Maintaining Profits or Sustaining People & Planet
There is an interesting article up on Enviropaedia by Dr Eureta Rosenberg which looks at sustainable development.
Sustainable development is widely advocated as the way to deal with the issues that fill the pages of this publication. The concept is, however, hard to apply in practice, and easy to manipulate.
These days many promote ‘sustainability’, including some who are only interested in sustaining that which benefits them directly. But to make the world a better place for all, current practices must change. The term ‘sustainable development’ implies that some forms of development cannot be sustained (continued indefinitely).
Here we look at why we need a different kind of development, what sustainable development is about, and how the concept can be applied.
Click here to read the full article …
October 6th, 2008
Bike racks are a very cool form of public art. So hopefully New York will be able to artistically combine form and function when it picks from 10 intriguing international bike rack designs to start gracing New York’s city streets. Last week 9 prototypes were installed for use at the city’s Astor Place.
Part of PlaNYC’s focus on sustainable transport
The City Racks Design Competition combed through around 200 entries and whittled down to these 10 (seven above, three after the jump). Criteria for the racks included durable materials, safety, the possibility for a two-point connection (bike secured to the rack at two separate points), and of course – though not mentioned – aesthetics. City Racks is choosing a standard for outdoor sidewalk racks but also wanted to find new concepts for inside commercial and public buildings. (more…)
October 6th, 2008
By Nthambeleni Gabara
Science and Technology Minister, Mosibudi Mangena, will on Thursday preside over the unveiling of Africa’s first locally developed electric car at the Paris Motor Show in France.
Named “Joule”, the ultra sleek zero-emission car is Africa’s answer to climate change.
The car has been named after British physicist James Prescott Joule, who was best known for his research in electricity and thermodynamics.
Joule is a six-seater multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) designed by Optimal Energy in association with legendary South African-born automotive designer, Keith Helfet.
(more…)
October 3rd, 2008
Ecovative Design‘s Greensulate (building insulation) and Negative Volume (packaging) are manufactured—or rather, grown—from agricultural waste products like rice hulls, which are combined with water, recycled paper and living mushroom cells to create panels that can be used to insulate buildings or protect packages during shipment. The product offers the benefits of its polystyrene counterparts, while making a far smaller impact on the environment. Not only do Greensulate and Negative volume use byproducts that would otherwise be waste, the process is flexible enough to use byproducts from local agriculture—whether that’s buckwheat, rice or another regional crop—which further reduces the products’ eco footprint.
Greensulate’s founder, 23 year-old Eben Bayer, just won the PICNIC Green Challenge award for 2008, a EUR 500,00 prize awarded by the Dutch Postcode Lottery.
Ecovative Design will continue to work on material optimization and compliance testing throughout 2009, with a commercially available insulation product targeted for mid-2010. The company is actively seeking strategic partners.
Website: www.ecovativedesign.com
(Source: Springwise)
October 3rd, 2008
Provincial Study Day (Workshop)
Thursday, 23 October 2008
10h00 – 15h00
At DRC Sinodale Centre, 345 Burger Street/ Pietermaritzburg
Programme
- From 09h30 Arrival – Registration – Tea
- 10h00 Welcome and Introduction (KZNCC)
- Opening devotions
- The earth is God’s Rev Andrew Warmback/ Durban
- 10h30 CLIMATE CHANGE – A Disaster or an Opportunity for a Sustainable Future? Presentation by Bishop Geoff Davies/ Southern African Faith Communities’ Environment Institute SAFCEI/ Capetown
- 12h00 Questions – Group work with guiding questions
- 13h00 LUNCH
- 14h00 Plenary: Report back – resolutions – way forward – How can KZNCC start an Environment Programme – building of a provincial Task Team to drive the process
- 15h00 Departures
(more…)
October 1st, 2008
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