What do you do when the cityscape is crowded with skyscrapers, roads and cars and you want to create more urban green places without removing anything? You go underground of course!

This is one of the coolest projects we've come across lately; the kickstarter-funded project, The Lowline, has taken an abandoned underground trolley terminal, utilising tech to bring enough sunlight through to be able to grow plants (mock plants for now)

As seen on the images here, a 35-foot-wide aluminium canopy will shower light on to the indoor park, demonstrating the 'remote skylight' concept that would provide light to the green space under the dense pavements of Manhattan.

"What I envision is that we will have this kind of undulating, reflective ceiling actually functioning as an optical device to draw sunlight into the space to make it somewhere that you would actually like to spend some time," says James Ramsey, co-founder of the Lowline and designer of the "Imagining the Lowline" installation that opened 15 September to showcase sample "solar harvesting" technology.

The Lowline name plays on the wildly successful High Line, which turned an abandoned freight rail line on Manhattan's far west side into elevated park space.

Have you come across any similar projects?

[via Co.Exist]

With Britain going crazy over Fifty Shades of Grey (we're proud to say that we HAVEN'T read it), 80-year-old charity the Family Planning Association (FPA) is now doing its bit to help Britons add more excitement in the bedroom by launching a website selling sex toys, games and DVDs.

In an attempt to challenge the 'bad and ugly' practices of the growing number of online sex shops, the FPA hopes its 'good' alterative will not only give Brits the option to choose a more ethical approach but also improve the nation's sex lives through playful fun.

All profits from sold items, which include several rabbits, a Kama Sutra card game as well as more 'advanced' toys, will go to the FPA to support its charitable work across the UK.

'The internet has created a new era of freedom for people to buy sex products and toys' explains, Terry Hawkins, Business development manager, FPA.

'Just as innovations like the Kindle and downloadable books have kick-started the 50 Shades of Grey phenomenon, people also like the anonymity and choice that the internet offers for exploring their sexual desires.'

'However, we're increasingly concerned by some of the common practices in this sector and believe there is a need for safe and trusted place where people can shop with confidence.'
The FPA will change any product descriptions it feels are unnecessary explicit and boycotts products with offensive names and packaging or violent and aggressive connotations.

The site also provides its customers with advice on how to use the products safely and on any questions or concerns relating to their sexual health.

We don't watch TOWIE, have not seen one episode and never will, but when you dress up a tangoed Z-lister in a cupcake dress it is too good not to mention. And the story is really about coffee and fundraising, not reality TV.

On a more serious note, The Only Way Is Essex's Lucy Mecklenburgh traded in her designer clothes to mark the official launch of cancer charity Macmillan's flagship fundraiser, The World's Biggest Coffee Morning, which takes place on Friday 28 September.

Lucy's dress, seen here, is made up of over 360 handmade cupcakes donated by LOLA's.

Speaking about her cupcake adventure and work with Macmillan Lucy said: "I am really delighted to launch the World's Biggest Coffee Morning for such an amazing charity as Macmillan Cancer Support, and I had so much fun modelling this Cupcake Gown! I love getting together with the girls for coffee and a treat so for me hosting a coffee morning is a lovely way to raise money for Macmillan. Sign up everyone and please help us raise £10.8million for Macmillan to help them provide support to people affected by cancer."

To sign up for the World's Biggest Coffee Morning visit macmillan.org.uk/maketime.

Do you know which species in the world are most likely to go extinct? The Zoological Society of London has compiled a top 100 list, including the sneezing monkey, Franklin's Bumble Bee, Sumatran rhino, which features in a new report: 'Priceless or Worthless?'

The list's creation and publication has received the backing of His Royal Highness The Duke of Cambridge who said: "This book does not merely tell us which species are most endangered, it shows us how we can save them. It challenges us to commit to safeguarding our priceless natural heritage for future generations".

Read the report here.

Here is the complete list:

Baishan Fir, conifer, China,

Actinote Zikani, butterfly, South America

Leaf scaled sea-snake, reptile, Australia

Amani Flatwing, damselfly, Tanzania

Araripe Manakin, bird, Brazil

Seychelles earwig, insect, Seychelles

Aphanius transgrediens, fish, Turkey

Bulmer's Fruit Bat, megabat, Papua New Guinea

White bellied heron, bird, Asia

Great Indian Bustard, bird, Asia

Ploughshare tortoise / angonoka, tortoise, Madagascar

Rio pescado stubfoot toad, amphibian, South America

Madagascar Pochard, fish, Madagascar

Galapagos damsel fish, fish, Galapagos

Giant yellow croaker, fish, Asia

Common Batagur/ Four-toed terrapin, terrapin, Asia

Bazzania Bhutanica, liverwort, Bhutan

Hirola, antelope, East Africa

Franklin's Bumble Bee, insect, USA

Northern muriqui, monkey, Brazil

Pygmy sloth/ monk sloth, three-toed sloth, Panama

Callitriche pulchra, freshwater plant, Africa

Tarzan's chameleon, reptile, Madagascar

Santa Catarina's guinea pig, rodent, Brazil

Roloway Guenon, monkey, Africa

Seychelles sheath-tailed bat, bat, Seychelles

Cryptomyces maximus/ willow blister, fungus, Europe inc UK

Nelson's small-eared shrew, shrew mouse, eastern Mexico

Jamaican iguana, reptile, Jamaica

Cayman islands ghost orchid, flowering plant, Cayman Islands

Sumatran rhino, rhino, Sumatra

Amsterdam Island albatross, bird, Southern Indian Ocean

Diospyros katendei, tree, Uganda

Hula painted frog, amphibian, Israel

Wild Yam, perennial vine, South Africa

Dombeya mauritiana, flowering plant, Mauritius

Elaeocarpus bojeri, flowering plant, Mauritius

La Hotte Glanded Frog, amphibian, Haiti

Macaya Breast-spot frog, amphibian, Haiti

Chilenito, cactus, South America

Coral tree, flowering tree, Africa

Euphorbia tanaensis, semi-deciduous tree, Africa

Spoon-billed sandpiper, bird, Asia and Europe

Ficus katendei, tree, Uganda

Northern Bald Ibis, bird, Africa and Europe

Gocea ohridana, mollusc, Lake Ohrid, Balkans

Table Mountain ghost frog, amphibian, Africa

Hemicycla paeteliana, mollusc, Canary Islands

Liben Lark, bird, Ethiopia

Hibiscadelphus woodii, flowering plant, Hawaii

Hucho perryi (Parahucho perryi)/ stringfish, salmon family, Japan

Sakhalin taimen, fish, Japan

Singapore Freshwater Crab, Asia

Lathyrus belinensis, sweetpea, Turkey

Archey's frog, amphibian, New Zealand

Dusky gopher frog, amphibian, USA

Edward's pheasant, bird, Vietnam

Magnolia wolfii, Magnolia, Colombia

Margaritifera marocana, mussel, Morrocco

Moominia willii, mollusc, Seychelles

Cuban greater funnel eared bat, bat, Cuba

Attenborough's Pitcher Plant, rat-eating plant, Phillippines

Luristan newt, newt, Iran

Hainan black crested Gibbon, gibbon, China

Mulanje Red Damsel, butterfly, Malawi

Pangasid catfish, freshwater fish, Asia

Parides burchellanus, butterfly, South America

Vaquita, porpoise, Gulf of California

Piea neoveitchii, conifer, China

Qiaojia Pine, conifer, China

Peacock Parachute Spider, spider, India

Fatu Hiva monarch, bird, Marquesas Islands,

Common Sawfish, fish, Atlantic, Mediterranean and Pacific

Greater bamboo lemur, primate, Madagascar

Silky Sifaka, lemur, Madagascar,

Geometric tortoise, tortoise, South Africa

Saola/ Asian Unicorn, bovine, IndoChina, Laos

Psiadia cataractae, flowering plant, Mauritius

Beydaglari Bush-cricket, insect, Anatolia Turkey

Red River giant softshell turtle, turtle, China

Javan rhino, rhinoceros, Asia

Sneezing monkey/ Tonkin snub-nosed monkey, primate, Vietnam

West Australian underground Orchid, flowering plant, Australia

Boni Giant Sengi/ golden-rumped elephant shrew, Africa

Cebu frill-wing, damselfly, Philippines

Rosa arabica, tree, Egypt

Durrell's Vontsira, small carnivore, Madagascar

Red-crested tree rat, rodent, Colombia

Red-finned blue eye, fish, Australia

Angel shark, fish, from Scandinavia to North-western Africa inc UK

Chinese crested tern, bird, China

Estuarine Pipefish (River Pipefish), South Africa

Suicide Palm, tree, Madagascar

Bullock's false toad, amphibian, Chile

Okinawa Spiny Rat, rodent, Japan

Somphongs's rasbora, freshwater fish , Thailand

Valencia letourneuxi, fish, Greece

Forest Coconut, tree, Madagascar

Attenborough's Echidna, mammal that looks a bit like a hedgehog, Papua New Guinea

Image credit: Fey/WWF via ZSL.org.uk

I have a new favourite brand for lampshades! Creating stylish and modern eco-friendly light and home accessories using responsibly sourced materials, British brand Desinature will definitely feature on my Christmas wish-list (hint: honey).

The designs show the team's adoration for the natural world, with beautiful creations like the honey comb looking lampshade or the up-side-down flower Daisy & Daffo - laser cut to perfection.

With the desire to give back to nature, Desinature has also partnered with Tree-nation and donate a portion of all proceeds to tree planting projects around the world. What's not to love?!

Originally published on ShinyShiny.tv

If you're looking to do something a little bit different in the capital over the next few weeks, then ditch the usual tourist haunts and take a little wander around some of London's hidden waterside areas. Yes really. It'll be fun, we PROMISE.

The WWF has recently ventured into the world of mobile, launching a free smartphone web app called The Waterside Challenge, which has been designed to get people walking around some of London's top nature hotspots. The app activates once you visit one of ten special locations and allows you to discover new wildlife, take part in quizzes and challenges, watch videos, find cool Augmented Reality surprises along the way too and learn how you can make a difference to your local community.

The new app is part of The Panda Made Me Do It, a WWF campaign to reward and encourage the most awesome pro-environmental behaviour. Neil Gunn, Head of Digital Strategy at WWF-UK said:

"This is the first time we've jumped into apps in a major way. We think that by combining the beauty of the natural world with the rich information available in the digital world, people might get even more out of their weekend trip to the riverbank."

Now admittedly it's a bit twee to spend your weekend wondering around looking at wildlife, but great if you want some fresh air (OK fresh may be a bit of a leap), a stroll through a different area or if you have kids to entertain, because they love nothing more than running around trying to spot hidden creatures.

As The Waterside Challenge is a web app you can access it via iOS and Android devices, just visit wwf.org.uk/waterside for more information and it'll work at ten special locations in and around London town, including Tottenham Marshes, Highgate Ponds, Middlesex Filter Beds, Camley Street Natural Park, New River Walk, Regent's Canal and the Olympic Waterways Mini-trail that runs from Hackney Wick along the canal to the Olympic Park.

For those who have already embraced a meat-free diet these findings may not be of much significance - you're already doing your bit - but those out there who are stuck in the 'must have meat every day' rut may soon start running around like (pardon the saying) headless chickens out of fear of what is ahead: a potential meat-free future.

This week leading water scientists have issued one of the most doomsday-like warnings yet about global food supplies, saying that the world's population may have to switch almost fully to a vegetarian diet over the next 40 years to avoid shortages.

By 2050 the world population is predicted to have reached 9 billion and in order to feed the additional 2 billion people expected to be alive then, humans may need to cut their protein consumption from animal-based products to 5% of their total daily calories. It is currently 20%.

"There will not be enough water available on current crop-lands to produce food for the expected 9 billion population in 2050 if we follow current trends and changes towards diets common in western nations," the report by Malik Falkenmark and colleagues at the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) said.

The forecasted water shortage in the near future can be combated by adopting a vegetarian diet; one third of the world's farmland is used to grow crops to feed animals, and five to ten times more water is used to produce animal protein-rich food compared to that of a vegetable diet.

Perhaps it is time for western countries to adopt a 'selective meat eating' way of life (eating only sustainably sourced meat and only once or twice a week at most) - or just ditch it all together and join the vegetarians of the world.

[Image via Flickr]

Personally I have a love-hate relationship with Starbucks. It's not anywhere close my top ten places to go get my coffee fix, yet each Yuletide I return like an addict to get my Eggnog Latte...

Whether you're a Starbucks fan or not, it is an interesting company to follow as it's no longer just about coffee. Among its digital innovations, the brand is also keen to show off its eco credentials. The coffee giant's latest sustainability project is to recycle food waste as 'ingredients' for cleaning products.

Contributing to the almost 1.3 billion tons of waste that end up on landfills every year, Starbucks is hoping to combat this by working with biorefinery scientists to turn food waste - mostly coffee grounds - into ingredients that make plastics, laundry detergents and other product we all use every day.

Carol S. K. Lin, Ph.D., who led the biorefinery research team at the City University of Hong Kong says of the initiative:

Our new process addresses the food waste problem by turning Starbucks' trash into treasure -- detergent ingredients and bio-plastics that can be incorporated into other useful products. The strategy reduces the environmental burden of food waste, produces a potential income from this waste and is a sustainable solution.

The project will first take place in Hong Kong. There is no news so far when it will reach the European continent.

[via PSFK] [Image]

Drinks giant Coca-Cola has partnered with will.i.am to launch new eco label Ekocycle, which will feature stylish products made from recycled waste.

Aimed at young people, Ekocycle (first part is Coke spelled backwards - subliminal advertising?), the label will offer products from bikes to handbags to everyday household items.

Apart from being backed by producer and artist will.i.am, the label will also partner with other well-known designers, such as Beats by Dr Dre. Each product will have a logo that shows how many recycled cans or bottles were used to make it.

It is a good thing that a big bottle producing - and so wasting - company like Coca-Cola is doing something to offset the damage their products are having on the environment.

We're sure the world will find this 'dope' will.i.am, but will the young consumers Ekocycle is aimed at be able to afford the products? The headphones cost around £225 ($349)...

Take a look at the Ekocycle commercial here. Nice plug for his new song too.

Former Beatle and life-long animal and environment friend Sir Paul McCartney has joined Greenpeace's campaign to help Save the Arctic. In a statement, the musician writes about 1968, a year revolution was in the air - much like 2012 - and when a single image of delicate Earth was captured from space, Earthrise. As McCartney writes 'that single image made such an impact on the human psyche that it's credited with sparking the birth of the global environment movement - with changing the very way we think about ourselves.'

Forty years later, and with the polar ice rapidly melting, McCartney has joined the Greenpeace movement to fight the oil giants moving in to digging up the Arctic seabed in search of find fossil fuels.

"Since Earthrise was taken we've been so busy warming our world that it now looks radically different from space. By digging up fossil fuels and burning our ancient forests we've put so much carbon into the atmosphere that today's astronauts are looking at a different planet."

Speaking about his dedication to the cause McCartney notes: 'Here's something that just baffles me. As the ice retreats, the oil giants are moving in. Instead of seeing the melting as a grave warning to humanity, they're eyeing the previously inaccessible oil beneath the seabed at the top of the world. They're exploiting the disappearance of the ice to drill for the very same fuel that caused the melting in the first place. Fossil fuels have colonized every corner of our Earth, but at some time and in some place we need to say, "No more." I believe that time is now and that place is the Arctic."

To date more than one million have signed up at www.savethearctic.org to show their support for the campaign. As an Arctic native I've already signed it. And I think you should too.

And you can, like Sir Paul join the Arctic Rising online movement, which gives you the chance to be one of five Arctic animals - a polar bear, a snowy owl, an Arctic fox, a walrus or a narwhal. No prize for guessing which one Sir Paul is...

[via Huffington Post]

Those of us who life and work in London will have seen banners announcing the imminent arrival of the London 2012 Olympic Games. One week from now, the capital of England and Great Britain will see millions of visitors and athletes descend for a month long celebration of summer sports, and we will find out if the event that has been seven years in the making will live up to the hype. While the athletes are looking for gold this August, what we would like to know is: will the London 2012 Olympics be the greenest in history?

Ever since the announcement was made, one word has been dominant - sustainability. As with any modern day event, organisers Locog know the games have to be sustainable and environmentally sound, and much have been done over the past years to ensure this.

A former industrial site, the Olympic Park is the largest new urban parkland in Europe for 150 years with 300,000 plants and 2,000 native trees. An impressive 90% of the materials from the demolition of old buildings on the site were recovered so they could be reused or recycled.

If VIP visitors were hoping they would be able to roll into the venues in their snazzy cars, they will have to find somewhere else to go because no vehicles are permitted to drive onto the Olympic grounds. There is also a lack of parking lots - a strategic move to get people to use public transport. As a result, over the past years, Britain's public transport infrastructure has been improved to accommodate the anticipated high footfall during the Games and we will see new trains and cleaner, safer and better staffed stations welcome visitors. And if you're into your cycling - as many of us are - there will also be 18,800 cycling parking bays scattered around all venues, with 7,000 at the Olympic Park alone.

Athletes and officials on the other hand will be driven around in BMW cars - 4,000 in total! - that are said to meet Locog's requirements on average CO2 emissions. There are also 200 electric cars in the Olympic fleet to make sure the athletes get to where they need to be on time. Wouldn't it awful if Usain Bolt missed the start gun at the 100 meter final because he was stuck underground on the Central line?

Another really innovative aspect of the London Olympics, is a pioneering energy walkway created with floor tiles that convert the kinetic energy from human footfall to renewable energy. Created by British company Pavegen, the tiles are expected to receive more than 12 million impressions which would be turned into 72 million joules of energy - lighting the walkway 27/7! Speaking of energy, 10 % of energy used during the games is to come from renewable resources (this was originally meant to be 20%, but this was halved when the plan to have an on-site wind turbine was axed).

The Sydney Games left a legacy of solar panels and vast-scale urban renewal project, something which Boris Johnson and Sebastian Coe are keen to top. But can London really pull it off?

One of the biggest worries we have is the amount of potential waste and we do wonder how Locog's 'zero waste to landfill' target will pan out. The Olympic Park is reportedly scattered with recycling bins to encourage people to recycle empty food and drink packaging and other waste. We do hope people will use them but visitors will have to have an element of environmental awareness within themselves, if not some poor steward or 100 will have to go around picking up other people's litter for a month. And what happens when the visitors leave the Olympic Park? The hard working street cleaners of London might have a mammoth task ahead...

One that we are certain will produce a large amount of packaging waste is MacDonald's, one of the Games' main sponsors. They have created a temporary and entirely recyclable restaurant in the Olympic Park that will see the 2,000 strong staff in their eco-uniforms serve millions of meals of sustainably-sourced fish and local meat - all fried in oil that is to become biodiesel to power its trucks once the games are over - in compostable containers. This is all great, but is it just a bit of a 'greenwash' - what about the other 3,251,357 MacDonald restaurants in Britain, will these receive the same eco-makeover in the future?

Then there's the issue of the main stadium's £7 million wrap funded by Dow Chemical, which owns the company behind the 1984 Bhopal catastrophe...

Reality is that the green credentials of the London 2012 Olympic Games can really only be measured after the Games have come and gone. That said, a new critical report by WWF and BioRegional has already found fault with the handling of the Games' environmental impact. It states that on key issues such as energy, waste and the use of resources, as well as the effects on public health, London 2012 falls short.

Sue Riddlestone, BioRegional's Executive Director who was involved writing in the original strategy, said: "London 2012 has set the sustainability bar for future Summer Olympics. It has built venues which set the standard for energy saving and embodied carbon. We are proud to have been part of setting the vision for London 2012 and helping deliver it. That said with over-consumption of resources driving rapid environmental degradation, London 2012 should have pushed sustainability more and had a stronger focus on changes beyond the Olympic Park. It is important that lessons are learned and that a commitment to sustainability is a key criterion by which the 2020 Summer Olympics bids are judged."

London will have set the bar high for the 2016 host city, Rio de Jainero, but it will need to ensure a few things to make the London 2012 Olympic Games remain a green beacon: The Olympic site needs to be kept in good condition and see regeneration; the venues will have to find new occupants once the gold, silver and bronze medals have been awarded; and Locog needs to ensure the sustainability plans don't fall dead once the banners have been taken down and the cheering crowds have jetted off back to their own part of the world.

[Image via]

Celebrating ten years of tea making, organic herbal tea brand Pukka has teamed up with the world's leading animal and environmental conservation body WWF to raise over £50,000 to support the charity's conservation work across the world.

The new partnership sees Pukka launch a specially blended tea, Peppermint & Licorice, of which 20p of each packet sold go to the UK division of the WWF. The new blend is made from organic peppermint tea and FairWild certificated licorice tea, a standard which WWF was involved in creating to ensure the sustainable use of wild collected plant ingredients.

Commenting on the partnership, Rachel Bloodworth from WWF-UK said: 'We are delighted to be working with Pukka Herbs in their tenth birthday year - their dedication to supporting the natural environment and creating a beautiful world aligns with our goals. Over the past 50 years, WWF has achieved countless successes from preserving some of the world's most iconic species such as mountain gorillas and giant pandas, to helping the development of international agreements for the protection of the planet. The continued support of people and companies like Pukka is essential to our work to create a future where people and nature thrive.'

As part of its tenth year anniversary and to reaffirm their commitment to creating a beautiful world in everything they do, Pukka and the WFF are also looking to Create a Beautiful World. Inviting people to share a piece of their own personal beautiful world via Facebook, Pukka and WWF are collating images and videos that will be made into short films which show what a beautiful world we live in - one that is so important to preserve. To showcase the campaign, Pukka is also bringing out exclusive ethical merchandise, of which profits from the sale will go to WWF-UK.

Look for the famous panda logo on the Pukka tea packet to show your support and contribute to the important work WWF is doing across the world.

Norwegian company Sargas, apparently one of the leading firms in 'carbon capture', is intending to build a fleet of environmentally friendly power plants.

Together with US energy giant General Electric, Sargas announced last month that they have created technology that enable them to sell gas-fired power plants that capture 90% of their output of carbon dioxide. Instead of spuming out toxic pollution, these eco power plants would retain and store the carbon pollution underground, which Sargas claims can provide cheaper and cleaner energy. The first of these new plants will be built on the north western coast of Norway by 2016, and will deliver electric power to the area's offshore oil and gas fields which supply around one fifth of the UK's gas imports.

All well and good to try and reduce the carbon dioxide pollution, but what about these power plants continued use of fossil fuels? For a more sustainable future we should instead be looking at renewable energy such as solar, tidal and wind.

As one of the many Apple fan girls and fan boys out there, it is rather disappointing that the tech giant has pulled out of the EPEAT certification program that highlights which consumer tech products are notable for their environmental friendliness.

EPEAT is backed by the US government and rewards manufacturers whose products are easily recyclable and energy efficient. Apple's former ideas man, the late Steve Jobs, was always quick to mention the company's eco-aware strengths, so it is unfortunate that it has now decided to opt out. Could the rush to be the best and the most lusted after brand in the tech world be making Apple choose iconic status over the environment? According to TechDigest, Apple has cited a change in design direction as the cause, most apparent in its new Retina MacBook.

EPEAT requires any device to be easily recyclable, but the new MacBook Pro with Retina Display is near impossible to dismantle without damaging the parts that could be recycled.

Commenting on Apple's decision, Robert Frisbee, EPEAT CEO, said: "They said their design direction was no longer consistent with the EPEAT requirements."

"They were important supporters and we are disappointed that they don't want their products measured by this standard anymore."

This saddens me Apple... Mostly because I love you so much.

As someone who grew up in the Arctic regions, I often joke about polar bears roaming the streets of my small home town when meeting people of a more southern latitude. This is of course not true, but could it be the future when polar bears and other Arctic animals are driven out of their natural habitat as the polar ice melts..? Or will they simply become extinct?

'The melting Arctic is under threat from oil drilling, industrial fishing and conflict', Greenpeace UK writes on its website as they are looking for people to sign their Save the Arctic petition.

Accompanying the campaign is a short video of a homeless polar bear roaming around London, ignored by everyone, as she looks for food. The video which highlights the plight of the Arctic is voiced by actor Jude Law and comes with a Radiohead soundtrack.

The Arctic ice is melting, facing threat from both climate change and oil drilling. As more of the ice disappears oil companies are moving in to get their hands ion the fossil fuels that are behind the devastating polar ice melting in the first place. Greenpeace, among others, is working to halt climate change and avoid the catastrophe waiting to happen.

You can help by signing their Save the Arctic petition - once it has reached 1 million signatures Greenpeace will plant all names and a Flag for the Future on the bottom of the ocean at the top of the world.

I have signed it and so have over 500,000 others - will you?