Raising the Bar for Recycling: Architect Repurposes Old Electronics
We have noted before that there are a lot of other Rs that are more effective than recycling, including reuse, rot (compost) repurpose, repair, return, refill and most importantly, refuse.
In Melbourne, Australia, 10 architects were challenged to “use recycled materials to design components of a working licensed bar.” Mark McQuilten of Architectus sent us pictures of his work. He turns old circuit boards and motherboards into a map of Melbourne….Read the full story on TreeHugger
Australia Open-Sourcing Ocean Data With New Integrated Marine Information System
Photo via kevwhelan
The common estimate is that humans have explored only 95% of the world’s oceans. Considering they cover about 75% of the planet’s surface and hold vast amounts of flora and fauna, yet is incredibly fragile and suffering terribly from abuse by humans and changes in the chemistry of our atmosphere, it’s no wonder that researchers want to collect as much data as possible into one place so that we can better understand this watery resource. Australia – home of such marine treasures as the Great Barrier Reef – appreciates the importance of this task and has p…Read the full story on TreeHugger
Record Rains Drown and Strand Animal Residents of Zimbabwe’s Starvation Island
A water buck attempts to swim from Starvation Island to the mainland in northern Zimbabwe. Photo by the Associated Press
It may take another Noah’s Ark to save the population of Zimbabwe’s sadly aptly named Starvation Island, where record seasonal rains have flooded the <a href=…Read the full story on TreeHugger
Australia Makes Good on Threat to Take Japan to Court to Stop Whaling
Whale meat on sale at the Tsukiji fish market in Japan, photo: Stefan Powell.
Threatened for some time now, Australia has begun legal action against Japan to stop whaling in the Southern Ocean. Formal proceedings will begin in The Hague next week and would lead to a provisional order for Japan to halt whaling ahead of a full he…Read the full story on TreeHugger
The Carbonwood Bicycle. Art or Design?
All photos: Craig Wall for Craig Galego
Design is about compromise. Art doesn’t know the word. Design needs to respond to vagaries of a mass market. Art is more unfettered — the idea comes first, the audience later. Design acknowledges the dictates of function (even it doesn’t always abide by them). Art bows down only to the altar of form. But as with life, there are rarely black and white absolutes, and sometimes art and design collide. When they do, it is often art that often comes out the stronger of the two.
Take, for example, Australian designer Gary Galego’s Carbonwood bike. It is a stunning piece of art. A material co…Read the full story on TreeHugger
Australia’s First Public Electric Car Charge Station is Go
Photos: NineMSN, GoGet, ChargePoint.
It was 2005 when we last reported on Australia’s pioneering car share business GoGet. The guys have been going places since then, figuring that their service now keeps the equivalent of more than 230 cars off the road, through their more than 26 car share pods in four states (though we suspect the…Read the full story on TreeHugger
Woodland Birds Losing Out to Farmland Birds as Australian Rivers Dry Up
Grey-crowned Babbler, one of the species losing its habitat; photo via lostandcold
The Macquarie Marshes, one of Australia’s iconic wetlands, is dying a slow death as droughts and water diversion infrastructure take their toll, and feeling the squeeze along with the river are the birds that inhabit the woodlands along its edge. As the river dries, large areas of river red gums are stressed or dead, which leaves equally large numbers of birds homeless. The unintended consequences of river water diversion…Read the full story on TreeHugger
Vintage Canvas Gets Reimagined as Chic Cycleware
Photos: Ron D Swan
What’s not to like about a brand about a business that promotes materials reuse and cycling? Their brand name, maybe? Ron D Swan hardly conveys the tenor of the company, nor its product. But may the business thrive in spite of the nomenclature.
Hailing from Castlemaine, in Central Victoria, Australia this small company produces shoulder bags and bicycle panniers from polyester/cotton and 100% canvas. It is mostly roll ends, offcuts or even secret stashes of 40 year old, yet previously unused canvas. The patterns and colours are wild. The designs seem practical, without being overwrought, and finish appears to …Read the full story on TreeHugger
After Chinese Coal Carrier Disaster, Australia Toughening Up Shipping Laws
Photo via dicktay2000
We’ve been watching the drama unfold around the Chinese coal-carrying ship that grounded on the Great Barrier Reef, causing damage to the fragile ecosystem that could take decades to heal. Two of the crew members have been arrested by the Australian government and we’re waiting to find out if a fine and/or jail sentence will be issued. However, the incident sparked more than arrest. Australia is now tightening up its shipping re…Read the full story on TreeHugger
Species of Invasive Fish Walk on Land, Climb Trees
This is a Snakehead fish, but you can just call him “Fishzilla.”
Australia has long battled with all sorts of harmful, invasive species–and wildlife authorities are concerned that they may soon be facing a new threat from what may be one of meanest-looking of unwelcome guests. The culprit is a particularly troublesome creature called the Snakehead fish, which is able to breath air, allowing it to travel on land to find prey or migrate. Also known by the perhaps more fitting moniker “Fishzilla,” the invasive fish ha…Read the full story on TreeHugger
