bemoreeco

The team at studenthacks.org have put togther a list of creative eco solutions with what to do if you have any old books that you never plan on reading again. So are here are some eco fun ways to recycle them:

1. Hide stuff in your hollowed out book.
Read tips on how to hollow books with a ruler, pen, box cutter, and Elmer’s white glue.

2. Make Book Bookends.
Learn how to turn an old textbook into a bookend.

3. Create an invisible book shelf. 
Learn how to stack books on your wall without any shelves.

4. Turn a book into a clock.
If you have a book cover you really like, learn how to turn it into a clock.

5. Make a lamp shade out of a book. 
Easy way to convert a book into a lamp shade.

6. Turn a book into an iPod case. 
Go ahead and stick your headphones into that book. I’m not kidding.

7. Make table legs out of books.
Any English Major or grad student has probably countless books stashed in their bookshelves or closet. Learn how to make a table out of books.

8. Make a Lift-the-Flap Book for Toddlers 
Kids love board books — especially lift-the-flap books. Learn how to make one as a creative gift for that next baby shower or birthday party.

9. Trade your old books for new books. 
There are a variety of websites that let you trade books.  Check out bookmooch.com, paperbackswap.com, and bookins.com

10. Set a good book free with BookCrossing.com
Over 680,000 people in over 130 countries have decided to let a favorite book go free. You simply register your book - leave it at a favorite coffee shop or wherever - and track its progress. Learn more at BookCrossing.com.

No, New York or London are not underwater (yet, anyhow) - that’s a clever ad for HSBC by Ogilvy & Mather Mumbai ad agency in India. The bank wanted to raise awareness of the dangers of global warming, so the clever ad guys glued an aerial photo of a city’s skyscrapers to the base of a swimming pool … the effect of a submerged cityscape is fantastic!

Source: www.neatorama.com

From Animation to Live Action, Great Green Viewing

A futuristic-looking electric car that can travel over 115 miles on a single charge goes on sale in America next week.

The Aptera Typ-1 has its batteries charged from a regular household socket much like any other electric vehicle, but it is able to more than double its range by harnessing the power of the sun – its roof features a bank of solar cells that top up the car’s batteries.

The three-wheeled vehicle, which is classified as a motorcycle, will be launched in California and sell for the equivalent of £17,000.

‘Sexy’ electric cars

Increases in environmental awareness and the cost of fuel have not altered the fact that the appearance of a car is still a huge influence on its popularity – a fact that has not helped electric cars, which are about function first and foremost. A radical and in marketing terms ‘sexy’ car like the Aptera will do much to change the image of electric cars for the batter.

A hybrid version with a longer range is due to be launched in 2009 for under £20,000.

A spokesperson for the Environmental Transport Association (ETA) said: “The electric cars currently on sale cover around 40 miles on a single charge, but in locations that do not have the benefit of Californian sunshine the Aptera is set to improve on that figure.”

Source: ETA

The humble jam jar might not be the most obvious choice of raw material for a crafting session, but with a bit of imagination, a box of scraps, glue and odd-and-ends, it makes the perfect base for some eco-friendly craft making for the whole family! Easy and low cost, make a start by saving your used jars today and put away in your rainy day cupboard or craft box for some fun, interesting projects for children (and adults!) of all ages!

Why Jam Jars?

Jam jars are a great eco-friendly, reusable recourse for kids’ ‘makes’ - they are a manageable size, can be easily dish washed or sterilized before use to ensure clean, safe crafting, and their thickness makes them fairly safe for table-top work (obviously take care on unstable surfaces, and in the event of a crack, no matter how hairline or small, dispose of the jar via the recycling bin). They are also very easy to come by – ask friends or relatives to save them for you, or, if you don’t routinely buy preserves, purchase your jars direct from a glass merchant or kitchen store.

What Can We Do With Them?

Believe it or not, there are lots of fun and imaginative things you can do with your used jam jars! You will undoubtedly come up with your own simple, quick and easy projects to suit the ages of your children, but straight forward ideas could include painting them with glass paints to make pretty pen pots or containers for cotton wool balls, make up brushes or small kitchen tools. Make an effective candle holder by dropping in a tea-light and decorating the outside of the jar with a stained-glass effect for a stunning, reflective finish when the tea light is lit.

Fun Gifts

For different seasons, you can easily make appropriate jam jar gifts: at Christmas time, you could make a snow shaker, with glitter and a snowman figure – simply glue a firm seal around the lid after closing to keep the contents secure! Create a pretty Easter scene with a spring-flower painted jar – think daffodils, snowdrops or tulips, and fill with mini eggs or other small chocolate treats. Beach and miniature garden scenes can also be made – with a bit of patience – inside a jam jar – experiment with sand, shells and small pebbles for a fun effect. Use oasis and artificial flowers to make an enclosed flower-in-a-vase ornament.

Decorated Jam Jars

Use a variety of paints, pens and fabrics to decorate your jars – ribbons, raffia, artificial flowers, card toppers and beads can all be easily glued on to jars, and when finished, they make for an unusual ‘gift bag’ for small items, such as jewellery, home made biscuits or sweets, or small toys.

Children can personalise their jars to make useful storage for their bedrooms, tying in the decoration with their colour schemes, or reflecting their hobbies and interests. Given their dimensions, the jars make the perfect storage solution for small ‘bits and pieces’ that children love to hoard!

Source: Eco Friendly Kids

Photo: Down to Earth Blog

How it works

It’s pretty simple to organise a swishing party. Everyone must bring at least one clean, good quality item of clothing. It’s better to donate more because you are allowed to leave with as much booty as you’ve brought. 

I went to my first party, Swap ‘til You Drop in Bethnal Green, east London, one Sunday afternoon to take a peek.

Let the swish begin

Hoping to come away with some hot nearly-new clothes, I arrived early and things were just getting started. All of the donated clothes are hung on display rails and once most people are there the rules of swish were explained. 

You then have an hour or so to browse and try on clothes you like. One of the rules is that you can’t claim items during this time. When the swish begins, you take what you want. The party I went to also had a sewing machine available someone on hand to help, so people could customise and alter clothes if they wished.

I left with two tops, a skirt and a necklace, and came away converted - by recycling some of my old stuff I could have a guilt-free image update! And any unswapped clothes at the end of the party were donated to charity. 

Reduce, reuse

We’re all guilty of buying too much and with scandals in the news about sweatshops disposable fashion becoming less desirable. Clothes swapping is a greener and more ethical way of updating your wardrobe.

Swapping wearable clothes rather than throwing them away reduces waste and saves energy, as all new things use raw materials, thereby reducing carbon emissions. 

Everyone has something in their wardrobe that they just don’t wear; swishing is a fantastic way to recycle those unwanted clothes and accessories. It’s a great reason to throw a party and doesn’t have any of the hassles of Saturday high street shopping.

More swapping fun

• “VISA SWAP” is a collaboration between Visa and TRAID shop – it’s a pop-up shop that opens on London’s Brompton Road. You drop off your clothes in the first two weeks - in return you get a Visa Swap chip card, which is charged with points. Then on the third weekend it’s Party Time and you can spend all your points on other items.
• Try Swap-a-rama - a London-based swishing club night that also turns up at music festivals and events. At the sounds of a klaxon, people swap clothes with their dancefloor neighbour.
• The clothes swapping concept also works well on the web. Specialising in designer clothes, Whatsmineisyours.com is an online fashion exchange website. All you have to do is register for free, upload items from your wardrobe and link with people who have similar tastes.

A Spanish city has found an unusual place to generate renewable energy - the local cemetery.

Santa Coloma de Gramanet, near Barcelona, has placed 462 solar panels over its multi-storey mausoleums. Officials say the scheme was initially greeted with derision, but families who use the cemetery eventually supported the idea following a public campaign.

There are now plans to erect more panels at the cemetery and triple the amount of electricity generated. The cemetery was chosen for the project because it is one of only a few open, sunny places in the crowded city, which has a population of 124,000 crammed into 4 sq km (1.5 sq miles).

The installation cost 720,000 euros (£608,000) but will keep about 62 tonnes of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere every year, said Esteve Serret, a director of Conste-Live Energy, the company that runs the cemetery and also works in renewable energy.  ”The best tribute we can pay to our ancestors, whatever your religion may be, is to generate clean energy for new generations,” he said.

Unobtrusive position

At the cemetery row after row of gleaming, blue-grey solar panels now rest on mausoleums which hold five levels of coffins. The panels will create enough energy each year to supply the needs of 60 homes. The panels face almost due south to soak up the maximum amount of sunshine and are tilted at a low angle to make them as unobtrusive as possible.

City councillor Antoni Fogue said that public reaction was quit negativee when the idea was first mooted three years ago. ”We heard things like, ‘they are crazy. Who do they think they are? What a lack of respect!’,” he told the Associated Press.

But town hall and cemetery officials then waged a public awareness campaign to outline the benefits of the project and to explain the respectful way in which it would be carried out. ”There has not been any problem whatsoever because people who go to the cemetery see that nothing has changed,” Mr Fogue said. ”This installation is compatible with respect for the deceased and for the families of the deceased.”

The solar panels cover less than 5% of the total surface area of the cemetery, which holds the remains of about 57,000 people, but there are plans to install more. Santa Coloma de Gramanet - essentially a suburb of Barcelona that is home to more than 100,000 people - has four other solar parks, mostly on top of buildings, but the cemetery is by far the largest. 

Source & Photo: BBC News

……The Dangers Of Climate Change.

Shortly after Barack Obama spoke out against factory farming, he took to YouTube to preach about the dangers of climate change. In the video, Obama says: “Few changes facing America and the world are more urgent than combating climate change.  The science is beyond dispute and the facts are clear —  sea levels are rising, coastlines are shrinking. We’ve seen record drought, spreading famine and storms that are growing stronger with each passing hurricane season.”

Gosh, what a breath of fresh air to see a politician finally speak open and honestly about the dangers of global warming. If you’d like to hear more from the President-elect, check out the video below!

The Video

Source: Ecorazzi