Help Us Launch the New Worldchanging Book Today!
by: Worldchanging: Bright Green, 2011-03-02 22:44:06 UTC
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0810997460?ie=UTF8&tag=alexstef-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0810997460
Sharing the Visioning 2032 Films: Thanks for the support!
by: VEIL - Victorian Eco Innovation Lab, 2011-03-15 05:11:35 UTC
Many thanks to those local and international organisations that are promoting the Visioning 2032 films.
|
 |
Read more...
Test shows E10 increases fuel consumption
by: Euractive, 2011-03-22 07:47:09 UTC
TEDTalks : Sebastian Thrun: Google's driverless car - Sebastian Thrun (2011)
by: TEDTalks (video), 2011-03-31 14:36:00 UTC
Sebastian Thrun helped build Google's amazing driverless car, powered by a very personal quest to save lives and reduce traffic accidents. Jawdropping video shows the DARPA Challenge-winning car motoring through busy city traffic with no one behind the wheel, and dramatic test drive footage from TED2011 demonstrates how fast the thing can really go.
Broadfood
by: VEIL - Victorian Eco Innovation Lab, 2011-03-31 04:37:26 UTC
Access to fresh food becomes more localised and walkable in Broadmeadows.
|
 |
Read more...
The 5th Annual Opportunity Green Business Conference 2011
by: Sustainable Design News, 2011-03-28 02:11:13 UTC
The 5th Annual Opportunity Green is the largest B2B multidisciplinary sustainability conference, bringing together today's leading companies and visionaries, and showcasing the authentic players, sought-after opportunities and profound innovations driving today's new green economy.
Opportunity Green inspires a collaborative culture of new thinking and unconventional ideas that pushes change in unexpected ways.
SodaStream's DIY Pepsi Machine
by: fast company, 2011-03-23 21:32:47 UTC
SodaStream now touts natural syrups and the eco-friendliness of homemade soda. | Photograph by Steve Cohen
How a home-soda-maker company is rocking the beverage world.
WHEN NIKE executive Daniel Birnbaum became CEO of the sleepy 104-year-old SodaStream International in 2007, his kids were less than thrilled. "My 12-year-old was in tears. Nike was part of his identity," says Birnbaum, a Queens, New York, native. "Here I was going to this company that people did not know existed, and it was not exactly the most proud place to work." Birnbaum has since transformed the "aerating liquid apparatus" company into a sexy soda-maker brand taking over granite countertops across the globe. After a year in which the Israel-based company surpassed $150 million in revenue, gained distribution in 4,000 U.S. retail stores, and had a hot IPO, Fast Company talked to Birnbaum about saving energy, why Coke and Pepsi should be nervous, and actress Tori Spelling's (water) drinking problem.
You've done for the seltzer maker what Method did for cleaning products. Was the reinvention all about designing a better product?
The machines are really beautiful and they have won many design awards, but it wouldn't have been enough to put what we call "a new skirt" on the machine -- change the color or the look. I've spent my career at consumer-product companies, and I realized the whole mind-set of the company had to shift from industrial to consumer oriented. The first thing we did was change the mind-set of the product from functional to lifestyle -- an object of desire. That kitchen counter is some of the most expensive real estate in the world.
To what degree are you taking on Pepsi and Coke?
Only 2% of water drunk in this country is seltzer. It's growing quickly, but the soda opportunity represents a multiple of 80 to that.
So once we had the product right, we recognized it wasn't only the appliance but the syrups. We did a lot of research and we saw that consumers want a healthier soda. Prior to my arrival the company had been using artificial colors and other types of preservatives. We created more than 20 natural syrups and essences that don't use high-fructose corn syrup or Splenda, and we have regional flavors depending on the market. Italians have a flavor called chinotto, the Swedes have must, the Brits have ginger beer, and Americans have an equivalent to Dr Pepper. Diet cola is our No. 1 seller in the U.S.
While we were busy transforming our company, the world changed too. Health and wellness. Environment. Convenience. Savings. For us it's the perfect storm because we hit all these megatrends without any trade-off. The energy required to make 140 billion bottles and cans of soda and water every year is 100 million barrels of oil. That's enough to run 1 million cars. All of that packaging can be obsolete with SodaStream, so we're talking revolutionary stuff.
Were you inspired by any business models that fall outside of the beverage industry?
We created a razor and a razor-blade business model. The razor is obviously the soda maker and we have three blades: the CO2 refills, the flavor syrups, and the bottles. So it's not a one-time sale -- the blades are our future revenue stream. We acquire users, build our installed base, and we cultivate those users for life.
Have you been surprised by customers' strong reactions?
On Access Hollywood recently, Tori Spelling said, "I hate water. But I make my own carbonated water at home. Have you seen this thing? It's called SodaStream. You just press the button -- spp spp spp -- and you have carbonated water!" It's an incredible example of what a brand ambassador can do, and we didn't even solicit her.
A version of this article appears in the April 2011 issue of Fast Company.
Unleashed: How New Consumers Will Revolutionize Brands and Scale Sustainability
by: Sustainable Design News, 2011-03-23 16:31:31 UTC
BBMG released a comprehensive study, Unleashed: How New Consumers Will Revolutionize Brands and Scale Sustainability.
The multimedia booklet draws on three years of research and introduces brands to New Consumers: shoppers who unite pragmatism and purpose with an unmatched level of brand participation.
This increasingly important group-currently 30 percent of the U.S. population-is poised to help sustainable brands enter the mainstream, while forcing large brands to accelerate their pathways to sustainability.
Raindrop Mini – Concept for Easy Rainwater Collection
by: EnviroGadget, 2011-03-23 10:00:30 UTC
The Raindrop Mini brings the joys of using rainwater to many that would have previously found it unpractical. The device is specifically designed for those who lack space and is an ideal way for anyone with a small property or flat, especially those living in urban areas, to start to make use of rain water and so help their plants and the environment.
The Raindrop Mini has been designed by Bas van der Veer to provide an easy way for anyone with access to a rain water drain pipe to collect, store and use rain water. Using rain water for watering plants has many advantages, processing water for suitability for taps involves many chemicals and many argue that it is best to use water without these for your plants. Using rain water for watering your plants, or even for flowers in a vase, helps to cut down the amount of tap water your home is using, a benefit to those on metered water or who are interested in water conservation.
Many homes are not suited to more conventional water storage methods. Water butts require space, and are really only suitable for ground floor areas due to their weight. These kinds of water storage also require high levels of use, as no one wants a large tank of stagnant water around their home! The Raindrop Mini is perfect for those who maybe own a flat, maybe with a balcony, or those in any type of small property in an urban area.
The unit is added to a guttering down pipe, and has a watering can built into the device. This watering can is easily removed when required, allowing you to water a few plants or fill a vase quickly and easily. The Raindrop Mini is constructed from Polyethylene and can be fully recycled. The watering can is available in a range of bright attractive colours.
Source: iGreenSpot
Want to buy this gadget? Check out the Raindrop Mini – Concept for Easy Rainwater Collection article on EnviroGadget to see the lowest prices for this gadget.
© 2008 to 2011 EnviroGadget.com. You can now keep up with the latest eco-gadgets on the EnviroGadget Facebook page. Why not help us to spread the word?
Related posts:
- Rainwater Storage Pillow
- Clean Rain – Rain Water Filtration And Harvesting System
- IRISO Water Drippers – Plant Watering System
Biopac Biodegradable Pint Tumblers
by: EnviroGadget, 2011-03-28 09:00:50 UTC
These Biopac Biodegradable Pint Tumblers allow you to enjoy your pint without the worry over the waste of plastic. The tumblers are fully compostable and are smash proof, perfect for use in outdoor events.
The Biodegradable Pint Tumblers are a great alternative to standard plastic. As with the Biodegradable Drinking Straws, the tumblers hold their form while stored so they should live happily in your cupboards until they are required but once disposed of or put into a compost bin they will within a few months lose their structure and totally degrade. The tumblers only start to decompose when subjected to heat, moisture and bacteria, the typical environment for a compost bin or landfill site.
The pint tumblers have been constructed from polylactic acid (PLA) which is derived from corn starch instead of the usual petrochemicals which are used to create plastic. The tumblers have the CE mark, which ensures that they have met rigorous EU health, safety, and environmental requirements. The tumblers are shatter proof and will not splinter. This means that they cannot be used as weapons, which is great news for outdoor events or for events with young children.
The Biodegradable Pint Tumblers should help prevent a staggering amount of plastic going to landfill. The sheer number of outdoor events that use plastic tumblers and the numbers of people who attend them is astounding. By switching to these biodegradable alternatives the events can become greener with the saving of waste plastic. The tumblers allow you to enjoy a drink without the concern of the disposal of the cup, great for any eco friendly individual.
The Biopac Biodegradable Pint Tumblers are just £8.99 for a pack of 60 cups!
Want to buy this gadget? Check out the Biopac Biodegradable Pint Tumblers article on EnviroGadget to see the lowest prices for this gadget.
© 2008 to 2011 EnviroGadget.com. You can now keep up with the latest eco-gadgets on the EnviroGadget Facebook page. Why not help us to spread the word?
Related posts:
- Biodegradable Bendy Drinking Straws
- Birchwood Sustainable Disposable Cutlery
- Discover BioDegradable Credit Card
Comments by our Users
Be the first to write a comment for this item.