A sobering word of advice is being given to those planning on setting up a new website using the '.tv' domain name: the internet suffix popular with tv channels, video bloggers and anyone whose '.com' address has already been snapped up. The reason: the Island of Tuvalu where the domains are registered is reportedly disappearing into the sea.
As far as I'm aware, this is the first time climate change has threatened a virtual location with extinction. Hippyshopper, of course, is registered with a global warming-proofed '.com' address, but that's more than can be said for this beautiful Island.
[via Gawker]
I don't think I'll ever tire of clever and creative re-use ideas, and there are plenty of those to be found in the work of Annabeth Orton aka Glittermouse, who works with reused glass and tin to bring you richly decorated items which brighten and enhance interiors in a sustainably aware way.
Mouse, a selection of whose work you can see in the image above, is so committed to the idea of reusing discarded items that she's even been known to 'rescue' items such as discarded bottles and glasses from the streets in the aftermath of a Saturday night!
Read on over the jump to find out more about Glittermouse's work
Related: The art of upcycling: junky jewellery for spring | Remarkable recycled art by Robert Bradford
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OK...it's not remotely in the spirit of Hippyshopper for me to applaud the action of climate change, but can I please make an exception in this one instance? The crane fly is surely the most pointless and bothersome insect ever, and I for one would be happy to never have one fly into my face again. And if their numbers continue to dwindle, maybe I'll get my wish! The fact that it's due to climate change is...beside the point.
Or, if you're going to be more sensible about it, this story merits our approval becaue it'll get those who don't discriminate against members of the insect world to take action and save the crane fly from extinction. It appears they do in fact serve some useful functions, such as providing food for upland birds like golden plover, which are rather pretty. In fact, Dr James Pearce Higgins, of RSPB Scotland, said: "This is the most worrying development that I have found in my scientific career to date. So perhaps not such a reason for celebration after all...
Related: Not cute or furry, but insects need love too | One of UK's rarest insects thrives on Scottish Island
In an age of pen drives and CDs, there's not a lot you can do with a 3½-inch floppy besides turn it into something else altogether - and as re-use for computer bits goes, this greetings card idea is not a bad one. I like the way that the finished result created is an image of another 'obsolete' piece of technology: a vinyl turntable. The 'record' also really moves, which makes the project all the more satisfying. Full instructions on how to do it are here.
I wonder who'd appreciate a card like this though? Possibly someone who's a bit of a throwback! [Via Craftershock]
Related: How to make a shower puff dress | How to re-use those annoying pasta sauce jars
Ever since the first Andrex puppy bounded down the stairs and into our hearts, loo roll has been getting increasingly soft, strong and long. At first, this represented a welcome departure from the scratchy, tracing-paper torture that many of us remember from our youth, but even the most posteriorly-challenged would agree that just recently, things have gone a bit far.
The current trend in toilet paper (if such a thing can be said to exist) is for such bloated, padded sheets that it can sometimes feel as though you're wiping your bottom with a king-size duvet. And according to campaigners, the American obsession in particular with multi-ply, quilted toilet tissue is having such a devastating effect on the environment that it could be said to be a worse risk to the planet than all the SUVs in the USA. In Europe, we are doing better, with around 40% of toilet paper coming from recycled sources. But in the States, more than 98% comes from virgin forests. Are we in danger of slipping into such bad habits?
Follow the jump to take part in our poll
Related: Recycled toilet paper: how green is it really? | Sheryl Crow says no to toilet paper to save the world
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Excitement erupted earlier this week, when a wind turbine in Conisholme, Lincolnshire suffered unexplained damage, following reports from local residents that 'strange lights' had appeared in the sky. The giant turbine, used to make green energy by Ecotricity, lost one of its 72-foot blades in what is being described as a freak accident - and it wasn't long before the usual whacky theories started to emerge...
Related: Solar-powered vehicle mistaken for a UFO
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I heard recently that a particularly inventive 'green' iPod user, perhaps affected as much by the state of the economical climate, found himself brainstorming money saving ideas that would enable him to hold on to a few pennies during these harsh times. This brainstorm eventually led to a way to power his iPod using nothing more than an energy drink and an onion (or so he says).
So here's how he did it. He dug two holes into the onion, poured in the energy drink, then plugged in his USB cable to boost his iPod with juice. He claims a "friend showed me the experiment as a laugh but I thought it was the greatest thing I have ever seen, and do it religiously every day".
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