Friday, March 1, 2019

The environmental problem with toilet paper and what to use instead

Having easy access to soft, fluffy toilet paper is one of those modern conveniences that make life in the 21st century that much sweeter. But, did you know that using this luxury could be doing more damage to the environment than if you drove a large, gas-guzzling SUV? On average, every American use three rolls of toilet paper every week (28 pounds per year), which means that just four percent of the world’s population is responsible for 20 percent of total tissue consumption, and this is...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/the-environmental-problem-with-toilet-paper-and-what-to-use-instead
via Inhabitat

This Ecuadorian home uses the natural elements of rammed earth as a foundation

Rammed earth is a building technique that uses packed raw materials from the earth like gravel, sand, silt or clay to build walls and foundations. Casa Lasso, designed by Rama Estudio in San Jose, Ecuador utilized the rammed earth approach (or “tapial”) to create five strong walls made of natural elements to both protect the home from strong winds and improve the thermal quality inside the home. Much of the furniture and shelving in the kitchen and bedroom is built into the structured wall,...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/this-ecuadorian-home-uses-the-natural-elements-of-rammed-earth-as-a-foundation
via Inhabitat

Solar-powered Menai Science Park offers sweeping views of Wales

UK architectural practice FaulknerBrowns Architects has completed the Menai Science Park (M-SParc), the first dedicated science park in Wales with a focus on the sectors of low-carbon energy, ICT (information and communication technologies), and the environment. Located west of the Menai Straits on the island of Anglesey, North Wales, the £15.5 million campus includes co-working spaces with offices, laboratories, and workshop spaces. Designed to encourage innovation, the solar-powered building is...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/solar-powered-menai-science-park-offers-sweeping-views-of-wales
via Inhabitat

Stop Fish Bombing! uses gunshot detection technology to foil marine criminals

A nonprofit organization called Stop Fish Bombing! (SFB) is combating a famously destructive and illegal fishing practice. By adapting technology developed by the California company SST Inc. to detect gunshot locations, the nonprofit hopes to catch villains who are destroying the underwater world. Fish bombing – also called blast or dynamite fishing – uses explosives to stun or kill fish, making it easy to gather them up en masse. Dynamite doesn’t discriminate. Everything from fish eggs...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/stop-fish-bombing-uses-gunshot-detection-technology-to-foil-marine-criminals
via Inhabitat

Ocean cities add 'blue' to green engineering

As urban areas grow in population and footprint, many coastal cities are creating land where there once was ocean. This “reclaiming” of land is not new, in fact civilizations have been building land on top of bodies of water dating back to the Ancient Egyptians. However, urban planners and city dwellers are increasingly looking for ways to build more sustainably without damaging ecosystems and without increasing flood risk. A new trend, called blue-green infrastructure, marries ecosystem science...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/ocean-cities-add-blue-to-green-engineering
via Inhabitat

Atelier COLE completes eco-friendly bear sanctuary in Vietnam

Phnom Penh-based Atelier COLE recently completed an environmentally friendly bear sanctuary that not only promotes wildlife conservation, but also champions affordable prefabricated design. Located in Cát Tiên National Park in the south of Vietnam, the inspiring project was in part influenced by the hard-to-reach location that made the delivery of supplies difficult and time-consuming. As a result, the architects turned to lightweight gabion wall construction that has the added benefit of reducing...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/atelier-cole-completes-eco-friendly-bear-sanctuary-in-vietnam
via Inhabitat

Rundown 30-year-old RV is reborn as a light-filled 'bungalow on wheels'

Related: + Via Apartment Therapy

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/rundown-30-year-old-rv-is-reborn-as-a-light-filled-bungalow-on-wheels
via Inhabitat