theresakeil

Design/Sustainable Design Info, Articles - Links

2009-09-03T09:49:00.002-04:00

http://www.ecogeek.org/
http://www.treehugger.com/
http://www.treehugger.com/design_architecture/
http://www.id-mag.com/GeneralMenu/

Comedian Bob Nelson

2008-10-23T18:01:00.001-04:00

Design is Kinky!

2008-09-14T12:25:00.002-04:00

http://www.designiskinky.net/

Just in Time for our Materials Project....

2008-04-30T01:56:00.011-04:00

Check out Core 77's latest blog:
http://www.core77.com/blog/featured_items/rss_alert_new_gallery_up_at_core77_material_xperience_9644.asp

RSS Alert: New Gallery up at Core77: Material Xperience

"From recycled chewing gum to transparent concrete, Core's materials addict, Aart van Bezooyen, inspires us with the look and feel of Material Xperience 2008. This four day event in The Netherlands (April 23-26) showcases the latest materials for architecture and design."
http://www.core77.com/blog/featured_items/rss_alert_new_gallery_up_at_core77_material_xperience_9644.asp

Stephen Wiltshire: The Human Camera

2008-04-29T12:29:00.001-04:00

2008-04-23T01:53:00.002-04:00

I purchased the Andrew Goss book "Concrete Handbook for
Artists" and was invited to join the email discussion group ArtConcrete.
Could be helpful.....More information here:
http://makersgallery.com/concrete/emaillist.html

Concrete Jewelry

2008-04-22T19:12:00.004-04:00

http://www.suedorman.com/concrete.htm#

So Little Time, So Much to Read

2008-04-19T06:48:00.013-04:00

Design
Droog: Milan Design Week 2008:
http://www.designboom.com/snapshot/gallery-view-all.php?SNAPSHOT_ID=12&GALLERY_ID=654

http://www.interaction.rca.ac.uk/
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/01/id_magazine_jan.php
http://www.designboom.com/eng/index.xtml
Museums...
http://www.seedmagazine.com/news/2008/04/design_and_the_elastic_mind.php?page=1
http://www.seedmagazine.com/news/2008/03/paola_antonelli_benoit_mandelb.php
http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/exhibitions/
http://www.newmuseum.org/
http://www.mossonline.com/gallery-exec/display/home
http://www.cooperhewitt.org/EXHIBITIONS/

Concrete..Molds..Stuff

http://www.litracon.hu/
http://www.makersgallery.com/concrete/howto4.html
http://www.fab-slab.com/
http://www.buddyrhodes.com/
http://www.sculpture.net/
http://www.artstuf.com/
http://www.ganoksin.com/
http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/nenam/concrete-jewelry.htm

The 11th Hour Trailer and Website

2008-04-13T11:38:00.003-04:00

Check out Leonardo Dicaprio’s new website, www.11thhouraction.com, and the trailer for "The 11th Hour": a documentary concerning the environmental crises caused by human actions and calls for restorative action through a reshaping of human activity.

http://11thhouraction.com/

2008-04-13T02:33:00.003-04:00

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/03/everybody-green-bracelets.php

Cornstarch Resin Jewelry by EverybodyGreen
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 03.26.08
FASHION & BEAUTY

Part adornment, part anti-plastic statement, these nickel- and lead-free cornstarch-resin-based bracelets by EverybodyGreen were designed to aid environmental non-profits, as well as raise public consciousness about eco-friendly alternatives.

Strung on organic hemp cord and embellished with a "Go Green" charm made from recycled brass, the bracelets come in coordinating sets of three ($15), in color themes with names such as "berries," "crystal," "ocean," and "dusk." EverybodyGreen will donate 10 percent of each sale to selected organizations such as Oceana, Earth Resource Foundationa, and The Clean Water Fund. (The company's goal is to raise $1 million by the end of 2008.) For old-school shoppers, you can also find the line at retailers such as Nordstrom's, Claire's, and Mandee's.

Check Out These Images!! Must See!!

2008-04-01T21:14:00.007-04:00

Running the Numbers
An American Self-Portrait

"This series looks at contemporary American culture through the austere lens of statistics. Each image portrays a specific quantity of something: fifteen million sheets of office paper (five minutes of paper use); 106,000 aluminum cans (thirty seconds of can consumption) and so on. My hope is that images representing these quantities might have a different effect than the raw numbers alone, such as we find daily in articles and books. Statistics can feel abstract and anesthetizing, making it difficult to connect with and make meaning of 3.6 million SUV sales in one year, for example, or 2.3 million Americans in prison, or 410,000 paper cups used every fifteen minutes. This project visually examines these vast and bizarre measures of our society, in large intricately detailed prints assembled from thousands of smaller photographs. The underlying desire is to emphasize the role of the individual in a society that is increasingly enormous, incomprehensible, and overwhelming." http://chrisjordan.com/current_set2.php

Barbie Dolls, 2008
60x80"

Depicts 32,000 Barbies, equal to the number of elective breast augmentation surgeries performed monthly in the US in 2006.

Partial zoom:

Detail at actual print size:

http://chrisjordan.com/current_set2.php

Click on the link above for more!

Can Our Next Field Trip be to Dubai?

2008-03-10T02:51:00.009-04:00

Check out the link below, very interesting designs.....more cool stuff in the article...

The city has gained world-wide attention in the past few years because of its booming economy and ambitious architectural projects. With a focus on business and tourism, the city is ramping up construction on an unprecedented level. In fact, Dubai is said to be home to 15% to 25% of the world's 125,000 construction cranes.
A slew of new projects are on the table and in the works....
http://www.designboom.com/contemporary/dubai1.html

More Random Diamond Info

2008-02-13T21:09:00.003-05:00

Taken from: http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/diamonds/facts.html

Geography

Diamonds are mined in about 25 countries and on every continent except Europe and Antarctica.
It is thought that Antarctica may be a rich source of diamonds but international accords prohibiting mining in Antarctica.
Major diamond trading centers are located in Antwerp, Tel Aviv, Bombay, London and Russia.
Currently producing countries include Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, Angola, Sierra Leone, Congo, Australia, Canada, and Russia.
There is only one diamond mine located in the United States—in Arkansas.

Consumers

Americans buy approximately fifty percent of the world's diamond jewelry.
In 1947, Frances Gerety, a young copywriter on the De Beers account at N.W. Ayer in New York, came up with the famous slogan "A diamond is forever."

Culture & History

Diamonds were first mined in India over 4,000 years ago.
In India, each caste was permitted to own diamonds of a specific color; only kings could possess all colors of diamonds.
In ancient Egypt, diamonds were symbols of eternity and used in the funeral jewelry that adorned corpses.
A 13th century French law proclaimed that only the king could wear diamonds.
During the Middle Ages, it was only men who wore diamonds, as a symbol of their courage and virility. That ended in 1477, when Archduke Maximilian of Austria gave a diamond ring to Mary of Burgundy.
In Europe during the Middle Ages, it was believed that diamonds had protective and curative powers. It was also said that a diamond held in the mouth would correct the bad habits of liars and scolds. Diamonds were worn as talismans against poisoning.

Etymology

The word "diamond" comes from the Greek adamao, "I tame" or "I subdue." The adjective "adamas" was used to describe the hardest known substance, eventually becoming associated with the gem diamond.
The Sanskrit word for diamond is "vajra," meaning "thunderbolt."
A diamond's weight is measured in carats, a unit of measurement equal to 200 milligrams. A carat is a fifth of a gram. The term comes from the word "carubis", the seed of the carob tree.

Geology

Diamonds are the crystalline form of carbon. They're created in molten rock, 75 to 120 miles below the earth's surface and then transported to the surface in volcanic eruptions. In order to remain a diamond and not turn into graphite or carbon dioxide, the diamond crystals must cool both near the surface and quickly.
The most recent "kimberlite" volcano eruption was approximately 53 million years ago. Kimberlite pipes form when kimberlite magma, a mixture of rock material is pushed to the surface. Its important components include fragments of rock, large crystals, and crystallized magma that acts as a glue for the mixture. It rises through the Earth's crust in a network of cracks that become kimberlite pipes.
According to the San Diego Natural History Museum, most diamonds are over three billion years old, two-thirds the age of the Earth. Younger diamonds are only 100 million years old.

Mining & Processing

In a De Beers mine, on average, 250 tons of ore would need to be excavated to find one stone that would be big enough to polish a one-carat diamond.
When cut and polished, diamonds gain 40% of their value and lose up to half their weight.
Eight out of 10 of the world's rough diamonds—about 125 million carats a year—pass through Antwerp's Diamond Center.

Uses

Of the diamonds mined annually, fewer than 20 percent are suitable for use as gems, the other eighty percent are used in industry.
80 tons of synthetic diamonds are produced annually for industrial use.

Research/Websites

2008-02-13T14:28:00.004-05:00

www.stopblooddiamonds.org
http://geology.com/articles/blood-diamonds.shtml
www.un.org/peace/africa/Diamond.html
http://www.democracynow.org/2007/2/14/diamond_life_documentary_examines_how_diamonds
http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/diamonds/
http://www.history.com/minisite.do?content_type=mini_home&mini_id=52826
http://www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/vh1_rock_docs/115835/episode.jhtml
http://www.diamond-key.com/
http://pubs.acs.org/cen/coverstory/8205/8205diamonds.html
http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/diamonds/growing.html

Lose 3000 pounds!

2008-02-11T23:06:00.000-05:00

Global Warming & Climate Change
How does a gas in the air around us weigh anything? Think of a pound of ice boiling into water vapor; it's still a pound of water while it's floating in the air. By the same token, each time you drive a mile, your car burns liquid gasoline and releases about a pound of carbon dioxide. This happens because you're combining an atom of carbon with two atoms of oxygen many, many times over. On a larger scale, the same thing occurs at the power plant with burnt coal each time you draw energy from the grid to power your TV, warm your water or chill your home. But every step you take to save energy trims pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and reduces your global-warming burden.

Take one step each month to lose 3,000 pounds, then keep shedding that weight.

Month / Activity / Calculation / CO2 Savings
January 1 / Turn down your thermostat by 2 degrees / (53 lbs./mo.) x 6 mos. / 318 lbs.
February 1 / Run dishwasher only when full and on its energy-saver mode/ (70 lbs./mo.) x 11 mos. / 770 lbs.
March 1 / Wash clothes in cold water rather than hot / (42 lbs./mo.) x 10 mos. / 420 lbs.
April 1 / Keep tires properly inflated / (21 lbs./mo.) x 9 mos / 189 lbs.
May 1 / Dry half your clothes on the clothes line or drying rack /(60 lbs./mo.) x 8 mos. / 480 lbs.
June 1 / Raise your thermostat from 72 to 73 degrees this summer / (40 lbs./mo.) x 4 mos. / 160 lbs.
July 1 / Plug electronics into power strip and turn off when not in use / (20 lbs./mo.) x 6 mos. / 120 lbs.
August 1 / Insulate your water heater / (26 lbs./mo.) x 5 mos. / 130 lbs.
September 1/ Caulk and weatherstrip your home / (72 lbs./mo.) x 4 mos. / 288 lbs.
October 1 / Take the bus to work or school one day a week / (13 lbs./mo.) x 3 mos. / 39 lbs.
November 1/ Clean your refrigerator's coils and defrost it regularly / (58 lbs./mo.) x 2 mos. / 116 lbs.
December 1/ Replace one 70 watt bulb with a 9 watt LED / (5 lbs./mo.) x 1 mo. / 5 lbs.
YEAR TOTAL 3,035 pounds
If every U.S. household took these steps : 160 million tons
Filed under: Energy efficiency, Global warming and climate change, Carbon footprint, Carbon reduction, CO2 emissions
Green Guide 123 | December 2007 | For Your Community: http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/123/carbon

GO GREEN!

2008-02-11T21:01:00.001-05:00

I have been sifting through tons of info on the whole 'green' issue the last couple weeks, and am inundated with an amazing amount of information. Like many people, I have been cognizant of the environment and my role as an individual in making good choices....and thought that I was having an impact, albeit minor (recycling my Deer Park water bottles rather than foregoing buying bottled water altogether). It has become clear that so much more can be done. Daunting as that responsibility can be, consider making small changes.. A couple of suggestions follow.

Bottled Water

I have been buying cases of bottled water for years. I pack them in my kids lunches, keep a couple bottles in the car, grab one as I run out the door. I recycle them, so it's ok, right? Then I heard a story on NPR a couple weeks ago which has changed (forced) my thinking. It takes something like 3 bottles of water to make one bottle-water is needed to manufacture the plastic let alone fill the bottle. That doesn't include the fossil fuel needed to get the water to the store and to your house. And of course if you don't recycle that bottle it sits in a landfill.

And from Charles Fishman on bottled water in a recent Fast Company post:
Americans spent more money last year on bottled water than on ipods or movie tickets: $15 Billion. Packing bottled water in lunch boxes, grabbing a half-liter from the fridge as we dash out the door, piling up half-finished bottles in the car cup holders–that happens because of a fundamental thoughtlessness. It’s only marginally more trouble to have reusable water bottles, cleaned and filled and tucked in the lunch box or the fridge. We just can’t be bothered. And in a world in which 1 billion people have no reliable source of drinking water, and 3,000 children a day die from diseases caught from tainted water, that conspicuous consumption of bottled water that we don’t need seems wasteful, and perhaps cavalier. (Read the entire post: http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/117/features-message-in-a-bottle.html)

STOP BUYING BOTTLED WATER!!
I did!
But then how shall we get our daily quota's you ask? For one thing, I'm sure we all have portable, reusable bottles at home. If not, here are some suggestions....

New Wave Enviro Products
Corn-resin bottle with filter ($8.99) provides pure, clean drinking water and can be reused up to 90 times, and the bottle biodegrades in just 80 days. For more information visit www.newwaveenviro.com or call 800-592-8371.
SIGG water bottles
Using a premium reusable bottle like SIGG greatly helps reduce unnecessary environmental waste caused by plastic PET water bottles. Get more information at mysigg.com.

Interesting texture from around the house....

2008-02-04T14:12:00.001-05:00

Conflict or Blood Diamonds

2008-02-04T11:27:00.000-05:00

What is a conflict diamond?

"Conflict diamonds are diamonds that originate from areas controlled by forces or factions opposed to legitimate and internationally recognized governments, and are used to fund military action in opposition to those governments, or in contravention of the decisions of the Security Council."

http://www.un.org/peace/africa/Diamond.html

Countries most affected by conflict diamonds are Sierra Leone, Angola, Liberia and Democratic Republic of Congo -- all places where citizens have been terrorized, mutilated, and killed by groups in control of the local diamond trade.

http://jewelry.about.com/cs/diamondmining/a/diamonds.htm

Given diamonds’ controversial role in financing civil war and fueling conflict, international activist pressure led in 2003 to the launch of the Kimberly Process--a system of international certification requirements to verify that a diamond doesn't come from a conflict zone. http://us.oneworld.net/article/view/143607/1/1?gclid=CJjGlPD3qpECFQuNHgodwhHjXg

Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) in 2003
The KPCS is an international certification scheme which requires that any shipment of rough diamonds to or from a participating state is accompanied by a Kimberley Process certificate guaranteeing that the rough diamonds are "conflict-free". The diamond industry committed to a system of self-regulation to support the KPCS system including establishing a code of conduct to prevent trade in conflict diamonds, implementing a system of warranties requiring that all invoices for sales of diamonds warrant in writing that the diamonds are conflict-free, keeping records of warranty invoices and having these audited and informing company employees of government regulations and industry policies to prevent the trade in conflict diamonds.
http://www.amnestyusa.org