Green Options

From bicycle lovers to lovers on bikes, bike art to art on bikes, the largest bicycle sharing program in the world to some of the smallest bikers, enjoy this bicycle city photo tour of Paris, France!

Paris doesn’t have a long history as one of the best bicycle cities, but with the introduction of the largest bicycle sharing program in the world, bicycling in Paris has boomed and the city is becoming commonly associated with the bicycle now. Its whole culture is changing due to the bicycle’s increasing relevance in the city’s daily life.

Groningen would be number one on this list if we were looking at percentage of residents who bicycle for transportation purposes. About 57% of travel in Groningen is by bicycle!

The city has been named the world’s best bicycle city a couple of times (1993 and 2006). It is a university city which is part of the reason why it has so many people bicycling, but it has done amazing things to make the city more bicycle friendly as well. The bicycle facilities you can see on the following pages will probably blow your mind away.

CNN highlights the Billionaires for Wealthcare enthusiastically singing the praises of a public option, as they entertained unsuspecting attendees at a health insurance conference in Washington DC last week. Wolf Blitzer and Jeanne Moos discuss the increasingly popular use of guerilla musical theatre across the nation. Cleverly orchestrated performances and mini-musicals seem to have become much more popular with folks now than rabid screaming teabaggers.

Berlin is a great bicycle city! Full of bicyclists, bike art, bicycle infrastructure, and unique bikes for a variety of different purposes, Berlin is #7 on this “great bicycle cities” list.

If you go to Germany, you will probably hear some Germans saying how much they love their cars (i.e. Mercedes, BMW, Audi). However, you will probably be surprised to see how many people actually love their bikes. Berlin is perhaps the best example. You can see people from across the class spectrum using the bicycle for a wide range of purposes. Even the postal service and other delivery services use bicycles.

Artist Jason de Caires Taylor has sculpted a series of human figures in the world’s first underwater sculpture park. This exhibit is an evolving art exhibit available to divers and glass bottom boats of the Grenada reef that is aimed at promoting conservation awareness.

Jason’s “sculptures highlight ecological processes whilst exploring the intricate relationships between modern art and the environment. By using sculptures to create artificial reefs, the artist’s interventions promote hope and recovery, and underline our need to understand and protect the natural world.”

This is the world’s first underwater sculpture park that includes environmental education.

Most of us would consider a trip to a state or national park to be a chance to get away from the pollution that plagues our cities. But it’s seldom easy to escape the effects of urban and industrial air pollution. Now, with a new art project called ECLIPSE, the web viewer or park visitor can see real time air quality data “imposed” on the otherwise scenic landscapes of our state and national parks.

I love yurt living. It’s like camping out, — but in a modern, convenient structure. The dome has so much to do with that feeling.

As we face the Autumnal Equinox, I watch the interior dome light shift as it does with my landscaping. The daily light beam changes with seasons.

Hani Hong is an established graphic designer. With business partner Tina Fusari, she owns and operates Fierce Hugs, Inc. In Virginia. She also happens to own an independent graphic design business.

Founded by Donna Karan and Sonja Nuttall, the Urban Zen Foundation has the mission to create, connect, collaborate, and “to raise awareness and inspire change in the areas of well-being, preserving cultures and empowering children.” Being both well-known fashion designers in the US and UK respectively, they bring both credibility and immense skill and creativity to their efforts to “design forums, partner with exisinting organizations and bring together experts to define solutions and implement action.”

UZF has a retail/giving center. Here you can browse fashion and fine art, such as these famous photographs on auction, that have been donated by world renowned photographers to help the Urban Zen Foundation causes.

For Labor Day I thought I would share a little something my mind has been laboring over. It’s called a kilt. I like to call it, a glimpse of heaven. If heaven consists of recycled leather, fabric and hardware combined to make delicious ‘kilts’ in varying colors and patterns, I beg you, transport me there immediately.

Pure Bohemian, congratulations. You’ve constructed the most incredible skirt I have ever seen. Period.

Innovative artist Joshua Allen Harris has created a menagerie of inflatable monsters that are ephemeral, whimsical and utterly delightful. All of his different creatures are made from old plastic bags, and magically come to life from the air generated by New York city subway vent exhaust.

Steven Psyllos interviewed Harris recently for New York magazine to discuss his inspiration, artistic process,  and to unveil a new animated plastic bag beast; the video was shot by Jonah Green.