Continuous Pencil by U Jung Heo, Young Gag Han & Sa Yoeng Kim Never Ending Pencil To cut a long story short, what we have here is a simple writing tool called the Continuous Pencil, which can be used till the very end. We usually end up discarding pencil stubs…I know my children waste too many saying that short pencils are uncomfortable to hold. So basically you keep increasing the length of your stubs with a handy interim-headless-long stick that fits snugly into its rear. Quite simple and straight, but is it a refinement of the 1 + 1 Pencil? Designers: U Jung Heo, Young Gag Han & Sa Yoeng Kim
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. 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." Apple has not commented on this latest meeting, but did issue a statement to the Wall Street Journal through Spokesperson Carolyn Wu.
The Great Beyond: Study sheds light on the demography of climate change Posted on behalf of Yana Balling Population growth may have a large impact on future greenhouse gas emission patterns. A study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences finds that 16-29% of emission reductions necessary to prevent the global mean temperature from rising more than 2 degrees Celsius could be achieved by reduced population growth. Changes in population size and in the distribution of ages have been widely neglected in past and present emission scenarios, finds Brian O’Neill of the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, who led the study. Neill and his colleagues used an energy-economic growth model to study how different population growth scenarios influence emission pathways by 2050 and 2100. Aging reduces emissions as elderly people contribute less to economic growth. Aging is likely to dominate future demographic development in most industrialised countries, the study concludes.
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. Above the sink, there's a rack for drip-drying your dishes. 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.
Man Turns Down Billions for His Ancestral Homeland Man Turns Down Billions for His Ancestral Homeland Though his tribal land is worth an estimated $5 billion, an Aboriginal man refuses to sell it, instead keeping it as a legacy for his family. By Kathryn Hawkins. A stunning vista of jagged brick-red cliffs lies in Australia’s desolate Northern Territory. Just one man, 36-year-old Jeffrey Lee, holds the title to this unfathomably valuable piece of real estate – and he says it’s not for sale. Lee, an Australian Aborigine, won’t condone the destruction of his ancestral land at any cost. “There are sacred sites, there are burial sites and there are other special places out there which are my responsibility to look after,” Lee told The Sydney Morning Herald. So, rather than rubbing elbows with Donald Trump andRichard Branson on the Forbes billionaire list, Lee has rejected all requests to purchase Koongarra. Lee’s incredible sacrifice isn’t just about salvaging the past: It’s about protecting the future, too. Want more inspiration? Liked this?
…free your imagination… How to Make Your Own Beauty Products from Scratch - Health Let's keep things simple this week. When it comes to personal-care products, we are big believers in streamlining what you use—see "Eight Products You Think You Need But Don't" for a refresher—buying less in general, and getting creative. We have both always loved experimenting in our kitchens and our bathrooms, checking ingredients in products we love, isolating the main ones, and then trying them on their own. Simple body scrub Many body scrubs, even the ones that claim to be sugar- or salt-based, actually contain beads made out of polyethylene, which is environmentally deplorable (it all goes down the drain, remember)—to say nothing of the preservatives, fragrance, penetration enhancers, and sulfates that typically bulk up these products. Honey face wash One-ingredient eye liner For the ladies (or the gents with a flair for the dramatic) this is as easy as it gets: Grab a capsule of activated charcoal, which you can get at most pharmacies and any health food store. Perfume Shave oil
mohdoh - Breathe Breathe is a powerful remedy that combines the proven elements; aromatherapy, play therapy and colour therapy to create an extremely effective yet fun way of dealing with the symptoms associated with?hayfever, coughs & colds?and breathing difficulties. How it works! As the Breathe dough? These unique, therapeutic elements combine to form a powerful, holistic therapy that really works. Breathe is 100% non toxic, fully complies with EN71 safety legislation and uses only the purest natural essential oils. Price : £4.99 How We Can (Actually) Change The World – Pt. 1/3 What this is not: A wishy-washy, positive thinking, pie-in-the-sky idea about changing the world. I will not be advocating the power of group meditation, overthrowing the powers that be or anything else that can be easily scoffed at. What this is: A three-part series covering logical AND tangible ways to instigate awesome change on a global scale. I will cover the following concepts in order: The single change the world needs most dearlyHow real change occursThe specific mission I think will bring about those changes. The illusive, magical element that the world is missing most right now is something you probably aren’t aware is gone. We are missing community. Think of the best days of your life. We are indoctrinated into wanting a high-paying job so that we can buy our own houses, filled with our own furniture, our own silverware — our own nook in the universe. We are going about getting what we truly want in the most backwards way possible. The Age of Separation P.S. Ways to read it: