing-spring-to-come-earlier-in-national-parks
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Airbus is putting spacious sleeping pods in airplane cargo holds

Finally, airlines have figured out a way to give you a lot more space to stretch out on an airplane, but there's one catch: you have to travel in the cargo hold. Airbus and Zodiac Aerospace are teaming up to create modular sleeping compartments with all the luxuries of old-time train travel, tucked into the cargo space of airplanes. Related: Via Images via

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/airbus-is-putting-spacious-sleeping-pods-in-airplane-cargo-holds
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Piuarch kicks off Milan Design Week with a beautiful urban light installation

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from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/piuarch-kicks-off-milan-design-week-with-a-beautiful-urban-light-installation
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Ocean heatwaves have risen by more than 50% since 1925

Oceanic heatwaves have increased by 54 percent since 1925, posing a major threat to aquatic ecosystems. In a study published in the journal Nature Communications, researchers outline the cause and effects of underwater heatwaves and their future impact on the world's oceans. "These trends can largely be explained by increases in mean ocean temperatures, suggesting that we can expect further increases in marine heatwave days under continued global warming," write the researchers. As higher levels...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/ocean-heatwaves-have-risen-by-more-than-50-since-1925
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Teen replants hundreds of mangroves that were destroyed by Hurricane Irma

18-year-old Theo Quenee saw Hurricane Irma's devastation in Florida firsthand, and realized mangroves could take a hit. So he started growing the plants — 524 to start — for replanting, Mother Nature Network reported. After seven months, he began transplanting the mangroves to a sand bar and mud flat in Miami. Related: Meet the teen planting 150 trees for every person on Earth

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/teen-replants-hundreds-of-mangroves-that-were-destroyed-by-hurricane-irma
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Breakthrough device is '100% successful' in protecting swimmers from sharks

Though it may not feel it in some places, summer is just around the corner in the Northern Hemisphere. To protect summer swimmer and surfers from oceanic predators, scientists in Australia have developed a surfboard with underside lights that may deter shark attacks. In studying the ways in which sharks see and sense their prey, the research team at Macquarie University uncovered a surprisingly simple method to hide the silhouettes of surfers from sharks below. “Pure basic research can sometimes...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/breakthrough-device-is-100-successful-in-protecting-swimmers-from-sharks
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This secret tiny house in the Belgian countryside could be yours for the weekend

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from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/this-secret-tiny-house-in-the-belgian-countryside-could-be-yours-for-the-weekend
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Electricity-free, foot-powered washing machine is slated for release this summer

This eco-friendly washing machine requires zero electricity. The Drumi, from product design company Yirego, is a washing machine powered by your feet. The device uses five to 10 liters of water per load, and can wash around five pounds of clothes in around five minutes. Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/electricity-free-foot-powered-washing-machine-is-slated-for-release-this-summer
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7 beautifully designed tiny homes that fit big families

Tiny houses aren't just for singles or couples.

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/7-beautifully-designed-tiny-homes-that-fit-big-families
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LEED Gold UBC Aquatic Center boasts innovative water recycling

A striking aquatics center on the University of British Columbia Vancouver Campus melds elite-level swimming facilities with impressive eco-credentials. Designed by Canadian architecture firm MJMA, in collaboration with Acton Ostry Architects, to achieve LEED Gold certification, the UBC Aquatic Center is awash in high water demands with its three pools, hot tub, steam and sauna, drinking fountains, and 34 showers. To meet water efficiency regulations set out by UBC and LEED Gold, the architects employed...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/leed-gold-ubc-aquatic-center-boasts-innovative-water-recycling
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Modern light-filled extension sports a wildflower green roof

When the owners happened upon an early 20th-century house in Ghent, Belgium, the garden space and location sold them on the property despite the home’s rather dark and introverted character. To brighten up their new home, the owners tapped Qatarchitecten to lead the renovation of the three-story MILU house and a new concrete-clad extension with folding glass walls that pull the outdoors in. Original materials were preserved and reused wherever possible in the renovation to maintain the home’s...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/modern-light-filled-extension-sports-a-wildflower-green-roof
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Scientists reveal new technique to make biofuel from mushroom waste

Researchers at the National University of Singapore have discovered a new revolutionary method to transform mushroom waste products into biofuel. Despite hopes and claims to the contrary, biofuel, most typically derived from food crops, is often more environmentally-destructive than it is helpful. This new technique could change that by capturing the power of a typical food waste product from mushroom cultivation. In a study published in the journal Science Advances, scientists explain how Thermoanaerobacterium...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/scientists-reveal-new-technique-to-make-biofuel-from-mushroom-waste
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World's most powerful turbine installed off the coast of Scotland

A record-breaking, world's most powerful turbine was just installed of the Scotland coast. Developer Vattenfall announced this week that installation is complete on 11 turbines - two of which were upgraded to have a boosted capacity of 8.8MW - in Aberdeen bay. In total, the installation generates 93.2MW of energy, enough to power 70-percent of Aberdeen's domestic needs. Vattenfall said that nine 8.4MW turbines were installed off the coast, and two other turbines with an enhanced capacity of...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/worlds-most-powerful-turbine-installed-off-the-coast-of-scotland
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Study suggests the average person consumes 70,000 microplastic bits every year

"Plastic, it's what's for dinner." Plastic, as prolific and polluting as it is in the world's waterways, is also found in abundance in the average person's gut. Researchers in the United Kingdom have determined that the average British resident consumes on average 70,000 bits of microplastic every year. In a study published in the journal Environmental Pollution, scientists positioned sticky petri dishes next to dinner plates in several British homes. After only twenty minutes, an average of 14 microplastic...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/study-suggests-the-average-person-consumes-70000-microplastic-bits-every-year
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Are electric bikes the future of transportation? We tested one to find out

At first glance, it might seem like the standard bicycle doesn’t have much you could improve on. It gets you to your destination faster, provides a great workout, and doesn’t pollute the air. And, of course, once you learn how to ride a bike, you never forget. However, in sprawling modern day cities—Los Angeles, we’re looking at you—bikes are sometimes less than ideal as a form of transportation. Cyclists can certainly brave the crowded streets and longer commutes, but they’re far more...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/are-electric-bikes-the-future-of-transportation-we-tested-one-to-find-out
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Major supermarket chain is the first in the UK to remove palm oil from all their food

Over half of products in supermarkets contain palm oil, according to British supermarket chain Iceland, and demand is contributing to deforestation. They plan to do something about that: cease using palm oil in their own label products by the end of 2018 — and said they'll be the "first major UK supermarket" to take this step. Iceland, which specializes in frozen foods,

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/major-supermarket-chain-is-the-first-in-the-uk-to-remove-palm-oil-from-all-their-food
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The Columbian Amazon is now officially a person thanks to a group of youth activists

With a recent ruling, the Columbian Supreme Court has made Columbia the first country in South America to recognize the personhood rights of the Amazon Rainforest. While this decision does not legally define the Amazon as "human," it does grant certain inalienable rights to the magnificent rainforest. The ruling is the conclusion to a campaign waged by twenty five young people determined to force the Columbian government to better protect the invaluable Amazon Rainforest. “The fact that the Amazon...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/the-columbian-amazon-is-now-officially-a-person-thanks-to-a-group-of-youth-activists
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Apple says they're "globally powered by 100% renewable energy"

Silicon Valley's big tech companies are hopping on the clean power bandwagon — last week, Google announced they'd purchased enough renewable energy to match the electricity they consumed in 2017, and now Apple's making an announcement of their own: their global facilities are "powered with 100 percent clean energy."

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/apple-says-theyre-globally-powered-by-100-renewable-energy
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Drones help archaeologists find dozens of undiscovered Nasca lines in Peru

Peruvian archaeologists recently uncovered impressive new Nasca lines in Peru's Palpa province. Drones assisted them in the discovery of over 50 new examples, and in surveying locally-known geoglyphs for the first time, National Geographic reported. While the Nasca culture, around between 200 to 700 AD, was responsible for some of the lines, the archaeologists also think the earlier Topará and Paracas cultures could have carved others between 500 BC and 200 AD. Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/drones-help-archaeologists-find-dozens-of-undiscovered-nasca-lines-in-peru
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