Wow. Hand-crafted from woven bamboo and soon to be on display at the musee de quai branly in Paris…

I think reCover has great potential as emergency housing: it’s 100% recyclable, easy to transport and assemble, AND the form is really stimulating (easily seen from a distance too I would imagine)…

In most African countries, 95% of the population is living off-grid with no access to electricity. To address this energy and lighting crisis, the World Bank held a competition and chose 16 winners. Read about the fascinating work of one of them, Lebone Solutions, here…

The Kinkajou Microfilm Projector and Portable Library from Design that Matters, Inc.

Award-winning design by Cooler Solutions provides a portable sanitation solution ideal for refugee camps and developing countries…

5000 kids, 15 million discarded icecream sticks and a dream:
“The Children kept repeating what I had been teaching them, things like.. “Hey Rob Don’t Give Up or Give in..” “Anything is Possible.” It was just enough.”

I’m straying from my humanitarian design theme a little here because I love when art and nature come together in such a thoughtful and beautiful way. Michel de Broin is the brilliant artist who produced this work called “Superficial.”

I was blown away by this idea for a living, breathing house that is a direct contributor to the ecosystem. In this era of non-stop and irresponsible development, it’s comforting to know someone is working out every detail of how to make this happen. Pics and explanations here. Story via ecofriend.org.

Incredible story. An inventor is trying to harness the intelligence of crows and use it for good: “Don’t hate the crows… Just let them save you.”
Read the npr story…
Get more in-depth information about this project or donate here.

A really interesting New York Times review of the exhibition, “Poussin and Nature: Arcadian Visions,” currently at the Metropolitan Museum. I am an admirer of Poussin and regard his consideration for nature and restrained, romantic perspective in general as an ideal emotional base from which to operate as both fine artist and designer. If only I lived in New York - I’d love to see this show…

With this project, Vancouver-based charity, Design For Development is “not only seeking to improve health transportation — but to increase skills and opportunities for members of the communities that they work with.” More…

70,000 Street lights across the city with internet access by 2011…
http://blog.cooperhewitt.org/2007/10/11/virtual-emergency-network

Now there will be a good school for girls in this region of very male-oriented Kenya: http://www.humanidesign.org/girlsschool2.html

One of the most important functions/services of green, socially responsible design is to educate.
Based on the idea that being aware of the current environmental crisis doesn’t mean that it is easy to recognize its extent and complexity, the “Eco-Vis Challenge” invited artists and designers to submit projects which make meaningful patterns emerge from the mass of environmental data. http://www.we-make-money-not-art.com/archives/2008/01/the-competition-is-part-of.php

Children living on/near a gigantic garbage dump in Indonesia are running a community radio station which broadcasts children’s music, poetry and news each day. I read about this on Eyeteeth and just had to post it. Here’s the story:

Live from the Dump: Broadcasting Hope from an Unlikely Site

I have had the privilege of working for Tim O’Brien, founder and president of this Portland-based company, so I’ve seen firsthand the kind of compassion and dedicated zeal it takes to envision and actually realize a project as far-reaching and socially positive as Tropical Salvage. In brief, this company is making a difference by:

• RECLAIMING, RECYCLING and DISCOVERING select tropical hardwoods.
• CREATING job opportunities in areas of economic hardship.
• BUILDING unique, functional and affordable furniture and other products.
• PROMOTING environmental health and education.
• RAISING consumer awareness.

There’s so much to this story and the site will tell you everything you want to know - including how Tropical Salvage is collaborating with the Institute for Culture and Ecology to create the Jepara Forest Conservancy (a public forest park and environmental education facility). And if you happen to need something new for your home, you can peruse the dozens of pics of beautiful furniture made from ancient hardwoods for sale. Either way, prepare to be totally inspired!

Read treehugger’s article/forum about it here.