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Thai monks from the Sisaket province have used over one million recycled glass bottle to construct their Buddhist temple. Mindfulness is at the center of the Buddhist discipline and the dedication and thoughtfulness required to build everything from the toilets to their crematorium from recycled bottles shows what creativity and elbow grease can accomplish.
A human on a bike is extremely efficient and green as can be. The new PBS riding program is a scalable operation that will make this simple form of transportation available to that hard to reach portion of our society (the lazy!). Some simple hindrances to bike commuting for the average Joe are availability, money (for a bike), storage, maintenance, and the volition to get the gear and go. PBS (Public Bike System) developed by world-renowned industrial designer Michel Dallaire is already in operation in Montreal and allows you to swipe your credit card and roll out! The entire system is designed to appeal to the public, take a beating, run on solar power, and make bike sharing a reality.
The bikes themselves feature clean lines and a sleek look that in no way compromises their sturdiness and safety. Design elements are carried over to the technical platforms, bike docks and pay stations. All with the intention making the PBS an enhancement to the urban landscape, not an impediment to enjoying it.
Remember our post about paying to sleep in an old drain pipe? Well now next time you go to London, you can sleep in an old shipping container. Travelodge is getting their recycle on with this hotel made completely of old shipping containers. It may sound like a gimmick but besides the fact that they are reusing manufactured materials, using this method allowed them to build 25% faster, using less energy. The steel buildings are strong and apparently you’d never know you were sleeping in a shipping box. Check out SmartPlanet for the whole story and more pictures of this cool sustainable structure.
The story of the barque Belem is filled with romance. Today it is being put to use as a working cargo ship to deliver sustainably produced wines from France. Built in 1896, and named for the Brazilian seaport at the mouth of the Amazon, the Belem originally shipped chocolate in its hold from Brazil to France. At 170ft its first shipment of wine from Languedoc France to Dublin this February carried 60,000 bottles of fine wine saving an estimated 140 grams of carbon per bottle. On each of the bottles is a stylized sticker reading “Carried by sailing ship, a better deal for the planet.”
Although the Solartaxi sounds like a contraption from a 19th century Jules Verne novel, it is entirely modern: The Solartaxi will be the first completely solar-powered car to drive around the world. It’s the creation of Louis Palmer, a Swiss educator and adventurer whose goal is not to make it in 80 days, but to raise awareness that global warming can be stopped and that solutions exist to lower greenhouse gas emissions .
These eco-friendly resorts look like something out of Return of the Jedi, but really they are a unique way to get away and to invest. Our Planet Retreats is creating a unique travel experience and they are funding it with $30 micro-finance shares.
We’ve posted about hotels in the past but this one stands alone. I am sure we’ve all seen these enormous concrete drain pipes on the side of the road, sometimes abandoned and overgrown with grass. Dasparkhotel of Austria offers stays in these repurposed tubes for the adventurous traveler. Although you may feel like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles sleeping in the sewer the accommodations are very private, supplied with 220V power, double bed, skylight window, decorative wall art, double door, storage space, and some peace and quiet. The main building located on the premises offers all other hotel amenities (including the bathroom!). Dasparkhotel is a cross between camping and a Capsule Hotel but with enough headroom to stand upright. Check out some other angles of this unique recycled hotel after the jump.
If you are in the beautiful northwest part of the US in the Seattle area there is an urban paradise worth its weight in gold. 1Hotel is Seattle ’s premier residence, spa, and hotel featuring many prominent green attributes. With an on sight grocer carrying organic produce and open air design this is just the beginning of an unique urban oasis. The building of 1Hotel includes wood harvested from sustainable forests, local reclaimed building materials, water-efficient landscaping, natural lighting throughout, and accommodations for recharging alternative energy vehicles. Finally, the spa uses only naturally based organic products for your indulgence. So if you find yourself in Seattle and want to blast yourself with some Green relaxation check into 1Hotel.
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