Saw this on Digg today.  Thought it to be pretty freakin’ amazing.  So I share, with you, as I always do.

“Cover the world in Post-It Notes and Paint and I will return to you.” - Jesus

My bags are packed.  Who’s with me?

Via Inhabitat -

by Kristie Wilson, Feb 3rd

We eco-enthusiasts will soon have a new eco-paradise island to escape to! Bonaire, a part of the Netherlands Antilles, will be the first island in the Caribbean with a 100% sustainable energy supply. In 2007 the local government of Bonaire, who prides on its island’s beauty and natural preservation, agreed to this ambitious project of trashing its fossil fuel energy dependence and developing an energy system comprised of an 11MW wind farm, 14MW biodiesel plant, and a 3.5MW backup battery. Ecopower Bonaire BV, a consortium of Dutch-German companies, Evelop, Enercon, and local Bonaire Water and Energy Company, is spearheading this project that is expected to finish at the end of 2009.

The project developers first installed a pilot 330kW wind turbine, whose current energy production exceeds any of their initial expectations. As a result, 12 more 0.9MW wind turbines will be installed on the north coast of the island, where wind and surf conditions are most ideal. This wind farm alone can meet the energy demands of the island’s 15,000 permanent residents! Still, five bio-diesel generators are under construction for added stability, and developers expect the switchover from conventional fuels to bio-fuels within 3 years of operation.

Like its neighboring islands such as Aruba and Curacao, Bonaire’s economy is heavily reliant on tourism. Bonaire has strategically developed its land span of 111 sq. miles and the surrounding coral reed for tourism and eco-tourism, making it a top ranked Caribbean destination for scuba diving and witnessing wildlife. The island’s north side is also home to an array of flamingos, a donkey sanctuary and an ecological preserve. With beautiful beaches, great snorkelling, and 100% sustainable energy supply, what more could an eco-enthusiast ask for on her eco-holiday?

“There is one thing worse than not being able to see. Being able to see, but having no vision.”

- Helen Keller -

Here is a thought provoking video that asks some interesting questions and presents some alarming statistics.  It comes from two Colorado educators that have started a movement called Shift Happens.  The video is a year and a half old so some of the stats may be a bit outdated.  But as the film points out we are living in exponential times, you can only assume that most of the numbers have already drastically increased from its release in June of 2007.  This is from the Shift Happens wiki space -

“Because we are educators in the United States, our experiences and perspectives are going to be somewhat America-centric. However, we believe that the themes of Did You Know? are global in nature and apply to schools and children around the world. We want all children to be successful. We do not view the growing importance of India and China as negative but rather as additional opportunities for everyone in the world. We do not mean to gloss over the very real issues that countries such as India and China face, and we recognize that globalization and “flat world” factors have downsides just like other societal shifts. We prefer, however, to focus on the positive benefits and on doing what we can to help children learn and grow so that they may become successful digital, global citizens.”

This building is tall.  Really really really really tall.  In fact it is now the tallest structure on the planet.  It is diffucult to wrap your mind around the sheer scale of this skyscraper.  Currently a staggering 2,320 ft high the Burj Dubai is, at present, 613ft taller than The Sears Tower and has 50 more floors.  Unbelievably the building is still growing, upon its completion in September of next year it could rise to a height of 2,684ft!  The final height of the building is a tightly held secret and won’t be known until construction is finished.

The first photo comes from yesterday’s excellent Big Picture story “Dubai and the UAE”.

November 7, 2008 - the tallest man made structure in the world, despite being still incomplete. The skyscraper stands at 707 meters (2,320 ft), with 160 floors and growing, and is scheduled to be complete by September of next year. (© Fadi Chami) #

The following hi-res pictures of the unmatched tower come from David Hobcote.  You can check out the full collection at Gizmodo.com here.

From Inhabitat.com -

This is an excellent article on the birth of Green High-Rises in the United States.  It is informative and filled with great links to help lead you in your exploration of the Green building and Green technology revolution.

Enjoy!

Green Home 101: US cities Sprout Green High-Rises

by

Hailey Zaki

From green cleaning products to energy-efficient appliances, Green Home 101 has delved into several different aspects of what makes a sustainable, environmentally responsible household. But what about the home itself? Look skyward in any major American city and you’re likely to see a soaring new green high-rise. With scarce land in urban areas, the cost of housing skyrocketing, and increasing demand for better communities, high-density development is experiencing a renaissance in the US. But development is not just growing up, it’s growing green. As consumers look for long-term savings and seek to live in healthier environments, more big developers have grasped onto the fact that the green in the building can lead to green in the bank. Inhabitat’s Green Home 101 takes a closer look at some of the new high-rise projects sustainable residential towers are sprouting up all over the US.

The Visionaire - New York City, NY

Built upon excavated land from the building of the World Trade Centers, the Battery Park City neighborhood in New York City is quickly becoming one of the greenest neighborhoods in the country. Leading the way with progressive green building guidelines, many of its structures have been LEED certified and in 2003, the first sustainable high-rise residential building in the U.S. was developed in Battery Park City: The Solaire by the Albanese Organization. Today from the same developer comes The Visionaire, another LEED Platinum high-rise.

EnV - Chicago, IL

Not to be left out of the mix, the Windy City recently announced a new green high-rise project called the EnV. The 29-story, 249-unit luxury apartment development under construction in Chicago’s River North neighborhood will feature environmentally responsible design and building practices and is expected to be one of the city’s first LEED-certified rental properties. Designed Valerio Dewalt Train and owned by developer Lynd Development Partners, the project is expected to open in Spring 2010.

Read the rest of Haily Zaki’s article here.

This story was written by Alexandra Kain for Inhabitat.com and is purty darn cool -

“Approximately half of the surface area of the EDITT Tower will be wrapped in organic local vegetation, and passive architecture will allow for natural ventilation. Publicly accessible ramps will connect upper floors to the street level lined in shops, restaurants and plant life. The building has also been designed for future adaptability.”

read more | digg story

“My country is the world, and my religion is to do good.”

- Thomas Paine -

Below is a trailer for the incredibly timely and just released Zeitgeist: Addendum.  This is Peter Joseph’s follow up film to his 2007 release Zeitgeist - The Movie.  The film was released today online for free and can be seen in its entirety by clicking here.

You can learn more about the movement and some of the ideas in the film by clicking on the links below.  Happy Travels…

The Venus Project

Dream Change

The Zeitgeist Movement

If you enjoyed the video I highly recommend you check out the web site for Liz Diller’s firm DS + R here.

Over the weekend I read a post on Digg from a blog called Wellmedicated, that introduced me to the wonderfully weird and often brilliant world of Polish film posters.

Before reading the post I was completely unaware that Poland produced such artistically brilliant posters.  These examples truly blew my mind and reminded me how ugly, obvious, and downright boring American film marketing usually is.

I recommend checking out the rest of the Blog (a top 50 list of Polish film posters) on Wellmedicated here.

Below are a few more examples that I found to be inspiring, clever, and perfectly strange.  These are from www.polishposter.com.

Weekend At Bernies

Escape From Planet of the Apes

Mullholland Drive

Star Wars

The next couple posters are from Polish Exhibitions.  To see more click here.