Ecoscraps

Yesterday at Planetsave, I wrote about a sculpture of two polar bears floating down London’s River Thames to bring attention to climate change and a new natural history television channel in the UK. Here’s a video of the bears in action:

Gerd Niemoeller, inventor and the owner of Swiss-based The Wall AG, has devised a relatively inexpensive and lightweight paper home (approximately 36 square meters/400 square feet) for the poor and otherwise in need. The London Times reports:

Retailing for about $5,000 (£3,375), the house is supposed to brighten up Third World shantytowns and provide quick shelter for long-term refugees. The Universal World House can be used almost anywhere: light, easily assembled, environmentally friendly, earthquake-proof and, crucially in the age of recession, a bit of a bargain.

Sources: TimesOnline and gizmodo.com

College activists are greening it up by kicking the lights off while they’re having fun with a bit of sexy recycling — and whatnot. But that’s just one of the campus ‘green’ scenes, as reported in Grist’s series on campus activism. It turns out there are ways to make saving the planet hip and sexy while being of benefit to the beer bong crowd. (Please drink responsibly.)

Source: Grist

Alt-country stalwart Wilco is using their touring success to benefit green groups in the communties they visit. Wilco donated over $3,000 from poster sales at their three sold-out St Louis shows to New Roots Urban Farm.  New Roots, located in North St Louis, is a collectively-run group that transformed a blighted parcel of land from urban wasteland to a produce bounty for the surrounding neighborhood.  In addition to growing fruit and veggies in a neighborhood where fresh produce is hard to find, New Roots runs a young apprentice program for area youth.

Image courtesy of Chris Oliver

Last week, a tourist in NYC videotaped a police office body slamming a cyclist during Critical Mass, the monthly event where bicyclists take over city streets.  On Friday, violence also erupted during Critical Mass in Seattle between a driver and bikers, after riders practiced “corking,” in which they block cars while the mass of cyclists pass by.

In what some called a crazy stint, this April the LA crew of riders who call themselves the Crimanimalz hit the highway to make a statement in a city renowned for its hours and hours of commuter traffic. The ride through the city’s Friday commuter traffic jam, also dubbed the “If You Rode a Bike You’d be Home by Now Ride,” is now a monthly event. Check out images of the bold event to bring the car city bike freeways, bike paths and safe bike routes here and video here. The ride even has it’s own Wikipedia entry.

Restaurants in seven cities across the US are part of the initial wave of the Food & Water Watch “Take Back the Tap“ Campaign.

“The consumer advocacy group is working with cities across the nation to urge local restaurants and chefs to sign a pledge to switch to serving only tap water, help educate customers about the benefits of tap over bottled water.”

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If you want to catch someone’s attention, go naked (I hear this is also a good way to stop Jehovah’s Witnesses from coming to your home)!  Yesterday in Madrid, protester rode bikes in the buff to protest the expansion of automobile usage and draw attention to the benefits of bike riding.

Via (including image):  Interesting World

I had the pleasure of attending Carrot Mob’s first event in San Francisco a few months ago. They’ve got a unique approach to incentivizing local businesses to go green. Watch their video and check out Paul Smith’s post about Carrot Mob on Triple Pundit.

The Anti-Advertising Agency needs your help. Send a SASE to:

Steve Lambert/Anti-Advertising Agency
c/o Eyebeam OpenLab
540 W.21st ST.
New York, NY 10011

You will receive a package full of “you don’t need it” stickers to plaster on ads in your community.

Via: fashionindie