A Climate Reality Billboard
Recently, the Big Oil funded Heartland Institute put up — and just as quickly pulled down after a firestorm of criticism — a truly bizarre billboard in Chicago attempting to equate climate science with radicals and murderers. Since the billboard was suddenly and unexpectedly empty, we thought we would take the opportunity to remind Heartland who is really on the fringe here.
So in advance of the Heartland Institute’s annual conference next week, we’re putting our own ad in its place. We’re also putting up eight other billboards nearby — so that Chicagoans and everyone at the conference will see our response.
Of course it’s more than just every major national academy of science in the world that understands the science and the threat we all face from the climate crisis. It’s also businesses large and small, doctors and nurses, religious leaders, military leaders, governments and concerned citizens everywhere. So the next time someone tries to tell you climate change is a hoax, remember you’ve got reality (and just about everyone else) on your side.
SimCity 5
With over 20 years of experience and millions of players, the SimCity series has captured imaginations by putting players in control of developing cities. Recently announced, SimCity 5 (coming 2013) will add among other things the need to face sustainability challenges like climate change, limited natural resources, and urban walkability.
Ecovative mushroom packaging
There are very few materials in the world I can’t stand the sight of as much as polystyrene (aka Styrofoam). Sure, it keeps our new electronics safe, our food warm, and our drugs cool… but the petroleum based material is an ecological disaster.
Luckily there are new products like the ones from Ecovative Design that use renewable materials like mushrooms and other agricultural byproducts that can be returned to the earth at the end of their use. Hopefully soon every new iMac, DVR, and Ikea lamp will be shipped in shrooms instead of nasty ol’ Styrofoam.
The landfill
“The Landfill” is a short film by Jessica Edwards and Gary Hustwit (of Helvetica / Objectified / Urbanized fame) showing the beauty and potential of the stuff we throw away.
Shwood whiskey barrel sunglasses
Handcrafted in Portland, Oregon, these Shwood sunglasses are made from 100-year-old whiskey barrels. Very cool, but they don’t run cheap at $225 a pair.
Move humanity forward
Last week I presented some ideas to a group of MBA students at CU. It was about sustainable marketing and our work at the FearLess Cottage. It was a really smart group that probably should have been presenting to me instead of the other way around. Anyway, it was a lot of fun. I look forward to sharing these ideas more in the future. These are the slides I used.
- Jeff Oeth
The High Line: final section designs
Last month while in NYC, I had the pleasure of walking down the High Line, an old rail line that has been converted into a park hovering above the west side of Manhattan. It was one of my favorite places in the world. Not only because it was well designed and provided cool views of the city. But because it represents the kind of transformation we need in cities. With rapid population growth, urban density is becoming increasingly important. It’s crucial that we take steps to renovate and design green spaces into our urban landscapes.
The walkway is 2/3 complete. The designs above are for the final section, which is expected to be finished by the end of next year.
Fraktur Dominoes
Fraktur is a very cool idea by Sandi Grigoryan to repurpose extra materials from furniture production into a modern game of dominoes.
