GreenBlue. The Green Geek. LILI - home page - StumbleUpon. National Parks Project - StumbleUpon. Apple, China groups meet to discuss environmental concerns | TUAW - The... Environmental concerns continue to plague Apple and its suppliers in China. Earlier this year, Apple was singled out in an environmental report called "The Other Side of Apple," which detailed health, environment and safety issues at Chinese manufacturing facilities. Apple met with some of its green critics over the summer, but its practices are still under fire. Apple reportedly met this week again with nine representatives from five Chinese environmental groups to discuss pollution from its suppliers.
Apple supposedly admitted that some of its suppliers were accused of excessive pollution, but put the blame on the offending companies and not Apple itself. According to Li Li, the director of EnviroFriends, Apple said "it had already spoken to 11 supply firms and asked them to reform, and they're in the process of initiating communications with the other four. " Despite this effort, Li believed Apple was not sincere in its efforts to curb pollution. A Table That Turns Your Kitchen Into Mini Ecosystem [UPDATED] Convenience and efficiency are king when it comes to product design. What could be more efficient than a natural ecosystem? That's the insight behind a "living kitchen" designed by the brilliant young design studio Studio Gorm. They looked at what we have in our kitchens--fruits, vegetables, organic waste--and figured: That's actually enough to create a miniature system for watering fresh herbs, composting the waste, and generating new soil.
None of the elements is brand new to this product, but their integration wins points for ergonomics and ease. Maybe what's most surprising is that Studio Gorm isn't based in the Netherlands or Scandinavia--but rather in Eugene, Oregon. Check out some of Studio Gorm's other designs, including a modular furniture system of pegs and boards; an elegant Egyptian-inspired chair; a handsome adjustable lamp; and an overhead light inspired by--of all things--a falafel container.