“You should know this new type of flower pot HONBACHI released by a design company Tokyo Pistol. HONBACHI means “book pot”, and as its name suggests, HONBACHI is reproduced books as flower pots, reusing old to-be-trushed books, that are deteriorated after years. We introduce here HONBACHI and how one of the major paper material, books, are recycled and reproduced as new products that will add spice to your life.”

via SHIFT

“A first of its kind, this book portrays the growing sustainability movement in American K-12 education. It showcases inspiring stories of public, independent, and charter schools across the country. It offers hope, inspiration, and expert advice, while documenting a rising trend that is good news for education and the environment.

Smart by Nature is beautifully written by our senior editor, Michael K. Stone, who has covered education for sustainable living for nearly a decade. It features a foreword by Daniel Goleman, author of Ecological Intelligence, and has already been endorsed by the National Wildlife Federation, David W. Orr, Alice Waters, and others.

Since many of you have already asked, here are a few ways you can help:

* Write a short review on Amazon.com
* Send this message to all your friends and all the educators you know
* Become a fan on our new Facebook page and share your thoughts
* Blog about it
* Ask your local bookseller to carry it
* Buy copies for the schools you care about

We encourage you to purchase your copy from University of California Press. Smart by Nature is also available from Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.

Thank you for your support and for being a part of this vital community.”

Warmly,
Zenobia Barlow
Cofounder and Executive Director

FREITAG Limited Art Edition 2009

The Contemporary Art of Art Recycling: “Normally we cut up trucks. For this collection we cut up art. The furiously Limited Art Edition of FREITAG bags is made from banners of the world’s most sizzling Contemporary Art Museums. Click on the museum’s name to find out when the series launches in the FREITAG online shop.”

via visual culture

NEWS, PROJECTS, PAPERS and LINKS

EcoLabs gives us EcoMag – “a magazine about art, design & sustainability. Each issue will focus on a theme while investigating issues lying at the root of the ecological crisis”.

The theme of the first issue is ‘Future Scenarios’. EcoMag is available as a low resolution Pdf download here.

“Over the next 10 years, 500 million young people will seek employment in a rapidly changing world. Imagine…in 30 years, our professional working lives, we need to create homes, feed, communicate, create wealth, govern, and educate…for a low carbon, prosperous, healthy future.

In 30 years we can turn this world around
AND IT STARTS HERE RIGHT HERE

Join:
• David Orr, best known for his pioneering work on education for sustainability
• George Lakoff, linguist and political activist on how we think and communicate.
• Janine Benyus, writer, innovator, and consultant on the science of biomimicy.
• CEOs of Canada’s leading cleantech firms
• The best in business, governance, education, architecture, healthcare, food systems, industry, cleantech and energy, and communications.”

“The Urban Forest Project is a series of unprecedented outdoor banner exhibitions taking root in cities around the world. In each location, artists, designers, students and the general public will employ the idea or form of the tree to make a powerful visual statement on banners that will be displayed throughout the community.

The tree is a metaphor for sustainability and, in that spirit, the banners at the close of each exhibition will be recycled into totebags and auctioned off to raise money for a local non-profit organization. Each local project will also incorporate or support an environmental call to action such as tree planting initiatives. The program can easily be adapted to address a number of green and creative initiatives in a variety of ways to shape a project that is unique and expressive of the local community.”

via visualculture