Zeitgeist 2011: Year In Review

See how the World Searched with Google's 2011 Zeitgeist

United Nations Year in Review 2011

United Nations, New York, December 2011 - Earth's 7 billionth resident was born into a world of contradiction and change. There could be enough for all, yet a billion people remain hungry. Around the world protestors fought for freedom and better opportunities. From conflict in Libya to nuclear disaster in Japan and famine at the Horn of Africa - the UN provided relief and solutions. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon declared sustainable development and lifting people out of poverty the main goals of his second term in office.

Silent Night by Beyoncé

Legoland Florida Christmas Bricktacular

Legoland Florida is the newest theme park in Central Florida and this is the first year it will be celebrating its Christmas Bricktacular with all its fans. This year a massive 30 foot tall LEGO tree made out of over 270,000 Lego and Duplo blocks is on display for all to see along with hundreds of decorations throughout the park.

Osaka Station, Kyoto, Water clock in Christmas mood

Hanukkah at the White House: Celebrate Hanukkah December 20-28 2011

On Tuesday evening December 20 light one candle on your menorah. The basic elements of a kosher menorah are eight holders for oil or candles and an additional holder, set apart from the rest, for the shamash ("attendant") candle.

The Chanukah lights can either be candle flames or oil-fueled. Since the miracle of Chanukah happened with olive oil – the little cruse of oil that lasted for eight days – an oil menorah is preferable to a candle one, and olive oil is the ideal fuel. Cotton wicks are preferred because of the smooth flame they produce. Source: Chabad



Hanukkah also romanized as Chanukah, Chanukkah, or Chanuka, also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple (the Second Temple) in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE. Hanukkah is observed for eight nights and days, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, which may occur at any time from late November to late December in the Gregorian calendar.

The festival is observed by the kindling of the lights of a unique candelabrum, the nine-branched Menorah or Hanukiah, one additional light on each night of the holiday, progressing to eight on the final night. The typical Menorah consists of eight branches with an additional raised branch. The extra light is called a shamash and is given a distinct location, usually above or below the rest. The purpose of the shamash is to have a light available for use, as using the Hanukkah lights themselves is forbidden. Read more at: Wikipedia

Silent Night by Peter Hollens & Savannah Outen

Use MBDC's Holiday Gift Guide to shop for Cradle to Cradle Certified products

Struggling with what to get your loved ones this holiday season? Take a peek at MBDC's Holiday Gift Guide. If you are going to buy a gift this season, choose from this list of Cradle to Cradle Certified products for everyone on your list. All of the products listed have been evaluated by MBDC for material health, material reutilization, use of renewable energy, water stewardship, and social responsibility.

Read more at: MBDC's Holiday Gift Guide

Be Green Cradle to Cradle Packaging's Social Mission

Highlights of recent Be Green company milestones. Governor Nikki Haley talks about what Be Green brings to South Carolina with the first plant fiber packaging manufacturing facility in the US.

Be Green Packaging in Santa Barbara, California, manufactures and distributes Cradle-to-Cradle certified, tree-free, compostable packaging for the food and consumer packaging industries. The company's products are made from annually renewable plant fibers that are safe for people and healthy for the planet.

Cradle to Cradle by MYR Group

Desso Group Kick Off Cradle to Cradle

Desso is a leading player in the design and development of carpet tiles and broadloom for both business and consumer markets and artificial grass pitches. Thanks to its high quality and creative custom-made carpets, it is also a well-known player in the hotel, marine and aviation sectors. Desso Sports Systems is a leader in the field of artificial grass pitches for football (in top stadiums like Arsenal and Wembley), hockey and tennis.
Desso operates in 110 countries. Its innovation strategy focuses on Creativity, Functionality and Cradle to Cradle. Superior design is achieved in partnership with the Circles of Architects worldwide.

In signing a partnership agreement with the Hamburg-based Environmental Protection Encouragement Agency (EPEA), Desso has become the first carpet manufacturer in EMEA to adopt the Cradle to Cradle design. It marks Desso's radical decision to move beyond 'mere' sustainability in producing its carpets and artificial grass. In the Cradle to Cradle principles, products are made from pure components that are easy to disassemble, in order to create new products (=up-cycling) in both the biological and technical cycles.

Why Become Cradle To Cradle Certified

Cradle to Cradle Defined

Egypt Cairo's Recycling: The Zabaleen Community

The concept of "cradle to cradle" has become a mainstream conservation approach in the recent years. The ideas is that regeneration, sustainability and coexistence with nature, should govern human lives. So today, in the final part of our special report from Egypt, we go to a very unique slum, in the capital Cairo, where the population of 16,000, relies on recycling the city's waste to make a living. Locals, also known as Zabaleen, or "garbage collectors" recycles 85 percent of the trash, a rate higher than other developing countries. In our last visit to Egypt, we went a tour around the Zabaleen community, and also made a stop at the Al-Azhar Park, the equivalent of Cairo's Central Park, which used to be a stinking landfill.

The Panasonic Eco Exhibition in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai in India

Panasonic kicked off its Eco Exhibition this yesterday on December 9 in Delhi to showcase its wide range of eco products and idea and will move around India's four major cities - Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai over the course of two months.

In Delhi and Mumbai, Panasonic will also introduce for the first time to India, its first ever standalone power system, the Life Innovation Container to show its innovative and comprehensive energy solution to create, store and manage energy all packaged within a twenty foot container.



See also: Panasonic 100th Anniversary in 2018: No.1 Green Innovation Company in the Electronics Industry

Ford Fusion App Walkthrough

Get behind the wheel of a virtual 2013 Ford Fusion starting December 13, 2011. Download the Ford Fusion mobile app and find a Ford logo to unlock a virtual world where you can drive three beautifully re-imagined versions of the car, hear from the car's designers and engineers and unlock new features along the way. Unlock 19 unique driving courses, exclusive video content, and ultimately, the 2013 Ford Fusion on the same day it's revealed to the world at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

THRIVE Trailer: What On Earth Will It Take?

THRIVE lifts the veil on what's REALLY going on in our world by following the money upstream -- uncovering the global consolidation of power in nearly every aspect of our lives. Weaving together breakthroughs in science, consciousness and activism, THRIVE offers real solutions, empowering us with unprecedented and bold strategies for reclaiming our lives and our future.

Now that the full-length film, THRIVE: What On Earth Will It Take? is out, the speculation about the trailer becomes just that - speculation. We invite viewers here to experience the full version for yourselves at www.thrivemovement.com. We also encourage you to recognize the substance-less ranting of those who have not seen the film or who might be paid by the powers that be to troll the channels of veil-lifting sites like this to inhibit informed discussion and positive reflections.

President Barack Obama Speaks at The National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony

President Barack Obama speaks before the lighting of the National Christmas Tree on the Ellipse.

Christmas in Washington: President Barack Obama Singing With Justin Bieber and Others

President Obama speaks during the "Christmas in Washington" celebration at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC. December 11, 2010

The Cradle to Cradle Story

Working on Cradle to Cradle With The Environmental Company MBDC

What exactly are Meatless Mondays?

Find out why they're sweeping the nation, who's taking part, why they're doing it, and how you can join them.

Ban The Bag

Short video depicting why bag bans are absolutely necessary. Rise Above Plastics.

Yamaha Moegi Concept - Unique Bicycle Styling With A 125cc Engine

This is the Y125 Moegi. As the name suggests, this concept model has a 125 cc engine.

Volvo Hybrid Buses in London

In this video you learn about the hybrid technology of the Volvo 7700 Hybrid, a technology which has been developed even further in the follow-up model Volvo 7900 Hybrid. The Volvo Bus hybrid technology is the leading environmental solution for buses in urban areas. Without compromising on performance, and still delivering emissions reduction by up to 50 percent and fuel savings of up to 35 percent (up to 37 percent in the 7900 model), it is a truly competitive alternative for urban transport.

Toyota Reveals Smaller, Sportier Prius: Model C

Amazing Time-Lapse Flyover View Of Earth From Space Station

Kengo Kuma Designs New Starbucks Store in the Southern Japanese city of Fukuoka

One of Japan’s leading and globally renowned, award winning architects, Kengo Kuma has designed a new Starbucks store that will open in the Southern Japanese city of Fukuoka. The store is currently under construction but is due to open in mid December.

The design is made up of a traditional timber framed structure with the facade of the building protruding out at different angles, similar to a tree’s branches. “A fusion of the traditional and contemporary and made up of natural materials” is how Kuma describes the approach to the design that looks like it will lend itself to the natural surroundings of the stores location in Dazaifu Shrine.

Source: Fashionsnap

New Holland Island St. Petersburg by MVRDV Architects

The Iris Foundation has the ambition to fundamentally contribute to the contemporary cultural life of St. Petersburg, the wider region, Russia and the international cultural world. It has taken the admirable initiative to expand its success of the Garage Centre for Contemporary Culture in Moscow and convert St. Petersburg's New Holland Island into a cultural district. MVRDV developed a strategy to gradually redevelop the historic structure and add a new volume dedicated to Modern Art.

Inside the new structure a series of activators are collected, being released in summer activating the district. New Holland Island as curatable space, the informal and contemporary inside the monumental city, a cultural Trojan Horse. The historic buildings are treated with upmost respect as imposed by the UNESCO environment and economically upgraded in a gentrification strategy comparable to organic urban renewal on a larger scale.

Only what evolves stays vivid and contemporary

A world with seven billion people

This is how we prepare for a sustainable future: by helping build cities worth living in.

The First Ladder Climbing Android

This ladder-climbing android, developed by Muscle Corporation, first shown at the World Expo in Shanghai last year, uses components developed by a group of small and midsize businesses in Osaka.

Worlds First Elastic Electric/Data/USB Cables: Roboden

Roboden, developed by Asahi Kasei Fibers, is the worlds first elastic electrical cable. Wiring on robots usually needs to be slack to allow for the robots movement, such as parts twisting or moving back and forth, but by using these elastic electrical cables, the wiring can perfectly match the robots movement without being too tight or loose.

Mitsubishi EMIRAI: Near-future Car Interface Technology

Mitsubishi Electric have developed a car interface which they believe will be realized within a decade from now. The EMIRAI concept features a newly developed curved, rear-projection display as the dashboard, a tactile interface with buttons that pop up when needed, and a safety system that uses biometrics.

Daihatsu EV Concepts: PICO, FC ShoCASE, and D-X at Tokyo Motor Show 2011

This car is a two-seater EV commuter, so it fills the gap between mopeds and compact cars. It's 1 m wide and 2.4 m long, and two adults can ride in it, one behind the other. The aim of having such a small width is to get down narrow roads and maneuver easily.

Subaru Advanced Tourer Concept

This is the Subaru Advanced Tourer Concept. This model embodies Subaru's brand message, "Confidence in Motion.

Mazda Takeri Concept Sedan With Next Generation Clean Diesel Technology

The Takeri's design concept is based on Kodo, Mazda's new-generation design theme. The idea in Kodo is to capture the moment when a living creature moves. For example, when a very agile animal like a cheetah sets off after prey, think of how its front and back legs kick the ground hard. The idea with Kodo is, the dynamic design represents that kind of form in the body and fender.

Honda's Futuristic Urban Micro Commuter Concept Vehicle

Toyota Fun-Vii Futuristic EV Concept Car

This futuristic EV concept is Toyota's vision of the future of driving. With generation Z, who have grown up with the internet, as the target audience, the whole body and interior is a smartphone-connected display.

The Toyota Fun-Vii's software for driving, control, and multimedia is updated continually online. By connecting to nearby cars and to satellites, blind spots at intersections can be perceived in advance, you can communicate with other friends cars, and the car is able to drive itself to destinations.



See also: Car of the Future: Toyota Fun Vii

KOBOT City EV Concept Vehicle Transforms With The Push Of A Button

The Kobot is a new EV concept for navigating around cities and towns, developed by Kowa Tmsuk. There are three models in this prototype range, the single person vehicles ν (nyu) and β(beta), which with the push of a button from a smartphone can transform so that they can be parked securely in a compact space, and the π(pi) which can hold two people.

Apple Building Plan for Amazing Cupertino Campus with over 5MW Solar Roof

Today’s updated Apple Headquarters Spaceship campus plans include a roof made almost entirely out of solar cells, according to details released today. With a building as large as Apple’s, that puts it in the top corporate solar installations in the world and the biggest in the US. The current title holder is the 4.26 MW system in Edison New Jersey and another being built by ToysRus in sunny NJ is rated 5.38MW. Source: 9to5Mac See also: Cupertino Campus

Productivity Future Vision

Find out how technology could transform the way we get things done at school, at work, and in the home over the next 5 to 10 years.

Markthal Rotterdam, The Netherlands: Impression of the new Market Hall of Rotterdam by MVRDV Architects

United Arab Emirates Elected to Chair IRENA Council

The United Arab Emirates has been elected as Chair of the Council of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) by its 21 members. Following the second meeting of the two day Council in Abu Dhabi on Monday, the members also reviewed the work of the Agency in preparation for the upcoming 2nd Meeting of the Assembly on January 14, 15, 2012.

Source: Go Green

Bridgestone Air-Free Concept Tyres

Bridgestone has developed the Air-Free Concept, a tire technology that uses a thermoplastic resin as it's support structure instead of air.

When will America Collapse? Today's bad news provide a timeline to Economic Collapse

H2oil animated sequences

Ever wonder where America gets most of its oil? If you thought it was Saudi Arabia or Iraq you are wrong. America’s biggest oil supplier has quickly become Canada’s oil sands. Located under Alberta’s pristine boreal forests, the process of oil sands extraction uses up to 4 barrels of fresh water to produce only one barrel of crude oil.

It goes without saying that water — its depletion, exploitation, privatization and contamination — has become the most important issue to face humanity in this century. At the same time, the war for oil is well underway across the globe. A struggle is increasingly being fought between water and oil, not only over them.

Alberta’s oil sands are at the centre of this tension. As the province rushes towards a large-scale extraction, the social, ecological and human impacts are hitting a crisis point. In only a few short years the continent will be a crisscross of pipelines, reaching from the arctic all the way to the southern US, leaving toxic water basins the size of Lake Ontario, and surface-mines as large as Florida.

H2Oil follows a voyage of discovery, heartbreak and politicization in the stories of those attempting to defend water in Alberta against tar sands expansion. Unlikely alliances are built and lives are changed as they come up against the largest industrial project in human history.

Ultimately we ask what is more important, oil or water? And what will be our response?

With hope and courage H2Oil tells the story of one of the most significant, and destructive projects of our time.

The next 10 years will be very unlike the last 10 years

World Without Oil

Tar Sands Oil Extraction: The Dirty Truth

Environmental devastation of the land, water, and air - the largest industrial energy project in the world is extracting crude oil from bitumen found beneath the pristine boreal forest of Alberta, Canada. Effecting a land mass equivalent in size to Florida or England, Both industry and government are putting money before the health and security of its people and the environment.

Tar sands take 3 barrels of water to process every barrel of oil extracted. Ninety percent of this water becomes so toxic that it must be stored in tailing ponds. Unfortunately these ponds regularly leach pollution into the third largest watershed in the world.

Water depletion, exploitation, privatization and contamination has become one of the most important issues facing humanity this century.

The Future of Free Energy is here now! The end of oil, coal and nuclear ...

Justin Hall-Tipping CEO of "Nanoholdings" Explains how nanotechnology is set to change the future of energy and replace fossil and nuclear fuels:

ROCKmagneten: Danish Rock Museum in Roskilde by MVRDV + COBE

The MVRDV and COBE scheme for the transformation of a former concrete factory into a multifunctional creative hub was chosen winner of an international design competition. The masterplan proposes an informal transformation of the 45.000m2 site into a dense neighborhood, incl. 8.000m2 existing factory halls, organized around a plaza for events. Three new volumes will be added on top of the halls: The 11.000m2 ROCKmagneten consists of The Danish Rock Museum, The Roskilde Festival Folkschool incl. student housing, and the headquarters of the famous Roskilde Rock Festival. They share program in a public creative communal house. The museum with a total of 3.000m2 will be completed as the first phase in 2014.

The Ocean Brick System: Environmental and cost effective foundation solution for offshore wind turbine

The Ocean Brick Systems present the Ocean Brick System (OBS) - a modular, flexible, fast and cost effective system for the erection and founding of artificial islands, large marine and inland infrastructure projects. OBS is based on advanced studies in Structural Morphology and consists of sophisticated hollow concrete precast modules, with built-in solid section of a tetra-hedron truss. The modules are piled up like cubes, and are interconnected to create a buoyant, stiff, light and strong superstructure.

Orangutan Genocide: The Palm Oil Crisis

Our Civilization is Unsustainable

Surviving Progress Trailer by ONFB - NFB

Surviving Progress is a stunning new feature documentary that connects the financial collapse, growing inequity, and the Wall Street oligarchy, with future technology, sustainability, and the fate of civilization. Inspired by Ronald Wright's bestseller A Short History of Progress, filmmakers Mathieu Roy and Harold Crooks dig deep into human nature and patterns of history to challenge and redefine the very idea of progress.

Productivity Future Vision 2011

Watch how future technology will help people make better use of their time, focus their attention, and strengthen relationships while getting things done at work, home, and on the go.

Momentum For Change

See also: Durban COP17-CMP7 UN Climate Change Conference 2011

Beautiful Earth - Beyond Words

Natural Beauty: The Pirelli 2012 Calendar

A Beautiful World We Live In

Why the Oceans matter

Logrono Eco City on the hills of Montecorvo and la Fonsalada by MVRDV

The Eco-City designed by MVRDV in collaboration with GRAS foresees the construction of 3,000 social homes and complementary program. The new neighbourhood achieves a CO2 neutral footprint by producing renewable energy on site. The total investment is 388 million Euro.

The 56 ha site, just north of Logroño on the two small hills of Montecorvo and la Fonsalada, offers views over the city and vast south facing slopes. The masterplan is designed in a compact way occupying only 10 % of the site: the linear compact urban development meanders through the landscape, providing every apartment with views towards the city. In addition sports facilities, retail, restaurants, infrastructure and public and private gardens are part of the plan.

The remaining landscape becomes an eco-park: a mix of park and energy production. As the slopes are south facing solar energy is easily generated. A tapestry of PV-cells clad the mountain, covering the hills in golden reflection. On top of the two hills, windmills generate part of the energy needed for the 3.000 social houses and at the same time they work as landmarks for the development. 100% of the energy demand is generated on site by a combination of solar and wind energy. A greywater circuit and on site natural water purification are parts of the plan that combines dense urban living with real ecological improvements. All these measurements will allow the new development to reach a CO2 neutral footprint and the highest Spanish energy efficiency rating.

Health Future Vision

Explore how technology improves healthcare by providing seamless connections across providers and equipping patients with the control they need for a more personalized care experience.

Helicopter Pilot Blows Whistle On Tuna Industry

A helicopter pilot speaks out about his experiences onboard a number of purse seine tuna fishing vessels operating in the Pacific. His gruesome footage shows how the use of Fish Aggregation Devices is resulting in the bycatch of all sorts of marine life and contributes to the depletion of tuna stocks. Greenpeace is campaigning for more sustainable and less destructive tuna fisheries in the Pacific Ocean.

Car of the Future: Toyota Fun Vii

See also: Toyota Fun-Vii Futuristic EV Concept Car