Just read this article on INHABITAT, about a new MIT “invention” that uses nanoparticle-laced ink to create a constant blood-glucose monitor.
“Diabetes is an enormous problem, global in scope, and despite decades of engineering advances, our ability to accurately measure glucose in the human body still remains quite primitive,†says Strano, the Charles and Hilda Roddey Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering. “It is a life-and-death issue for a growing number of people.â€
I imagine that if it was me, I’d get a number line tattoo on my forearm, sorta like when you’re in Algebra class.
Or maybe a barcode that I could scan and it would recommend what I need to eat to correct my sugar levels.
Posted: April 8th, 2010 | Author:Ryan | Filed under:Uncategorized | Tags:good idea, green | Comments Off on Interesting Idea
A new “all natural” cigarette, sporting filters packed with flower seeds so it can be either composted or literally planted to grow plants, hopes to counter the harmful effect cigarettes have on the environment.
I don’t smoke cigarettes, but having grown up with parents who do smoke, I can appreciate how much bulk those little filters can become in the long run. Sort of imagine if I had to roll up a piece of paper everyday, several times a day, and then flung it out over the yard, street, park, etc, when I was done holding it. So when I read this article, I thought it was pretty cool to at least see someone being constructive about the solution, instead of the usual “stop smoking stop smoking stop smoking” line, since that’s gotten us so far.
EcoRI writes, “Smoking-related materials represented more than 30 percent of what was collected and disposed of by teams worldwide in 2008, according to the Ocean Conservancy’s 2009 International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) report. The numbers are staggering. Globally, in 2008, ICC teams collected 3,216,991 cigarette filters on beaches and along coastlines and waterways. That number represented a whopping 28 percent, by weight, of all collected debris. Plastic bags ranked No. 2 at 12 percent.”
So clearly cigarette butts are a HUGE issue for our planet if they were able to over-take plastic bags in terms of volume of litter. Plus, keeping toxic trash out of the ocean is always a boon. It does however, look like they should take this product one step further:
Perhaps Greenbutts should have embedded tree seeds – after all, around 600 million trees are destroyed every year just to provide fuel to dry tobacco, equating to about one tree killed per 300 cigarettes. Globally, tobacco curing requires 11.4 million tons of solid wood each year. Seems butts should be turned back into trees at every opportunity.
(confession: I’ve always liked giving things 2 titles since watching Rocky & Bullwinkle as a kid. But that’s neither here nor there)
It’s like no matter who you are or where you are or where you live, getting a new pair of shoes is an awesome experience. So there is this great gratitude that we get everywhere we go.
I admit, I first heard of TOMS shoes from the AT&T commercial (iPhone FTW), but wasn’t fully convinced they were a real product. Then last winter I noticed them on sale at frances in uptown and remember thinking it was pretty cool that they were offering a product that could let us do what we do best (consumerism) and help children around the world by doing so.
(I also really like frances because I got my “Love Phoenix or Leave Phoenix” sticker there.)
While reading TreeHugger today, I came across this guest post from TOMS Shoes founder Blake Myycoskie.
The ideas he presents below are pretty poignant and the day without shoes sounds like it’s right on the board of “casually reasonable request for participation” and “awkward enough to make people ask questions”.
This guest post was written by Blake Mycoskie, the founder of TOMS shoes.
I started a company called TOMS which gives a pair of new shoes to child in need, for every pair sold. One for One. And shortly after we started I realized it was hard for my friends and people who were our customers to really understand how hard it is to go without shoes.
When was the last time you walked to work barefoot? Or went to the store barefoot?
So I came up with this idea, “One Day Without Shoes.” For the third year, all my friends and I are choosing NOT to wear shoes on April 8th.
“One Day Without Shoes” is our movement to get people worldwide to kick off their shoes, go a mile barefoot, an hour barefoot, or the entire day barefoot and really understand the impact a pair of shoes can have on one’s life.
So… your feet will probably get dirty, they might hurt, and you’ll definitely get funny looks…but I’m asking you to join us April 8th. Pledge to go barefoot on April 8 at OneDayWithoutShoes.com—host an event or join an existing one (and when you do so you could win slot a TOMS Shoe Drop)!
Did you watch the video? Quit screwing around and watch that baby.
I’m pretty sure I’m going to pursue this and try to go shoeless that day myself.  Since I know there are several other local people are are keen on helping others, particularly charities that positively impact children (#twestival phx, crisis nursery #buzzcation, etc), maybe some other folks will be interested in having a go at it.
Rule #1 though, make sure your feet are ready to be on display. Get some lotion, pumice, whatever. No snaggle-claws please.
I could go on and on about how great this idea seems, but instead, you can just read a full interview with Blake here. At the end he tells you how you can apply to go with TOMS and fly to Argentina or Africa and personally deliver shoes to children in need.
