Hippyshopper

Solar Garden Sculptures from Micromark

The latest line of garden beauties from Micromark takes the solar garden light and embeds it in sculptural stone-style elements called the Twist, Tango, Waltz and Bolero. Each is accented with long-lasting LEDs. No price given, but Micromark claims they offer "value for money" so they're probably not astronomical. [GT]

Micromark Outdoor and Garden lights

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Hello Kitty Solar Swing Digital Clock

Instead of a hanging pendulum below the clock, the Hello Kitty Solar Swing Digital Clock has her cute little head bobbing above the cup she's curled up in. It's also solar-powered via a cute little panel that juices up the button cell that keeps her running eternally. $15. [GT]

Hello Kitty Solar Swing Digital Clock [via Gizmodiva]

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Garden Water Saver

Here's a really inexpensive way to save an afternoon's rainfall: attach a Garden Water Saver to your downspout.  Instead of the water pouring off into the ground, it'll pop nicely into a your chosen container until the container is full, whereupon it'll shut off and let the water go back down the spout.  An hour's moderate rain is good for about 100 liters, which would put a nice glow on your garden during the hosepipe bans.  $20.  [GT]

Garden Water Saver [via GoTo Reviews]

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Eneloop solar-powered battery charger, hand radiator

Instead of a chemical-process single-use hand warmer which leaves you a packet of goo that you have to throw out, pick up a Sanyo hand warmer plus a Sanyo Eneloop.  The Eneloop is a solar-powered AA battery charger, which is paired with the hand warmer if you like, or you can just sneak the batteries into your Nintendo DS.  Unlike old-school rechargables, it also comes ready to use, no initial charge necessary.   [GT]

Sanyo Eneloop [via Cocolico]

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Sphelar is prettier and more efficient than flat solar cells

Where flat solar cells depend on angle to maximize how much energy they extract from sun, the Sphelar solar cell has an efficiency of nearly 20%, because it places 1mm ball-like solar cells in a flower-like pattern which can extract energy from all directions. It's also thin, flexible and transparent enough that it could be placed on regular window glass, turning those monster skyscrapers self-sufficient. Its production process is also vastly more efficient than flat solar, making it cheaper and reducing silicon waste enormously. [GT]

Sphelar [via Metaefficient]

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Make Your Own Shoes

Frustrated with ephemeral changes to women's footwear and the astronomical prices charged for a few scraps of silk and leather covered in glue, Mary Wales Loomis decided to learn to make her own shoes.  Possessed of sturdier construction than most fashion wear, and just as up-to-the-minute (your model, she says, can be easily updated to change the few bits that actually vary) your handmade shoes will also fit you perfectly since they're based on a 'last' modeled from your very own foot.  $26 USD for her book on how.  [GT]

Make your own shoes [via Trendhunter]

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Is global cooling the answer to global warming?

Though increasing effort goes into combating the worldwide effects of pollution, will it be enough? And if not, then what? Roger Angel, University of Arizona Regents Professor and the Steward Observatory Mirror Laboratory's director, suggests not interposing a great big sci-fi type mirror between us and the sun, but trillions of tiny "flyers", in a glistering silver shield to break up the sun's rays and disperse them (or better still, in some future generation, absorb that power and turn it into something usable by man). Flyers are transparent sheets 60cm in diameter and vastly thinner than a human hair, each weighing about a gram, which would be launched in a cloud encircling the earth, with a diameter of about 100,000 kilometers. If we start now, and launch one every five minutes, by 2017 it would be entirely in place. Or, Angel says, we could just do a better job of cleaning up the place now. [GT]

Technology Review: Cooling the Planet

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Blinky Bug gets a cute little groove on

Handmade from wire, LEDs and bits of electronics, the Blinky Bug is a tiny bit of art designed to respond to wind, vibrations and movement. Each unique bug, which subsists interminably on a very low power trickle, blinks its eyes and waggles about as though it naturally belongs in its own environment. Video interview of the creator, Ken Murphy, after the jump. [GT]

Blinky Bug

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Intelliplug makes energy saving easy

Plug your computer into the Intelliplug master socket, and plug your, for example, monitor and printer into the slave sockets. Then when you turn off the computer, the Intelliplug automatically cuts power to the monitor and printer. Recommended by the Energy Saving Trust. £17. [GT]

Intelliplug [via EcoStreet]

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Zopa social lending networks microcredit

The other day I read about a young man who was practically destitute, despite having excellent job skills, because he had poor dental luck and couldn't afford the £1100 to get false teeth. He might benefit from Zopa, a social networking site which matches lenders and borrowers in a model based on eBay. Though it presently uses a credit check, the plan is to expand it to check things like your MySpace contacts (who'd've thought that'd ever get you a car loan?) or LinkedIn comments in order to judge whether or not you're a better person than your history (or lack thereof) says. Maybe you just got divorced, went abroad, or were ill (I was all three of those things). By going in this direction Zopa could offer a powerful ethical alternative to usurious payday loan companies, who are often the only option low income people have, or banks who simply don't give a damn.

“You could offer people the ability to say ‘I’d like to lend to A-rated nurses living in London for 12 months,” says Nicholson. “Or you could lend to charities for a zero percent return, or at least a very low interest rate. That’s where the social networking side can come in. We have to be very careful with privacy issues though, when it comes to stuff like letting people connect and chat online.” For more on this, see Techscape's interview with Zopa co-founder Dave Nicholson. [GT]

Zopa social network lending

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The Maantis light from twenty thousand fathoms

Put the eerie glow of a giant sea monster in your office!  British architect Richard Rogers developed the Maantis lighting system based on the internal structures of incandescent deep-deep sea creatures.  Even when it's turned off, its light-hungry ribs draw in stray light from the very air, causing it to emit a weak glow.  The same properties minimize external light pollution, by channeling its rays precisely where needed.  Also as a convenience and energy saver, it's designed to optionally (but preferably) illuminate only when someone is in the room.  (And need we say it's all lit with LEDs?)  [GT]

Maantis Lighting System [via Treehugger]

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Exasis, the plastic car from Rinspeed

The Exasis is the first eco-type car that goes past the usual car idea to a newer construction idea than just the engine. Built entirely out of plastic (which could be Belu water bottle style compostable plastic) its panels have electrochemical properties that obviate the need for wiring; without wiring there's no insulation and the entire thing shrinks down. It's also made to be as aerodynamic as a cough-and-cold capsule (hence the biplane-style seating) and contains a CO2-emission-reducing bioethanol engine. It's obviously a concept car, but we welcome this ingenuity and look forward to their advanced prototypes. [GT]

Exasis [via Cocolico]

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Aladdin footlights from vintage glassware

Designer Stuart Haygarth has collected inexpensive glassware from jumble sales and thrift stores and assembled it on black-sprayed MDF light boxes to form glowing, semi-museum-looking footlights called Aladdin. The glass has been separated by colour, and the colour of the box is solely derived from the glass. A limited edition of 10 available in green, amber, purple, red, blue, green/blue, rose and clear. Size varies from 674 x 674 mm to 1282 x 1282 mm, with the height tending to be about 45 cm. [Gabrielle Taylor]

Aladdin

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FlexibleLove chair seats one, two, eight?

The FlexibleLove chair starts out small - a modest shape that could fit in the tiniest flat. But given need and opportunity, it can accordion out to accommodate as many people as you're likely to want to sit that close to. Weighing only 10 kilos, it supports up to 1900 kilos and is made entirely of post-consumer goods. Video after the jump.

While the pressboard look of the sides does detract from the aesthetic somewhat, it could easily enough be decoupaged into stylishness. £420. [Gabrielle Taylor]

FlexibleLove 16 Folding Chair [via TechEBlog]

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Reddish cross-stitched breadboard

Adding a sweetly traditional touch to a very modern looking shape, the Cross stitched bread stand has a nice lip at each side to turn the standard board into a tray, and some delicate cross-stitch embroidery going into the actual wood. 47L X 17W X 5H cm [Gabrielle Taylor]

Cross stitched bread stand

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Lluna coatrack brings the trees indoors

The Lluna coatrack by Alex Selma is a combination of modern aesthetic with a rugged, organic sensibility, with the tagline, "new resources, new ways". Available in lacquered earth-tone or cream. [Gabrielle Taylor]

[via Design Spotter]

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Haworth Zody recyclable Aeron contender

There are two distinct things about the Haworth Zody chair: at only $700 it's a lot more likely you can afford one versus the Aeron (and trust me, a good chair is the second best investment you can make, behind a good bed) and, it's made from 51% recycled content, is 98% recyclable at the end of its lifespan, and is made from 100% green wind power. (Third, it looks pretty cute.) [Gabrielle Taylor]

Haworth Zody [via Cool hunting]

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"You are here" recycled tyre welcome mat

Do you know where you are?  For sure?  If you're ever in doubt, the You Are Here doormat can set your mind at ease.  Likewise balmy for the soul is knowing it's made entirely from recycled truck tyres, like the Solio TREAD cases, which means there's no chance for them to end up in decades' long fires.  $28 USD.  [GT]

[via Great Green Goods]

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2xist Soy Collection: softer than cashmere?

The new Soy Collection from 2xist features some attractive eco-models frolicking in soy-based briefs which are 95% soy, with 5% nylon for body.  The soy fabric has similar wicking properties to silk and is, they say, softer than cashmere.  It's also antimicrobial and has natural UV protection, so you don't have to remember sunscreen while you frolic with the models.  Starting at $19 USD.  [GT]

Soy Collection from 2xist [via Cool Hunting]

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SteriPEN Classic UV Light Water Purifier

Combining Star Trek-like cool factor with the simple practicality of a drug-free way to make dubious water safe to drink, the SteriPEN Classic UV Light Water Purifier destroys viruses, bacteria and cysts with a swizzle of the stick.  Since it doesn't use chemicals it's safer for the environment - it doesn't create resistant strains - and it'll make you feel better without your needing more water bottles.  $100 USD.  [GT]

SteriPEN Classic UV Light Water Purifier

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Saab 9-3 BioPower Hybrid concept car

The Saab 9-3 BioPower Hybrid concept car has a 2.3t engine which delivers 14% more power and 11% more torque when running on E85 bioethanol compared to petrol, which means you can really gun it down the M5 but still feel virtuous about burning cleaner fuel (though if you have to use petrol, it can take it).  Based on typical petrol consumption, driving a BioPower would reduce your consumption by 1,087 litres per year.  However, it's also a convertible, with air conditioning and iPod hookups and climate control and all kinds of things making it a sexy ride as well as a responsible one.  [GT]

Saab 9-3 BioPower Hybrid concept car

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Make your own tortilla press

Tortillas are a Romance food staple which us pasty whiteys often don't experience properly, since they have a peak lifespan measured in hours (and we often get them after days, or even weeks, in brittle plastic-wrapped packages). You can make your own tortilla press for about £5, which lets you in on a great food experience. (Be sure to use FSC certified timber or recycled wood!) [GT]

DIY Tortilla Press

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Modern Nursery Nest highchair becomes a regular chair

There's nothing like a baby highchair to take the style out of your hipster pad (assuming the baby hasn't flung nappy-contents all over whatever style you had left after sixty hours' labour). Modern Nursery solves this with the Nest High Chair which starts out as a slick (but still eminently functional) baby chair, and repurposes, with removal of only a few screws, into a booster seat suitable for 2-4 year olds, and then a regular small chair to take your sprog up to age 6. Angelina Jolie has one, so you'll not be surprised they cost $570 USD. [GT]

Nest High Chair [via Curbly]

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Turning a carrot into a stick (fishing stick that is)

Dr David Hepworth and Dr Eric Whale have developed a new kind of nano-fiber called Curran which is an extract of the (literally) garden-variety carrot combined with high-tech resin.  Their first product is a fly-fishing rod made of Curran, making it biodegradable and recyclable in a way that fiberglass rods typically aren't.  The second product they have planned is a snowboard.  "The potential of Curran is enormous," said Dr Hepworth, "and if we can replace just a small percentage of carbon fibre in products the effects on the environment could be significant and wide ranging."  [GT]

Rods will be a carrot to the fish [via Spluch]

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Balance water floras your travels

I'm always a bit sceptical of anything fluid that claims it does a better job of hydrating you than water does, since water is what our system is designed to like best, but in any case, Balance Water uses Bach flower essences to provide an extra lift in specific circumstances. Balance Water for traveling, for example, is good for "concentration calmness and alertness", "motion sickness, balance", "feeling comfortable in strange settings, tiredness and emotional fatigue and fear of flying." [GT]

Balance Water [via NOTCOT]

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Electrolux VEGE: Grow your own - at home!

This is such a cool idea, in every sense of the word! I've so often envied those lucky people with enough time on their hands to grow veggies in the garden or allotment, regularly harvesting bags of delicious, organic produce for little more than the price of a few seeds, and this invention from Electrolux could just be the answer...

Like a fridge, it sits in your kitchen and holds up to 40 of your favourite plants, herbs, vegetables and anything else you want to keep fresh and cool. Now for the science bit: it's what's known as a 'hydroponic growing cupboard', and it keeps your plants in ideal light and temparature conditions for optimum growth. And because it doesn't work like a standard fridge, it's better for the environment too

At the moment, the VEGE is still in prototype form, but I'd love to see it on sale. In fact, why not be a sport and dig it here!

Fairtrade organic cotton T-shirts from Traidcraft

This pretty pink crew-neck is tailored at Craft Aid in Mauritius which provides valuable employment opportunities for disadvantaged members of the community. Plus, it's made from organic cotton, so no nasty chemicals. Priced £22, it is from Traidcraft's new spring collection, which includes charcoal linen trousers, vest tops and flippy skirts. [Sarah Painter]

Related stories: H&M launch organic cotton collection | Fully organic tees

News Roundup: Road pricing debate continues, chilly Neanderthals and more

1. Road pricing is not 'stealth tax'. Blair responds to the 1.8 million people who signed a petition against it. [Guardian]

2. Looks like the Neanderthals were frozen out. [BBC]

3. Native people hold valuable knowledge for saving endangered species. [Independent]

4. EU target to cut carbon emissions survives attacks. [WWF]

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Agree or Disagree: 'Buying organic can harm the planet'

Most people I speak to are divided one way or the other about buying organic. There're those who think it's a no-brainer: cutting down on chemicals we don't necessarily know enough about can only be a good thing, both for the environment and our bodies. And then there are those who argue that the chemicals have been in the food chain for long enough without doing any serious damage and don't want to pay extra for what they see as needless caution.

Finally, there's the smaller group that takes a slightly more paranoid attitude, fearing scams and highlighting the relative ease of passing off non-organic food as organic and charging the earth for it (ocasionally with reason). But could the trend towards organics actually be harming the planet? That was a new one on me until I read the Times article today that claims locally grown, organic food may not be as environmentally kosher as it claims to be. (read on after the jump for a synopsis)

The claims have provoked an angry reaction from the Soil Association, and will no doubt re-open the debate once again. So how seriously do you take findings of this sort? Whose authority on organics do you feel you can trust?

The article cites figures taken from recent  DEFRA research. Its claims include:

• C02 emissions produced by chicken production per kg are greater when organic methods are used. Non-organic comes out at 4,570g compared with 6,680g for organic.
• The amount of energy used to produce the same chicken is also greater in organic: 12mj non-organic vs 16mj organic
• The negative impact of road freight as a means of transporting food is questioned, although the report agrees that air freighting is uneconomical.
• Overall, so little is known about the overall environmental impact of any single food produce that it is impossible to say which is the most environmentally friendly.

Bush (not that one) bags a green future

Lauren Bush (George W's niece, shown here toting another of those oh-so-trendy eco tote bags) is breaking with family tradition and establishing herself among the green glitterati: she's announced that she's developing an 'organic lifestyle brand'.

Ms Bush has so far been cagey about the details of her own green venture, but she turned up at New York Fashion week with the burlap tote on her shoulders, bearing the words 'feed the children of the world'.

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Knowns as the 'feed bag', Bush explained that as part of a project of the United Nations World Food Programme, each bag will feed an underpriviledged child in school for a year. The bags are due to go on sale via Amazon.com as of 1st April.

Sell your old mobile and Help the Aged

Mobiles don't last as long as they used to, I'm sure of it. So the odds are one's died on you recently. What to do?

There are lots of recycling schemes for phones, and getting rid of them ecologically is easier than ever. At Mopay, however, you get to do as Jarvis Cocker once so wisely said and help the aged every time you hand in an elderly phone. Mopay will exchange it for cash, and until the end of March, and they're giving a minimum of 10% of the value of every phone sold to Help the Aged.

[Via Shiny Shiny]

So, do this and you get the following: a warm fuzzy feeling from helping some ageds, a warm fuzzy feeling from protecting the environment, cash. In that order.

Gorgeous kimonos recycled into gorgeous bags by Tokyomade

The Itchi Puchi is about the most succulent and meltingly beautiful, yet eminently practical, handbag I've seen in ages. Lined with suede (purple and lime, for dash) and with a punk pink leather strap, the exterior is vintage chirimen, kimono silk and a delightful combination of style, whimsy and luxuriousness. Designed and hand-made in Japan by Tokyomade and only $85 USD. I want one of these in the worst possible way. [GT]

Itchi Puchi and other luscious goods at Tokyomade

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Herb Chopper and Board

Stylish yet simple, the Herb chopper and board from EcoCentric is nicely concave with non-slip feet, and made from oiled, FSC certified wood, so it's entirely sustainable or recyclable. Fresh herbs are a top way to dress up any meal and this board would make a terrific gift for anyone, any time. £25. [GT]

Herb chopper and board

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Flisom says thin film solar to wipe out fossil power

New thin film solar, so lightweight and flexible it can be stuck to the side of buildings (or clothing for that matter) is about to sweep the marketplace and provide power at half the cost of the current fossil-fuel generated juice, says Anil Sethi, the chief executive of the Swiss start-up company Flisom.  The thin film will be manufactured in rolls like cellophane tape, and within a decade, hit only 50p per watt - which is the tipping point.  The power is at about £2 per watt now, so it's getting close.  It'll also mean mobiles, mp3 players, etc, will carry their own power-generation sources so those nasty cables will be a thing of the past.  [GT]

Monday view: Cheap solar power poised to undercut oil and gas by half [via Treehugger]

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Adagio sustainable Umbila wood tub

Feel good about lolling in Adagio's limited edition Umbila wooden bath.  Umbila is layered and carved into this distinctive yet classic shape that really lets the beauty of the wood do the talking.  Since wood doesn't get cold the way porcelain or metal do, you'll also get better bang out of putting hot water in it, and won't get frozen toes from walking in an empty one.  [GT]

Adagio's limited edition Umbila wooden bath [via Trendir]

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Green Tea and Silk from Dreamsacks

Could you ask for more than handsewn Habotai silk in delicate tea green from Dreamsacks?  How about a Green Tea and Meadow Green Habotai silk coverlet on sale?  The coverlet is huge (94" x 98") with one side the lighter green and the other the darker.  Matching shams also available.  Cotton fill.  $350 USD.  [GT]

Green Tea and Meadow Green Habotai silk coverlet

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The Edge hydrogen SUV

Offering up the world's first drivable fuel cell hybrid electric vehicle with plug-in capability, the Ford Edge has a flexible propulsion system, meaning it's possible to pull out the fuel cell and replace it with a conventional petrol, or diesel, or ethanol, or other engine as appropriate. Charging on conventional mains power and sporting a raft of comfort features from full computerized climate control to a nice place to put your iPod, satellite radio and audio controls in the steering wheel, the Edge drives in battery-only mode for the first 40 km and then switches over to hybrid mode, meaning if you use it strictly as a commuter machine you could well stay purely electric.  As with many of these it's still in concept stage, but if they make enough concepts maybe they'll be able to have a big sale just to sell all the samples.  $33,000 USD to $38,000 USD.  [GT]

Ford unveils plug-in hydrogen Edge

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New Diesel ad fuels green tempers

I've always found so-hip-it-hurts denim label Diesel's advertising strategies to be a tad hypocritical. As a humungous global brand its publicity seems to crop up in a lot of surprisingly underground places, always making a show of supporting struggling 'indie' projects, just long enough for the cool kids catch on before it leaves them to...struggle. But that's an old rant for another time. This latest stunt, however, is twisted even by their standards...

'Don't listen to all this nonsense about climate change!' is the message of this video: 'sure, the world's going to change beyond recognition, but what the hell, we can still have fun!' Bronzed, semi-clad babes and hunks are then seen jet-skiing down a flooded Thames, parading with parrots in St. Marks Square, and 'making out' beside a sunken Mount Rushmore.

Watch it for yourself if you can stand it, then go and recycle every last pair of Diesel jeans you own!

Live Earth: Al Gore's 24 hour party to fight global warming

Al Gore has announced plans for a 24-hour pop concert held across seven continents, proming it will be 'bigger than Live Aid'. His mission: to draw the world's attention to the threat of climate change, and prompt a global change of attitude.

Live Earth  (due to take place on 07/07/07) looks set to follow in the successes of former 'awareness' gigs including Live 8, whose executive producer Kevin Wall is also on board. It's the main publicity-spinner for a larger project called SOS: The Campaign for a Climate in Crisis, which will use TV, film, radio and the internet to ensure the message gets through to billions worldwide. Gore made the announcement yesterday, along with Cameron Diaz and rap producer Pharrell Williams.

Related Stories: Call Me Al: Branson and new pal

A list of A-List performers has already been announced, with definite appearences by the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Snoop Dogg, Bloc Party, Duran Duran and Bon Jovi. London has already been confirmed as one of the locations, along with Shanghai, Sydney, Johannesburg and cities to be announced Brazil, Japan, the USA and, appropriately enough, Antarctica. We'll keep you posted on developments here!

Whole Foods Market 'on course' to open organic megastore in June

Whole Foods Market has announced that it is still on schedule to open its flagship UK store - a whopping 80,000 square feet of organic goodness - in London's Kensington High Street this June.

We're used to supermarket chains opening massive outlets, but will this one really be any greener, and how will it benefit the area? 

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[Via New Consumer]

Whole Foods Market claims that despite the vast space they have to fill (the lovely art-deco building formerly occupied by Barkers department store), there will be a 'focus on procuring foods from local growers, food artisans and manufacturers'. But with talk of air-freighted goods potentially losing their organic certification, I'll be interested to see how they'll wor