Mother Nature Network

Tattoos for the edgy environmentalist

12 ink creations to flaunt your passion for science and the natural world.

treehugger:

Build your own log lounge chair for $30

A solar-powered plug that sticks to windows and out from the crowd

Sure, there are a few kinks to be worked out, but the designers behind the clever and unfussy Window Socket are onto something: A solar converter-charger that serves as an outlet on windows, not walls.

As the demand for more efficient and more affordable wind power grows, designers are pushing the limits of the technology well beyond the traditional windmill spinning on a grassy hilltop. Often this leads to some pretty wild ideas.

9 ingenious wind turbine designs

Your office will never waste paper again with Oriental’s White Goat machine, which converts normal paper into toilet paper. Simply insert about 40 sheets of paper, and in 30 minutes you’ll receive a freshly made roll of toilet paper. The machine shreds the paper, dissolves it in water, thins it out and then dries it and winds it around a roll. According to Oriental, it costs about 12 cents to churn out one roll.

L’Uritonnoir transforms hay bales into compost-making pee stations

Designed to deliver ‘liquid gold’ directly into the center of a hay bale, L’Uritonnoir is a clever funnel-urinal hybrid from France that promotes urine upcycling in both festival and backyard settings.

A walk in the Bjarke: Architect unveils green roof-topped mini-city

A team led by Bjarke Ingels Group is named the winner in a bid to design a massive mixed-use development outside of Paris. Naturally, ski runs, renewable energy and a monster of a green roof-cum-park are all involved.