DJ TRISHA

In 1998, Rishi Sowa built his first artificial island using 250,000 plastic bottles to keep it afloat, and today he lives on Spiral Island II, a smaller island that he built using 100,000 bottles. The island features a house, beaches, ponds and even a solar-powered waterfall.

Even more ambitious than Sowa’s island is architect Ramon Knoester’s plan to build Recycled Island, a floating island the size of Hawaii made entirely of recycled plastic. The island would be completely self-sufficient, supporting its own agriculture and getting its power from solar and wave energy. When it’s complete, Knoester hopes the island will house half a million residents who can enjoy the artificial island’s seaweed harvest and compost toilets.

theclassyissue:

Chateau Eza @ Eze, France

maybelline:

Pentax LX Limited Edition. Now that’s a good-looking camera.

mothernaturenetwork:

Kazakhstan sounds alarm over dying Caspian seals
Environmentalists sounded the alarm over the declining numbers of endangered seals after 35 animals were found dead over the weekend.

mothernaturenetwork:

18 foods that fight common ailments
Try healthy eats that help fight diabetes, heart disease, migraines and more.

mothernaturenetwork:

How to reuse silica gel packets
This annoying packet has a multitude of household uses.

unconsumption:

Upcycling Across Borders: How U.S. School Buses Become Camionetas

Where do school buses go when they die? It might surprise you to learn that most American school buses don’t die at all; they’re often reborn as public transportation south of the border.

The story of one aging school bus that was sold off and driven to Guatamela to begin a new life as an ornate shuttle is the subject of a new film that premiered at the SXSW Film Festival … La Camioneta. Through this one bus, the film examines how one country’s trash becomes another’s treasure, the importance of mass transportation in a country with widespread poverty and how violence and gang warfare threaten the safety and viability of that transportation.

Camionetas are used in Guatamela to ferry people from villages to cities and back again. But nearly all of them begin as school buses phased out of use here in the states. While the buses are in plenty good shape for the most part, once they reach a certain point in their lifespan, school districts auction them off and purchase new ones.

Waiting to buy them are South American companies, who drive dozens of buses South each day. They make a treacherous drive through Mexico (trying their best to avoid extortion, gangs and robbery) until the bus finally makes it to Guatamela. But even though they have arrived in Guatamela, they are still just buses –not yet Camionetas. Over weeks, the film crew watched as workers painstakingly retrofitted the school bus into the colorful, striking Camioneta. There is a true artistry to the recreation.

Read the rest: StateImpact Texas — NPR.org

Find more uses for old buses here.

mothernaturenetwork:

Homemade laundry detergent
With these great DIY solutions, you can make your own detergent for less than half the cost of a store brand.

mothernaturenetwork:

This charming treetop cottage is just one of the many treehouse lodgings available at Pete Nelson’s Treehouse Point in Issaquah, Wash. Nelson, a world-renowned treehouse builder and author, created this sustainable destination as a beautiful, educational getaway that provides visitors with a unique way to connect with nature.
18 of the world’s most stunning treehouses

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