This series of Lawnge Chairs from Valkenberg Park in Breda, Netherlands can serve as a green inspiration for the caretakers of public places across the world. These lawnge chairs look like a radical extension of the green carpet that embrace the public places in Netherlands.

Part of a series of lounge chairs, these seats are a collective effort of designer Lisette Spee and architect Tim Van Den Burg. Critically looking at the design, it is sad to know that very few natural elements have been used as constituents in this design. Instead, the duo has gone for metal and artificial grass covering.

There have been deigns of such lawnge chairs that have incorporated green materials, giving a more pleasing ambiance altogether and these chairs could have benefited from those designs. Leaving the caustic angle aside, these lawnge chairs can be a great way to relax after a hectic work day. Even on a hot day, these chairs could serve as a resting place, giving you respite from the heat.

[via Inhabitat]

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Everybody knows you can’t just stare at the sun. Well, if you didn’t know that you do now. Do not stare at the sun. Repeat after me, do not stare at the sun.

Still, lots of folk will be looking to the heavens on July 22nd to watch the full solar eclipse. I remember doing this some 30+ years ago…okay make that almost 40 years ago. We had these thick glasses to filter out the sun and only the moon was left.

There’s another way to watch the eclipse. From how stuff works/science.

1. Get two pieces of cardboard (flaps from a box, backs of paper tablets).
2. With a pin or pencil point, poke a small hole in the center of one piece (no bigger than the pin or pencil point).
3. Take both pieces in your hand.
4. Stand with your back to the sun.
5. In one hand, hold the piece with the pinhole; place the other piece (the screen) behind it.
6. The sunlight will pass through the pinhole and form an image on the screen (see How does a pinhole camera work?
7. Adjust the distance between the two pieces to focus and change the size of the image.

Or you can go to one of these

4 places to watch the July 22nd full solar eclipse online

Modern houses are becoming more and more eco-friendly and that is because big names like William McDonough and Partners are coming up with paradigms like the Cradle to Cradle design theories. A recent structure in New Orleans developed as a part of the Make it Right initiative also uses the same design theory.

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Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is expected to have electricity-powered cars on its streets soon. Abu Dhabi, the emirate that exports oil, is now busy buying stakes in alternative energy. This includes a stake in Tesla Motors, the automobile start-up firm, based in California, the United States, which makes high-performance battery-electric vehicles.

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China-based Suntech Power Holdings – the world’s biggest manufacturer of crystalline silicon photovoltaic (PV) modules that convert light energy into electricity – has signed agreements to develop 4 solar-power plants in China.

Suntech Power Holdings Company Limited says it has signed pacts with the governments of Shaanxi province and Qinghai province as well as the city governments of Shizuishan and Panzhihua to produce 1.8 gigawatts of solar power.

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Al Gore, former Vice-President of the United States, has resorted to the example of Winston Churchill in his latest word of warning about global warming.  Al Gore, environmental campaigner and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, also won an Oscar for his film titled An Inconvenient Truth – a film that helped bring the grave question of global climate change to a worldwide audience.

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Non-rechargeable batteries contribute to garbage and add dangerous toxins to waste making them an environmental threat. Rechargeable batteries have long been touted as safe or at least better for the environment but when you do not find a socket outdoors the entire praise falls flat.

It is in these circumstances that people look for those AA and AAA 1.5volts options that once used can be chucked into the bin. A rechargeable solution that needs no electric socket would also be a great option. But until now, it has been a far-fetched dream.

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I have been looking at a lot into greener structures of late and this iteration from  architect Robert Ferry has captivated my imagination the most. It was an entrant at a design competition in Dubai which required him to design a tall emblem for the Za’abeel Park. Sadly, it was rejected.

Nonetheless, the Almeisan Tower does give us a glimpse into the future leaving us mesmerized with the way things could shape up. This tower isn’t just a place for recreation. The 600kW solar tower makes it a capable energy grid good enough to power the structures within and the park as well, of course.

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In an effort to reduce electricity consumption, General Electric Company is going to combine energy-efficient lighting and energy-efficient appliances with energy management systems and renewable power generators. The systems – named ‘Net Zero Energy Home’ – involves photovoltaic cells and thin-film solar cells as well as advanced energy storage products that help save energy.

General Electric said in a press release that it is working with utility and government partners to help improve the power grid – “which has not changed much since the days of Thomas Edison” – in ways that will not cause consumers to “compromise their lifestyles.”

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Toyota Motor Corporation, of Japan, has launched the HS250h sedan – the car maker’s first dedicated hybrid model, under the premium Lexus brand.  Toyota, the biggest automobile manufacturer in the world, says it has got orders worth 6 months of targeted sales in Japan.

The launch of the HS250h sedan is seen as part of Toyota’s latest efforts to bring fuel-efficient hybrid vehicles into the mainstream as governments worldwide are making rules on emissions and fuel economy stricter, along with offering consumers incentives to buy cars that pollute less.

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