Clipmarks | urbanlife's clips

City Slickers Turn Tropical Entrepreneurs: An Eco-Adventure

Tue, 06 May 2008 16:44:48 GMT

clipped by: urbanlife
clipper's remarks: Imagine going after your dream business…on a tropical island. What does it really take to build an island resort? In 2002, four city slickers set out to build their dream business in the Panamanian rainforest: called Tranquilo Bay.

All of the buildings at Tranquilo Bay—are constructed from steel, virtually unheard of in that corner of Panama: but they wanted to protect against termites, sea air, and earthquake damage.

Jim Kimball and Jay Viola knew nothing about construction before beginning work on the buildings. They learned everything they needed from the Internet during Sunday visits to the mainland.

“We built Tranquilo Bay inside the rainforest overlooking the Caribbean Sea and the beautiful Panamanian Jungle. Our central location within the archipelago of Bocas del Toro permits us to explore some of the most biologically diverse areas of Panama and Central America: an archipelago of some 68 tropical islands”

http://www.tranquilobay.com/home.htm

Clip Source: ifmsapanama.org

Clip Source: www.inc.com

In 2002, four city slickers set out to build their dream business in the Panamanian rainforest

Jim and Renee Kimball and Jay and Stefania Viola had no construction experience, no modern equipment, no electricity and no skilled labor

What they did have was mud, heat, and plenty of crocodiles

the creation of their eco adventure lodge Tranquilo Bay -- a testament to entrepreneurial adventure in its purest form

Clip Source: www.inc.com

used a boat called a “panga” as their pickup truck to ferry tools to the dock under construction

Clip Source: www.inc.com

For more than two years Kimball and Viola camped out on a raised platform dubbed “the rancho.”

inside tents, which were attached to a roof

No toilets. No electricity. Lots of snakes and bugs.

Clip Source: www.inc.com

The entrepreneurs built the cabanas

Clip Source: www.inc.com

Kimball and Viola standing before the first completed cabana

Clip Source: www.inc.com

All supplies were unloaded at the dock and then dragged up to the work site

Clip Source: www.inc.com

The same method used by builders of the Panama Canal.

Clip Source: www.inc.com

Clip Source: msnbcmedia2.msn.com

Tags: eco-advetnure, panama, rainforest, dream job, island, vacation, nature

No Smoging in Paris: Building That Eats Smog & Cleans Air

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 16:56:17 GMT

clipped by: urbanlife
clipper's remarks: To absorb and recycle smog from the intense traffic near Paris in an "Innovation Center for Sustainable Development."

Clip Source: vincent.callebaut.org

Clip Source: www.inhabitat.com

Callebaut’s ‘Anti Smog: An Innovation Centre in Sustainable Development’ is a catalyst for cleaner air.

project balances public galleries, meeting rooms and gathering spaces over canals and abandoned railroad tracks in the 19th Parisian district

the process as an intention to “absorb and recycle by photo-catalytic effect the cloud of harmful gases (Smog) from the intense traffic near Paris.”

Under the smog eating exterior, the building houses public spaces with a central courtyard and natural lagoon, a place Callebaut envisions for teaching opportunities about urban ecology and renewable energy

also harvests rainwater from green space on the roof for use inside the building.

The “Wind Tower”

Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWT) to capture the prevailing urban winds

Ramps lead visitors through museum space and out to a rooftop garden with views across Paris.

an innovative urban space that is engaging, powered by renewable energy and has a positive impact on the surrounding urban environment.

Clip Source: vincent.callebaut.org

Tags: smog, sustainable, clean air, architecture, paris, no smoging

The Throw-Away Culture: Do you Own your Stuff?

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 16:38:18 GMT

clipped by: urbanlife
clipper's remarks: Our new economy may be just the motivation people need to stop and think before they toss.

If something breaks our first instinct is to throw it away and buy it new, instead of trying to fix it.

But even if we wanted to fix it, manufacturers have made it difficult for us to repair, re-use or upgrade our stuff.

Mr. Jalopy urges technology companies to create forums for consumers to share ideas, and pushes car companies to sell patterns so people can create accessories like seat covers....he wants companies to make schematics readily available so consumers can fix and re-imagine the objects they buy.

Clip Source: makezine.com

Clip Source: www.danramsey.com

Clip Source: www.npr.org

a push to re-imagine the objects we own rather than throw them away

the movement is about reusing and repairing objects, rather than discarding them to buy more

a philosophical idea about what ownership really is.

The terms of ownership are still dictated by the company that assembled it

If you're not able to open and replace the batteries in your iPod or replace the fuel-sender switch on your Chevy truck, you don't really own it

preaching the gospel of open source manufacturing

some corporations have shown interest

He tells them to use screws instead of glue, and to make schematics readily available so consumers can fix and re-imagine the objects they buy.

the economy may soon force people to alter their approach to objects

He yearns for the 1950s, he says, when people held onto their things for many years, fixing rather than discarding them.

Tags: reuse, repair, reduce waste, treasure, you can do it, own your stuff forever, cost of replacement

How Parking Lots Can Beat the Heat & Gain Energy

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 20:04:01 GMT

clipped by: urbanlife
clipper's remarks: On hot, sunny days when air conditioners threaten to overload the power grid, solar power generation makes a lot of sense.

Parking lots in asphalt-rich cities have great solar potential because the panels can be oriented to optimize power production during summer afternoons when electricity is most valuable.

Google, for example, has installed solar canopies on its parking lots to satisfy 30 percent of its headquarters' power demand.

Because the parking lots for most commercial buildings are bigger than the buildings themselves, economies of scale for large installations can further reduce the cost of the solar panels.

We shouldn't wait until the next heat wave to think about getting solar power from our parking lots.

Clip Source: www.metaefficient.com

A start-up company called Envision Solar has begun installing solar canopies in the parking lots of shopping centers.

These lots, usually barren, heat-producing landscapes, can now provide shade for customers, while generating up to a half-megawatt of electricity.

Envision’s “Solar Groves” incorporate lights that turn on automatically at night, while blocking skyward light pollution.

Clip Source: www.envisionsolar.com

Envision Solar believes that energy should be clean and accessible to everyone. Solar energy is one of the leading sustainable solutions to the world’s dependence on carbon fuels. We intend to provide durable and attractive integrated photovoltaic systems to help lead the worldwide transition to renewable energy use.

Tags: parking, solar, zoning, energy, power, cars, smart idea, good use of space

Great Lakes Basin Compact: Protect a Natural & National Treasure

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 18:50:50 GMT

clipped by: urbanlife
clipper's remarks: The Great Lakes are a finite, non-renewable natural treasure - containing a combined total of 6 quadrillion gallons of water — one-fifth of the world's fresh surface water. The lakes span 10,900 miles of coastline along the United States and Canada. The surface area of the lakes is larger than the states of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont and New Hampshire combined.

In 1998, there was a Lake Superior-based company in Ontario that proposed to take water by tanker out of Lake Superior to Asia.

This proposal failed and spurred the Great Lakes governors to take action. In 2001, they agreed to a framework to begin negotiating the compact. By 2005, they had a deal to take to their state legislatures...the base for the Great Lakes Basin Compact.

It says clearly that the Great Lakes should not be the long-term water supply answer for any other part of the world or any other part of the country.

Clip Source: www.treehugger.com

Clip Source: www.progressohio.org

Clip Source: mff.dsisd.net

Clip Source: www.minnesotalakes.net

Clip Source: www.npr.org

The eight Great Lakes states are on the verge of sending to Congress an accord that would keep water from being diverted out of the Great Lakes watershed.

The five Great Lakes — Superior, Huron, Michigan, Erie and Ontario — contain about 90 percent of the fresh surface water in the U.S. and about one-fifth of the entire world's supply.

The Great Lakes Water Compact aims to protect the lakes from large-scale water diversions.

Less than 1 percent of these great lakes are renewed every year through rain and snow melt

we have to make sure that the water that we have stays here and doesn't get squandered

In addition to Pennsylvania, the Great Lakes compact has been approved by the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and New York.

The compact, first and foremost, requires those within the Great Lakes basin to take better care of it.

states are required to develop water conservation plans and water quality standards

prohibits large-scale diversions of Great Lakes water

Clip Source: cache.eb.com

Clip Source: sitemaker.umich.edu

Clip Source: www.indianawildlife.org

Clip Source: www.expressmilwaukee.com

Tags: water, environment, natural resource, protect, limited supply, freshwater

Intergenerational School: Empowers Elderly to Stay Active

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:41:46 GMT

clipped by: urbanlife
clipper's remarks: K-6th school in Cleveland welcomes volunteers in their 80s & 90s, some with Alzheimer's or dementia. The founders believe volunteering gives the elderly a sense of purpose and happiness, as well as many health benefits.

TIS fosters an educational community of excellence that provides experiences and skills for life-long learning and spirited citizenship for learners of all ages. TIS encourages communities to create new environments that empower learners of all ages, as they become life-long contributors to a society.

TIS incorporates community volunteers into the life of the school. Volunteers perform a variety of tasks from painting and setting up classrooms to mentoring young readers and writers. TIS is a free public school.

Founder of TIF, Peter Whitehouse, believes when some people are diagnosed with Alzheimer's, they feel shame and withdraw themselves from society, so engagement is necessary for older people who have aging-associated cognitive challenges.

Clip Source: www.wcpn.org

Clip Source: www.themythofalzheimers.com

Clip Source: www.tisonline.org

Clip Source: www.npr.org

Dr. Peter Whitehouse gives his elderly patients with memory loss an unexpected prescription: Stay socially active.

Some of his favorite advice is to perform volunteer work, and he has even created a school where they can do just that.

Whitehouse and his wife, Cathy, founded an inner-city charter school in Cleveland called The Intergenerational School

It's common to see the school's young students working with older volunteers, including many who have Alzheimer's disease.

volunteering increased social activity, which may ward off depression and isolation

Whitehouse is trying to prove that volunteering has health benefits for people with Alzheimer's and dementia, too.

The whole program, just seeing all the people working together, the cooperation

the way society should be

having to respond to the kids' curiosity helps sharpen his memory

It fortifies your knowledge of who you are, where you are

When you see her sitting with a child and reading, she's able to interact with that child in the moment

Tags: community, education, alzheimer's, children, volunteer, happiness

"...I Dream Things That Never Were & Say Why Not"

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 21:35:25 GMT

clipped by: urbanlife
clipper's remarks: Remembering Robert F. Kennedy... June 5, 1968: After midnight, shortly after winning the South Dakota and California primaries and announcing " ... now it's on to Chicago," Kennedy is shot in the Ambassador Hotel by Sirhan Sirhan, a Jordanian immigrant. He dies the following day in Los Angeles.

This speech is Ted Kennedy delivering the closing part of the eulogy at the funeral of his brother Bobby, using excerpts from Bobby's famous speech to the students of a South African university in 1966. Bobby's speech to the students is one of the most beautiful speeches I have ever heard...I am glad that Ted Kennedy read it because it represented the kind of man his brother was and the great leader that this country lost.

To read the entire eulogy:

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/ekennedytributetorfk.html

Clip Source: www.youtube.com

[Video]

Tags: history, president, speech, a different future

Youth Court: Teen Offenders Allowed a Jury of Their Peers...Other Teens

Tue, 27 May 2008 18:06:39 GMT

clipped by: urbanlife
clipper's remarks: With more than 1,270 youth courts in 49 states: Youth courts are one of the fastest growing ways to prevent juvenile delinquency.

Youth courts, also called Teen courts or Peer courts, are unofficial, alternative courts in which first time, teen, low-level offenders, are diverted from the juvenile justice system and agree to be judged by other teenagers. The teens don’t decide guilt or innocence they are there to only hear out the defendants, ask questions and hand out sentences.

Not harsh sentences, but alternatives for these kids to come back into the community and become better citizens: such as completing community service, a drug awareness program, a mediation program, or a job interview program…one sentence included writing an essay on where he expects to be in 5 years.

Youth court offers a win/win situation: It lightens the overburdened juvenile court system, educates its student officers and tries to rehabilitate offenders by building on their strengths.

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

Clip Source: www.youthcourt.net

Clip Source: www.fredericknewspost.com

high school students had a heavy burden to bear as they heard the first cases presented in Frederick County Teen Court

jurors quizzed four of their peers about the circumstances that brought them to court

It was up to the teen jurors

to decide what penalties to impose on the young offenders

The crimes -- and the punishments -- are real

In contrast to traditional court proceedings

where judges or juries determine guilt -- the accused in teen court, usually 12 to 17 years old, must admit their wrongdoing

They come to court prepared to accept punishments decided by a jury of their peers.

Jurors and defendants are not allowed to know each other and do not attend the same schools.

A diversionary justice program run by teens for teens, the court offers first-time offenders a chance to learn from their mistakes without facing the high cost of juvenile court and a record of delinquency

it offers young teens an excellent chance to advance and get a second chance in life

Everybody makes mistakes

Tags: second chance, community, rehabilitate, future, education, local government

Peak Everything: Why Are We Running Out Of Everything?

Fri, 30 May 2008 21:29:02 GMT

clipped by: urbanlife
clipper's remarks: Why those basic things that we take for granted--such as water, food, and fuel--are getting expensive and scarce, all at once?

Clip Source: planetgreen.discovery.com

Peak Metal

Demand for products made from metals is exceeding production capacity

Clip Source: planetgreen.discovery.com

Peak Oil

declining and uncertain supply with exploding demand

result is a rapid increase in price, with ripple effects throughout the rest of our society, which is built almost entirely out of cheap oil

Clip Source: planetgreen.discovery.com

Peak Corn

if we are made of corn, corn is made of fossil fuels

When gas prices started going up, so did the price of corn.

Clip Source: planetgreen.discovery.com

Peak Rice

spot shortages appear to be caused by political action, such as export controls, and through waste

Clip Source: planetgreen.discovery.com

Peak Water

There is lots of water in America, it is just grossly mis-allocated and wasted.

Clip Source: planetgreen.discovery.com

Peak Gas

markets are pushing up natural gas in reaction to higher oil prices

Clip Source: planetgreen.discovery.com

Peak Electricity

we still have what Bill Richardson called "a superpower with a third-world electricity grid."

the demand is only going to get higher

Clip Source: planetgreen.discovery.com

Peak Dirt

the world is losing soil 10 to 20 times faster than it is replenishing it

Till it and plant a monoculture like corn on it and that soil gets depleted rapidly

Tags: resources, energy, limited, conserve, protect, future

Navajo Nation Fights Past & Present Threats of Uranium Mining

Fri, 30 May 2008 14:54:22 GMT

clipped by: urbanlife
clipper's remarks: There's money to be made in mining uranium, but last April, the Navajo Nation Council voted to ban uranium mining on Navajo land. For almost 40 years, beginning in the late 1940s, large quantities of uranium were mined on their land. Many Navajo still suffer related physical ailments: the cancer rates among Navajo living near mine tailings are 17 times the national average.

The U.S. government did not begin to provide relief to the Navajo miners and their families, who suffered exposure to radiation, until 1990. But clean up is still not complete because no one has officially taken responsibility for the contamination. The bureaucracy is overwhelming: Five federal agencies alone are involved, along with tribal and state agencies.

Since the 1990s the Navajo have been fighting Hydro Resources, Inc., who have been working with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to get a license to mine the land.

Clip Source: www.ehponline.org

Clip Source: www.ancestral.com

Navajo Uranium Miners (circa 1956)

Clip Source: www.npr.org

Despite the lure of millions of dollars, the Navajo Nation has banned uranium mining on its reservation, which spans parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.

That decision is the result of an ongoing legacy of disease left by decades of mining in the past.

There were no standards, there were no safety precautions

Thousands of uranium mines operated on Navajo land from the 1940s to the 1980s.

Clip Source: www.sprol.com

Clip Source: www.krcc.org

Clip Source: www.epa.gov

Clip Source: www.npr.org

All are now abandoned, many with radioactive mine waste

Some Navajo homes were even built using radioactive dirt

People still drink from unregulated, and possibly contaminated, water sources

Navajo are not the only people affected by uranium contamination

Non-native miners and people who worked at or lived downwind

have suffered, too.

"When the dust blows, the EPA people told me not to work outside too long,"

Cleanup is a daunting task.

no one even knows how many abandoned mines there are on the Navajo Nation reservation

no one has officially taken responsibility

Clip Source: www.ccrcnm.org

Clip Source: www.ancestral.com

Tags: tribes, alternative energy, history, government, health, cancer, fear the worst

What Ideas Will Shape our Future? The 10 Ideas of the 21st Century

Tue, 13 May 2008 19:38:59 GMT

clipped by: urbanlife
clipper's remarks: "More than money, more than politics, ideas are the secret power that this planet runs on."

"The 21st century will overturn many of our basic assumptions about economic life. The 20th century saw the end of European dominance of global politics and economics. The 21st century will see the end of American dominance too, as new powers make their voices heard on the world stage."

"The challenges of sustainable development—protecting the environment, stabilizing the world's population, narrowing the gaps of rich and poor and ending extreme poverty—will render passé the very idea of competing nation-states that scramble for markets, power and resources."

"The defining challenge of the 21st century will be to face the reality that humanity shares a common fate on a crowded planet."

"6.6 billion people living in an interconnected global economy producing an astounding $60 trillion of output each year."

Clip Source: www.time.com

ideas are the secret power that this planet runs on

Clip Source: www.time.com

10. Re-Judaizing Jesus

if you get the [Jewish] context wrong, you will certainly get Jesus wrong

Clip Source: www.time.com

9. Mandatory Health

a crackdown on workers' poor health habits

Clip Source: www.time.com

8. The New Austerity

Americans have kept piling on more and more debt

Clip Source: www.time.com

7. Synthetic Authenticity

the virtualization of life

has led to a deep consumer yearning for the authentic

Clip Source: www.time.com

6. Geoengineering

compensate for an intensified greenhouse effect by reducing the amount of solar radiation reaching the earth

Clip Source: www.time.com

5. Kitchen Chemistry

remaining brave cooks are going a little mad scientist

easier through gadgetry

Clip Source: www.time.com

4. Reverse Radicalism

Why do people leave terrorist groups?

disenchantment

Clip Source: www.time.com

3. The Post-Movie-Star Era

big names no longer mean big grosses

Clip Source: www.time.com

2. The End of Customer Service

the need to interact with human beings is quickly disappearing

Clip Source: www.time.com

1. Common Wealth

ending our misguided view of the world as an enduring struggle of "us" vs. "them"

our fate, our common wealth, is in our hands

to save the world for all

Tags: globalization, economy, religion, movies, planet, common, humanity, culture

Italy Works To Relieve Stress: 2008 Roman Pillow Fight

Wed, 07 May 2008 14:06:46 GMT

clipped by: urbanlife
clipper's remarks: Do you ever have one of those days where all you want to do is smack someone?

Rome, Italy - April 27, 2008: Over 300 people met in Piazza Santa Maria, in the Trastevere neighborhood, to celebrate the 3rd annual Roman Pillow Fight. Of course, to make all things fair, this pillow fight started exactly when the piazza’s clock tower chimed 6 pm… and then BAM! Feathers everywhere! The purpose of the annual Pillow Fight is to relieve stress and anxiety…and have some fun!

Pillow Fight Fever is spreading and becoming a worldwide phenomena so if you want to start your own pillow fight next year, International Pillow Fight Day is March 22! Or visit http://www.pillowfightday.com/index.php to see is your city already participates!

Clip Source: romanpillowfight.blogspot.com

Tags: community, culture, public square, italy, why not have a little fun?

Father of India's Green Revolution Prepares for Evergreen Revolution

Mon, 12 May 2008 19:59:20 GMT

clipped by: urbanlife
clipper's remarks: “In every crisis is an opportunity” Swaminathan is once again agitating for revolution -- this time a perpetual one.

In the early ‘60s, India grew 12 million tons of wheat every year. Starvation was rampant and the country imported much of its food. Swaminathan, an agricultural geneticist, developed new strains of high-yield wheat for his country and the programs that led to an India that exports food. Today, India grows some 70 million tons of wheat and has become the world's second-largest wheat producer.

He says that today India has reached a plateau in production and productivity because a problem of under investment in rural infrastructure.

His M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture & Rural Development follows a pro-nature, pro-poor and pro-women orientation to a job-led economic growth strategy in rural areas through harnessing science and technology for environmentally sustainable and socially equitable development.

Clip Source: cache.daylife.com

Clip Source: www.hinduonnet.com

Clip Source: www.iaapindia.org

Clip Source: www.worldfoodprize.org

Dr. Monkombu Sambasivan Swaminathan received the first World Food Prize in 1987 for spearheading the introduction of high-yielding wheat and rice varieties to India’s farmers.

Clip Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Forty years after he helped rescue the world from growing famine and a deepening gloom over the future of food supplies

The 82-year-old scientist,

says the current food crisis offers the world a chance to put farmers on the right road to unending growth.

"I'm very happy now, because in every crisis is an opportunity,"

In the twenty-first century's "Evergreen Revolution", as he calls it, conservation farming and green technology will bring about sustainable change that could allow India to become an even bigger supplier of food to the world.

welcome news for the millions of impoverished people and food-importing nations who are struggling to cope with the surge in basic crop prices over the last year

The Green Revolution created a sense of euphoria that we have solved our production problem.

Clip Source: www.worldfoodprize.org

Tags: famine, food crisis, india, evergreen revolution, wheat, farm, green, sustainable