Green is gold } coffee cup planters Sydney CBD
Over 1.5 billion coffee cups are thrown out each year in Australia alone. 1.5 BILLION! Holy hell that’s a lot a cup. Green is Gold is a great little project happening in Barrack st around the corner from work at the moment, one of the winning proposals of this year’s Australian Institute of Landscape Architects Street [...]
Surfing? Toxic? Get out of town!
Did you just groan to yourself like I just did, thinking: ‘not something else to feel guilty about!? I thought I was out there loving mother nature when I surf, not killing her with my board, sunscreen or wetsuit?!’ Sadly the stats ain’t pretty. Check out the infographic below by EnviroSurfer and you begin to realise [...]
Save the Amazon Xingú river
I’ve just been over on Bill Gerlach’s The New Pursuit where he has posted a brilliant story hitting the nail on the head about the frustration one can feel about the problems of the world. You can’t carry the weight of the world on your shoulders but you can take small steps towards helping one [...]
Natureware @ London Designersblock 2011
If I were in London I’d be heading to Designersblock this weekend fo sho! Not going to happen unfortunately, Sydney ain’t that close. For those of us who won’t be there I’ve gathered a handful of interesting nature inspired works that will be showing.
Vèlvet Bēan } upcycled coffee bag cushions
I love coffee. I love cushions. I love these cushions made of coffee bags! Sydney based upcyclers, Vèlvet Bēan, have a superb range of cushions and ottomans made of used burlap coffee sacks… anything saved from landfill indubitably floats my boat.
Where do jeans come from?
I really need a new pair of jeans. Every few years it comes to this – the tedious purchasing process I always dread. But this time around on top of worrying about whether my bum is too big in these, I’ll also be considering how sustainable they are too cos I watched this Planet Ark [...]
PlantLab } Urban farming
This ain’t no underground rave party, unless you consider plants to be raging party animals – no, it’s the future of greenhouse growing, perhaps even the future of modern farming – large scale crops of vertical proportions, built to sustain the needs of growing population. The Plant Lab Plant production unit offers total control over light [...]
The Eden Project
It’s high time we had a chat about the Eden Project because it’s too bloody awesome not to discuss, and no, it has nothing to do with Adam and Eve, although there’s plenty of fig leaves and temptation abound. Heard of it? I’m assuming some of you know something because it’s been around for a [...]
Kick the habit } rise above plastic!
I was going to write a big schpeil about plastic killing the world and all the things we can do to reduce our use, thing is – you’ve heard it all before and you know what to do. So all I’ll say is…. “Plastic is shit. Do your bit!” Pass it on. And if you’re [...]
Surf/Shower } Sustainable art
Will & Jane Fowler save old surfboards from the doom of landfill. Reusing them as a canvas, they create bold mosaic masterpieces that serve not only as works of art but as a functioning shower. Excellent idea hey?! “We explore art that is not just aesthetically pleasing but functional and eco-conscious” – Will & Jane [...]
Free the bees
We’ve all heard of the catastrophic effects of bee populations on food supplies and human life – so why are they disappearing? The Vanishing of the Bees documents how pesticides, diseases and parasites are diminishing bee colony’s – known as colony collapse – and the ways industrial farming practices are playing a major role in [...]
Vincent Callebaut Architecture
Welcome to the future. Belgian Architect Vincent Callebaut takes us there on his quest for energy intelligent, planet conscious, creative designs. “Cities make up just 2% of the Earth’s surface, but they house half of the world’s people and consume 75% of its resources. When we over-consume those resources, we don’t merely harm the natural environment, we [...]
Earth Hour 2011
Earth Hour requires little introduction. On March 26th between 8.30 – 9.30: turn off your lights. For an event so widely covered, I ask myself – what’s the point in covering this on Cohabitaire? Well, last year I completely forgot and only realised when I started wondering why all the lights were out. I wish I’d [...]
For Japan with Love
Bloggers day of Silence Tomorrow – Friday 18th of March – Cohabitaire will be joining bloggers around the world in a Bloggers Day of Silence to remember those who’ve lost their lives in Japan. I encourage you to donate to the ShelterBox – For Japan with Love appeal, with everything going towards emergency shelter & [...]
International League of Conservation Photographers
Just when I thought I couldn’t possible fit in another life goal, I had to stumble across the International League of Conservation Photographers didn’t I! I’m not saying my photography comes anywhere near the incredible standard of the associates and fellows of ILCP, but I reckon embarking on a mission to promote conservation through imagery [...]
Californian Academy of Sciences
Today, I’m taking you on a trip to the Californian Academy of Sciences. It’s only a momentary excursion so keep your arms and legs inside the windows and enjoy the virtual ride. [rss-cut]
When in doubt, wear a sack
I’ve been called a bag lady before, and not because I’m a cranky cow sometimes, but because I have a house full of bags – hand bags, tote bags, string bags, shoulder bags and green bags. Like any other eco-conscious citizen, I bring my own bags shopping, but sometimes I really wish they weren’t so [...]
Mission Blue: protect our oceans
I’m not one for making new years resolutions, but did I mention anything about new years missions? Nope, especially not when they’re saving the planet kinds. So I’ve joined National Geographic’s Mission Blue: a commitment to protect our oceans. A very worthy and crucial cause indeed. In case you didn’t know it, the seven seas [...]
Have yourself an ethical little Christmas
December is the cue for consumers to go coconuts – spending big on gifts galore – often without knowing where they come from, what they’re made of, or whether they’re created ethically or sustainably. If your conscience is kicking in right now, you might like to mosey on over to Bluecaravan – the online [ethical] [...]
Saving seeds in Svalbard
In the event of a major disaster, resource depletion, the catastrophic effects of climate change, or even nuclear war: the human race might not make it, but rest assured, the seeds of the world will, here in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, Norway. [rss-cut] So – if we’re not here, but the the seeds are [...]
Smart thinking: Randwick Eco Living Fair
It’s nice to know our council rates go towards great community events such as the annual Randwick Eco Living Fair. Everything from Permaculture to pony rides, this year’s fair was packed with practical ideas for making your home more environmentally inclined. It was a colourful affair with crowds gathering for workshops, more than 50 exhibitors [...]
Salt Lake City sadly joins the oil spill club
You don’t have to live in the Mississippi Delta to experience the ill effects of petroleum use. Today it was discovered that a Chevron pipeline in Salt Lake City had ruptured, leaking oil at a rate of 50 gallons/minute for 9 hours. This spill has soiled much of the Red Butte area and effectively closed [...]
Bombs away! Weapons for guerrilla gardeners
Guerrilla gardening: the act of beautifying a neglected urban space with greenery. It’s not exactly a new craze, however the combat stakes have been raised for green thumbed battlers with the emergence of a new line of weapons: seed bombs, greenaids and flower guns. You’ll find all sorts online but for obvious reasons to do [...]
Antique antics: top tips for the second hand shopper
I could rant about the sad state of our planet on World Environment Day but thought I’d devote the post to vintage shopping instead. It’s a constant temptation to purchase brand spanking new when you’re surrounded by shiny shop fronts in the city until you start thinking about the resources required to make these products, [...]
