Michael Pollan on the beef recall
Seriously, not to be preachy, but why are you still eating fast food? Eating habits are not matters of personal choice anymore. Most environmentalists, not to mention nutritionists and even economists, are increasingly in agreement that partaking of the cheap food produced by the industrialized food chain is akin to, if not worse than, driving a gas-guzzling SUV. The recent recall of 143 million pounds of beef highlights why our way of procuring food is not merely unsustainable, it’s also unspeakably cruel and ultimately bad for our health. Michael Pollan, author of the seminal The Omnivore’s Dilemma, spoke with Newsweek in the wake of the USDA recall.
Tagged: environmentalism
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Floating platform for water purification
Have you ever thought about how much energy you might be wasting just using your muscles to move your body? Well, Jakub Szczęsny from Warsaw clearly has. He has decided to collect the energy of people exercising outdoors by building, in conjunction with a group of engineers and the team the FunBec.eu foundation, a synchronised floating platform for water purification. Exercise would put the purification process into motion. Simple, clever, brilliant!
Rainwater tanks are here to stay. Not only is the general populace turning to them as the realization sinks in that water is a scarce resource, but they are also being legislated by government at all levels. The unfortunate problem is that the vast majority are not the most attractive additions to the built environment, particularly the latest round of polypropylene models, which are mostly big beige blobs. Read more
Switchgrass derived bioplastics
With the growing recognition that petroleum-based plastics are killing the planet and giving us cancer comes an increasing interest in biodegradable bioplastics that come from more sustainable sources. Environmental tech company Metabolix recently announced that they have discovered a way to derive large amounts of bioplastic by growing it in switchgrass. The company uses the plant to create its own line of plastic, Mirel, which it hopes will supplant traditional plastics in the years to come.
Also by GERRY MAK
Anatomical cross-sections made from Japanese tissue paper
Lisa Nilsson’s Tissue Series consists of anatomical cross-sections made from Japanese mulberry paper and the gilded edges of old books. Read more
Designed by Patrick Jouffret of French design studion agency 360, this unisex bicycle helmet folds up into a compact shape small enough to fit in your purse or backpack, so you’re not left wondering what to do with it after you’ve locked up your bike.
Millennium Falcon fort built for young leukemia patient
Christian, a nine-year-old leukemia patient, wished for a backyard fort shaped like the Millennium Falcon. The Make-A-Wish Foundation granted his wish. Read more
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Redwood artist Ken Keirns has a thing for monkeys. That much is obvious enough. His site is crawling with them, in his toys, illustrations, and paintings. By his own admission, he ‘likes painting women and monkeys, with a sense of humor’. And so he does. Very, very well.
The psychedelic and surreal mixed-media drawings and collages by Jason Matthew Vivona are growing on my brain like a benign alien tumor. Read more
An intelligently told, morally complex tale with a raft of unexpected twists, Gone Baby Gone is one of the most original films of recent times. Most films give you a sense of their narrative arc and it is easy to recognise the major plot points. Read more
This little Greenwich Village shop is a blast from the past for me. From 1985 to 1993, I lived in West London and have always missed British candy and special foods. Low and behold, Myers of Keswick has it all. Weetabix cereal, Quality Street candy, Scotch Eggs, PG Tips tea! It’s absolutely amazing. But it’s not all just imports, they make fresh food everyday that you wouldn’t find anywhere else.
When I’m rich and famous, I wonder if they’ll start a meme blog of me with white people like this one for Kanye West. I guess that would be my Facebook page. Read more
We name-checked them as having one of the top five albums of 2007, and with good reason. I speak of Nashville band, The Silver Seas. Read more
Yes, indeed they’re real horse and goat hooves! German artist Iris Schieferstein specialises in creating very flamboyant boots and shoes made from a combination of deceased animal parts and other materials. Read more
WE'RE POSTING / SOME OF THE BEST
Benjamin Edminston’s psychedelic heads seem to have some fearful wisdom behind their blissed-out eyes. Read more
Nerd-attack! Man, this TARDIS zipper robe is so much cooler than any Star Wars crap people are hawking this days. This is for the true gangsta nerd.
Pencils made from recycled newspaper
The problem with awesome things like these pencils made out of recycled newspaper is that you almost don’t want to use them.
Mathematics? Leave me out. Fashematics? Now you’re talking! This gem of a site is a runway equation that adds up to a whole lot of wonderful.
How ’bout this Jose Manuel Hortelano-Pi guy, huh? Quite the illustrator, yessiree Bob. From Spain, too. Spain is great! Read more
Illustrator, sculptor, and mixed media artist Joseph Franz creates stunning and unexpected pieces centered on personal nostalgia and animals. His work is ever-changing, but the wildlife and reminiscent narrative seem to be ever-present. Read more
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