EcO Action: Envirolutionary

unconsumption: I think this is a clever repurposing idea: Use...

Sun, 08 Jan 2012 18:30:25 -0600

I think this is a clever repurposing idea: Use old rolling pins as wall-mounted storage.

This rack — spotted on Pinterest, via treasure again — was made by Jessica Farmer, a.k.a. bluebirdheaven on Etsy (mentioned previously on Unconsumption here in a post about one of her vintage printer drawers used as storage for jewelry and other small items).

I also really like the hook/rack Jessica made using only one rolling pin (here).

If you have a rolling pin that’s still usable, you could keep it intact, attach it horizontally to a wall or to the side of a kitchen counter, and hang towels from it. An earlier Unconsumption post here features a photo of one such rack, and links to a how-to / tutorial so you can see how to make one of your own.

Now I’m on the lookout for other new uses for rolling pins!

This is priceless. Go tortoise go! Adorable Animal Being...

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 13:38:10 -0600

This is priceless. Go tortoise go!

Adorable Animal Being Adorable of the Day: Kevin the baby sulcata tortoise’s struggle to consume a tomato slice as metaphor for life.

[dpaf.]

thedailywhat:

Photo

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 13:23:06 -0600

I posted something like this a while back in DIY, still...

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 08:23:33 -0600

I posted something like this a while back in DIY, still haven’t done it myself. New years resolution, DO IT.

‘Elvis’ monkey and psychedelic gecko new animal finds: WWFA...

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 10:05:06 -0600

‘Elvis’ monkey and psychedelic gecko new animal finds: WWF
A wildly-colored gecko, a fish that looks like a gherkin, and a monkey with an Elvis-like hairstyle are among the more than 200 new species discovered in the Greater Mekong region last year, environmental group WWF said on Monday.

The area’s diversity is so astonishing that a new species is found every two days, but regional cooperation and decision-making must take centre stage to preserve its richness, the group added.

“While the 2010 discoveries are new to science, many are already destined for the dinner table, struggling to survive in shrinking habitats and at risk of extinction,” said Stuart Chapman, Conservation Director of WWF Greater Mekong, in a statement. (Photo: L. Lee Grismer/Handout/Reuters)

via

nationalpost

Consumers need to face up to their throw-away tech-habit and...

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 09:57:01 -0600

Consumers need to face up to their throw-away tech-habit and expect at-home recyclable materials in their gadgets.

Recently, we have been watching a number of electronics concepts being shared around the web which have been cased in cardboard. These paper-based ideas look like novelty items but I believe that these actually point to a sustainable future.

More from Piers Fawkes in a thoughtful piece on PSFK:

Piers Fawkes: For A Green Future, Electronics Need To Be Disposable @PSFK

via

unconsumption

Tanzanian toads are thriving in lab, these toads have the...

Sun, 11 Dec 2011 10:12:37 -0600

Tanzanian toads are thriving in lab, these toads have the smallest range of any frog ever they are extinct in the wild due to a dam that was made on the river. They live strictly in a misting zone, so misters are their primary source of water. Via National Geographic.

Republicans tie Keystone pipeline to tax cut bill | The Raw Story

Sun, 11 Dec 2011 10:11:18 -0600

Republicans tie Keystone pipeline to tax cut bill | The Raw Story: randomactsofchaos: WASHINGTON...

U.S. Marines Test New Energy-Efficient Weapon in the War On Trash

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 10:16:34 -0600

U.S. Marines Test New Energy-Efficient Weapon in the War On Trash: Summary In collaboration with...

This Week's Free Science Online Seminars from NOAA

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 12:10:05 -0600

This Week's Free Science Online Seminars from NOAA: Check it out, free seminars is always a...

sciencecenter: Embryonic turtles communicate to coordinate when...

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 11:39:21 -0600

sciencecenter:

Embryonic turtles communicate to coordinate when they hatch

Murray River turtles communicate with their siblings while they are still in their shells, buried under the soil, in order to coordinate when they hatch.

Achieving this synchronicity isn’t easy. Although the eggs are always laid at the same time in the same nest, those at the top of the nest near the sun-drenched soil develop much faster than those buried deeper in the cooler soil. However, Murray River turtles are able to tell whether their fellow hatchlings are more or less advanced and adapt their pace of development accordingly, allowing the slow-coaches to play catch-up. [..]

The team concluded that the embryos must be able to communicate with each other while they are still in their shells, but it’s not clear how. They suggest that it could be down to changes in the nest that trigger certain hormones that change the turtles’ metabolism. Embryos produce more thyroid hormone when oxygen levels fall. The fast-developing embryos could use up the oxygen levels around the next and emit more carbon dioxide. The reduction in oxygen could cause the slower developers to produce more thyroid hormone and therefore grow faster.

I’m inspired. When’s the last time you put that much effort into cooperating with your siblings?

vertical garden by verde 360! que linda! ummhello: tori-tori...

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 18:06:11 -0600

vertical garden by verde 360! que linda!

ummhello:

tori-tori restaurant, rojkind arquitectos

plantsaretakingover:

If you can look at this and say the media is not controlled by...

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 18:02:54 -0600

If you can look at this and say the media is not controlled by people who want to keep you docile and ignorant, I don’t know what else to tell you.

Glaringly obvious.

via onpointjams via knightoftaurus:

mothernaturenetwork: Google quits plans to make cheap renewable...

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 15:15:48 -0600

mothernaturenetwork:

Google quits plans to make cheap renewable energy
Google has abandoned an ambitious project to make renewable energy cheaper than coal, the latest target of Chief Executive Larry Page.

"Keep your thoughts positive because your thoughts become your words. Keep your words positive..."

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 08:18:30 -0600

“Keep your thoughts positive because your thoughts become your words. Keep your words positive...

Birth of New Island via theleftcorner

Sun, 13 Nov 2011 11:43:53 -0600

Birth of New Island

via theleftcorner

I’d like to get away to this little cabin for awhile. In...

Sun, 13 Nov 2011 11:19:01 -0600

I’d like to get away to this little cabin for awhile. In the mountains. Road trip is coming, we need to get away. nevver

Javan Rhinos are now extinct in Vietnam as of last week. In...

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 18:10:16 -0600

Javan Rhinos are now extinct in Vietnam as of last week. In South Africa, more rhinos have been killed in the past 10 months than in all of 2010. Help: stoprhinopoaching.com

This is so sad. Why do we need the the horns of rhinos?

I love this, great reuse! I sense a project coming….

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 22:11:29 -0600

I love this, great reuse! I sense a project coming….

Meera House by Guz Archtiects

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 22:08:31 -0600

Meera House

by Guz Archtiects