Architect Norman Foster, Baron Foster of Thames Bank, discusses his own work to show how computers can help architects design buildings that are green, beautiful and “basically pollution-free.”

I’m not going to do much with this post other than stand aside and let the content get straight to you. It’s a very ‘chewy’ piece. You deserve it, and I’m glad to have found this for you. But before I say ‘SShhhhh’ and pull back the curtains on this presentation, a word from Norman Foster himself:

“Green is cool.”

The Hunting Dynasty salutes.

Australian designer Craig Arnold combined his passion for cameras and recycling to create Re:vision, a line of bracelets made by reshaping and polishing discarded cameras parts. The stylish hand-finished cuffs are available in eight models with themed names, like the Aperture cuff, Focal length cuff, Wide Focus cuff and Lens thread cuff.

According to Oyemodern each piece is ‘Handmade … from discarded camera components and reshaped with love’.

At The Hunting Dynasty we love them. Say ‘Cheese!’

Orphanage Clothing is a Halifax, Nova Scotia based business that uses recycled clothing to make one-of-a-kind garments, including T-shirts, dresses, and jackets.

Canadian fashion designer Kim Munson runs Orphanage Clothing.

“I have a design in my head then make a pattern for it. I like taking old T-shirts and re-using them. Sometime you can find item brands that don’t exits anymore. Like retro logos from the ’60s and ’70s.”

The environmentally friendly aspect of her business is really important for her.

A perfect piece of hunting for low-impact style.

Stirling engines were commonplace around 1880 to 1920 but fell out of fashion with the advent of the electric motor. But what are they? They are a ‘closed-cycle regenerative heat engine‘.

Lesley Bossine, Ex-top bod at the Kew Bridge Steam Museum, explains “Basically a Stirling engine is unlike a diesel car or steam engine where you have got to put a fuel in. The Stirling engine works on pure heat, so you can power them on solar power, geothermal energy or waste heat.”

Originally invented in 1816 by the Rev Dr Robert Stirling, they are closed circuit combustion engines. They are silent, and work by using heat to warm a cylinder. Within the cylinder, air expands with an increase in pressure that in turn drives the engine.

True Stirling engines also incorporate a heat store called a Regenerator, which stores heat energy during one part of the cycle and releases it later, making it even more efficient.

“The person that can crack Stirling technology and scale it up into a viable energy source will become a multi-millionaire.” says Bossine.

And she’s not wrong…

Here’s how to build one

B&Q recently announced its decision to phase out sales of patio heaters, once its seasonal stock runs out in 2008.

They certainly get ‘efficient by nature’ recognition from us here at The Hunting Dynasty, especially because this information is culled from B&Q’s case study on the Carbon Trust website

Additionally, in August 2007, B&Q introduced buying standards on energy using products,
water using products and lighting. These aim to increase the proportion of energy
efficient products sold and to gradually phase out inefficient products. The retailer
plans to develop key performance indicators (KPIs) to monitor sales volumes of
low impact products and has set a series of targets around the introduction of
energy efficient products. These range from ensuring that all domestic washing
machines, dishwashers, electric cookers, fridges and fridge freezers will be classified as ‘A’ rated or above according to the EU energy standards by 2010 to phasing out all traditional incandescent light bulbs (40 watts and above) by 2011, providing sufficient capacity exists.

Following on from yesterday’s vinyl-iPod combination the designers at 45 also produce cases for 1st and 2nd generation iPod Nanos, which employ the cases from abandoned cassette tapes. Using various classic cassettes shells, they install an acrylic screen and neoprene padding that allows full functionality and protection. You can similarly choose from a gallery of different cassettes designs.

Did you throw away all your cassette tapes?

(Yep, me too…)

The folks at 45 iPod Cases have devised a perfect way to integrate antiquated analog technology into the digital age by reclaiming old seven-inch records and folding them into protective vinyl shells to house 5th and 6th generation iPods.

In addition to the clever way that the re-purposed record continues in its role of facilitating music, the enlarged record holes perfectly fit the iPods’ circular scroll wheel.

We love it because its clever and cool. Now all you need is to recharge your iPod with a Solar charger.

Aaron Chang is a legendary name in the sport of surfing. He also makes some hot bikinis from recycled plastic bottles and 100% organic cotton.

You friends will be green with envy…

On the 2 January 2007 the UK Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) regulations came into force. WEEE is a new piece of producer responsibility legislation which aims to reduce the amount of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) ending up in landfill. Instead the regulations require the collection, treatment, recycling and environmentally sound disposal of WEEE. The regulations affect all brand owners, importers and distributors or retailers of EEE.

The WEEE regulations require producers of EEE to finance the recycling costs of EEE at its end-of-life. All obligated producers must register with a compliance scheme or risk prosecution.

Dell, B&Q, Draper tools, Cisco, Halfords, IBM, Kenwood, Zerox and others are all registered on the WEEE register

Rusted.Up.Beyond.All.Recognition.Bikes

RUBARB was started by volunteers in March 2006 — about a half-year after Hurricane Katrina and the levee-failure flooding of New Orleans — RUBARB was inspired by a much-repeated experience of hurricane cleanup crews: pulling bicycle after unused, flood-damaged bicycle from the mountains of trash that covered the city. Rather than consign these flood bikes to the post-Katrina dump, these volunteers decided, why not clean them, fix them and then pass them along to residents and other volunteers who need them?

A brilliant idea – recycled rarities.