globally responsible shopping

Glore Living is a new e-shop that sells only fair traded, ecological or recyceled l accessories with style
and a high designstandard.

They combine "doing good" with having fun and being fashionably.
It is not their intension to save the world but to make people think about our invironment in a positiv way.

At Glore Living you'll find stuff like:
This doorstopper-chicken is made from recyceld 70s fabrics. They are
handsewed from a english couple, they call themselves "refab".


or this two carafes made out of recyceld bottles.
The artist is Sybille Homann and she lives and workes in Hamburg.

*have a nice glore shopping.

11 Questions to Ask Before You Design, Specify, or Buy Anything

1. Do we need it? Can we live without it?
2. Is the project designed to minimize waste?
3. Can it be smaller, lighter or made from fewer materials?
4. Is it designed to be durable or multi-functional?
5. Does it use renewable resources?
6. Is reuse practical and encouraged?
7. Are the product and packaging refillable, recyclable, or repairable?
8. Is it made with post-consumer recycled or reclaimed materials and how much?
9. Are the materials available in a less toxic form? Can it be made with less toxic materials?
10. Is it available from a socially and environmentally responsible company
11. Is it made locally?

by: Chris Hacker

Urine Powered Batteries??!

>>source

Before you flush the toilet, you might want to check the power level in your batteries. You could be flushing away a free source of energy.

In 2005, Scientists in Singapore developed a battery powered by urine. The Scientists were able to produce electric power using liquid as a catalyst thanks to a special mixture of magnesium and carbon inside the batteries.

Now, a Japanese company has brought this urine powered battery technology to market with the NoPoPo (Non-Pollution Power) Aqua Batteries. Just use the included plastic pipette to inject urine into the battery chamber. Grossed out by pee? You can also use other types of liquid including beer, apple juice, cola, and saliva and of course urine. When I first heard about the NoPoPo, I thought it might be a joke. Making silly inventions is a popular hobby in Japan called Chingdogu. But the NoPoPo is no joke.

A single urine powered AA battery can power a flashlight for about 20 hours (500 milliamp-hours). Not exactly the most powerful battery on the shelf, but it's a great start for this environmentally friendly energy technology. The NoPoPo aqua powered batteries are currently only available in both AA and AAA sizes, but the company has future plans to produce all common battery sizes.

Off the top of my head, here are just a few reasons why you should love the NoPoPo:

• used batteries contain mercury and are bad for the environment
• using your own body fluids to power batteries will save you money
• it's a reliable source of power for life saving tools like flashlights and radios
• people who live in remote areas and don't have access to fresh batteries can now use battery powered gadgets and technology

JUICE SOLAR TOTE from ReWare

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Here's the perfect carry-all solution if you're headed back to school but just don't want summer to end- the Juice solar tote from Reware is big enough for your new textbooks, but beach ready for your last few Indian summer adventures. These durable bags can "re-juice" smaller electronics such as cell phones, BlackBerry, PDA, MP3 player or handheld GPS. And even better, they're made from biodegradable canvas, and the panel itself can be removed and use separately from the bag.

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ecoDesign[ers]

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"designers are at the forefront of the shift towards more environmentally friendly design, yet how many of them actually have a say in the final manufacturing of the products that they design? If working for a larger design consultancy that offers turnkey services, they may in fact be part of the team that oversees the product's manufacture through to the end, even traveling to the assembly plants far away to ensure that the product meets their design specifications. But to what extent can they control manufacturing inputs like choice of materials, components and processes? Particularly if they are consultants, not working for the manufacturer?"

Ecodesign, Ecolabels and the Environment

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Niti Bhan breaks down the jargon, surveys the changes taking place in Europe, and examines what those changes may mean for other parts of the world. Here's a taste:

European market forces such as Ecodesign, consumer choices and ecolabels are beginning to change the practice of design at the most fundamental levels. It is no more just a matter of a greener product or choosing a less toxic component or material. It requires an understanding of the entire production process, distribution and marketing system on a global scale, and the way that systems are being redesigned to meet these criteria. These trends also imply sea changes in the way businesses are organized and the way they function...

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Second Rotation : Recycle your old tech, get cash

from: core77

Trashing your old electronics weighs on your conscience, recycling them at Staples costs you money, and you couldn't even pay your friends take your old fax machine, but a new option, Second Rotation, actually rewards you for taking the responsible route. Depending on what it is you're rotating and what kind of condition it's in, Second Rotation will send you ca$h moneyz within 10 days of receiving it. Woot!