ecology

Gardening: the sweetest crime

Sophie Team Observers — Wed, 27 May 2009 18:11:09 +0200

The "Guerrilla Gardeners" are growing in number. Armed with spades and rakes, these activists are on a mission to create green spaces in our city centres.

The "guerrilla gardening" concept was born in the United States in the late seventies after an abandoned area of Manhattan was transformed into a community garden by a group christened the "Green Guerrillas". Re-launched four years ago by Londoner Richard Reynolds, the aesthetically pleasing, eco-friendly rebel movement is now making waves across the world. In Rome, Dublin and Cape Town you'll find illegal gardeners planting the cities' abandoned urban spaces with ornate and wild greenery.

The most daring of these garden-activists do their work by night. While they prey on roadside flower displays, they are preyed upon themselves by the police. Those who are less brave, however, can do their bit by emptying packets of seeds into crevices on the pavement on their way to work.

Solar-powered tankers ready for 2010

Sophie Team Observers — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 13:00:21 +0100

An Australian company has just signed a deal with major Chinese cargo company COSCO to provide tankers powered by sails that are fuelled by sunlight.

Petrol and goods are set to fare the seas by sail once more, with a new technology that harnesses sunlight and wind power through solar-panel sails. They haven't been built yet, but ships like the ones in these images are planned to take to the seas within two years. Solar Sailor, an Australian company specialised in renewable energy, has just signed a contract with shipping giant COSCO. Perhaps a gesture in the hope of improving their reputation - the cargo company is better known for the 2007 San Francisco Bay oil spill and the controversial Zimbabwe arms deal with Mugabe.

The new ships will reduce oil consumption by 20 to 40% through wind energy and 5% through sun. The sails, managed by a computer that calculates the angle by exposition to wind and sun, become profitable after four years of use. Next up, Solar Sailor plans to target gas-guzzling luxury yachts owned by the rich.

Floating cities in the pipeline for climate refugees

Sophie Team Observers — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 12:09:00 +0200

Climatologists around the world agree that sea levels will continue to rise throughout the 21^st century. Countries with low-lying coastal areas like Vietnam and Bangladesh could see more floods and the loss of land, and some Pacific Islands could one day end up completely submerged. But not to worry - a Belgian architect has come up with a solution. He's designed "amphibian towns" to house the future refugees.

The IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) predicts a sea level increase of between 20 and 90 centimetres by 2050. On the scale of the planet, each metre gained will see the forced exodus of around 50 million people. To offer a solution to those left homeless, Franco-Belgian architect Vincent Callebaut has come up with the "Lilypad" project. The young architect, known for his futuristic designs, describes his latest project as durable, ecological, and most importantly, unsinkable.

These marine cities, inspired by water lilies, would run entirely on renewable energies and therefore create no pollution. The environment would also be biometric - which means that the town's planning would make technological systems integral with ecosystems. It's emblematic of a new generation of architecture that emphasises the importance of ecology when it comes to aesthetic innovation.