Over on Inhabitots I recently had the chance to speak with Dr. Alan Greene, pediatrician, father of four and leading authority on the subject of green and healthy parenting, about how to keep your family safe and healthy by avoiding hidden toxins in common household products and cleaners. Dr. Greene and I chatted insecticides, autism, BPA and the risks (if any) related to soy products. I foud my chat with Dr. Greene pretty fascinating and I hope you will enjoy it. Check out our video and exclusive interview here.

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Post tags: create a healthy home, Dr. Alan Greene, dr. greene, eating healthy, environmental and health issues in the home, EPA-registered disinfectant, Feeding Baby Green, green home, green home cleaning, healthy child healthy world, healthy eating during pregnancy, keeping your family safe from harmful chemicals, Raising Baby Green, toxic chemicals, toxic cleaning products

Automotive designer J Mays has become well-known as the design director of Ford Motor Company. Born in rural Oklahoma, Mays started working at his family’s auto parts store at an early age with aspirations of becoming an architect, but eventually found his calling in car design while at the Art Center in Pasadena. An automotive design pioneer with more than 30 years under his belt, Mays has been involved in the design of a number of the car industry’s most well-recognized automobiles, including the VW “New Beetle”, Aston Martin DB9, Land Rover LR3/Discovery, Ford GT, 2011 Ford Fiesta, 2012 Focus (including the Focus EV), and the new green 2013 Ford Fusion—just to name a few! For the last 16 years he’s been leading the charge at Ford as the Vice President of Global Design and Chief Creative Officer and has played a critical role in bringing a new generation of stylish, green, high-performance electric and hybrid vehicles to a mainstream market. I recently got the chance to chat with Mays about his monumental career, and I’ve published our interview here. Click ahead to read the entire interview, where Mays touches on his global travels, his design ethos and influences, the current market for hybrid and electric vehicles, and what he sees for the future of zero-emissions vehicles, both at Ford and on a global scale.

Read the rest of INTERVIEW: Inhabitat Chats with J Mays, VP of Global Design and Chief Creative Officer at Ford Motor Company

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Post tags: auto design, auto designer, Automotive Designer, electric cars, electric vehicles, energy efficient cars, ev, ford, Ford Chief Creative Officer, ford design, ford electric, ford EV, ford fiesta, ford fusion, ford fusion energi, ford fusion energy, Ford Head of Design, ford hybrid, ford motors, fuel efficiency, fuel efficient cars, fusion energi, green auto design, green automotive, green cars, inhabitat interview, J Mays, VP of Global Design and Chief Creative Officer at Ford Motor Company

When Inhabitat’s Architecture Editor,  Bridgette Meinhold, heard about the earthquake in Haiti in 2010 and the massive devastation it caused, she wanted to help, and was drawn to start investigating different options for temporary shelters and disaster relief housing. This exploration gradually broadened to a larger focus on design for disaster-preparedness; seeking out what type of shelters can best withstand earthquakes, hurricanes, rising sea levels and tornados. Now I’m thrilled to say that after years of research, Bridgette has just published an incredible new book entitled Urgent Architecture: 40 Sustainable Housing Solutions for a Changing World. Urgent Architecture showcases inspiring and innovative ideas for resilient design – design that will withstand the test of time – surviving climate change, rising sea levels, manmade and natural disasters. I recently had a chance to interview Bridgette about her new book at Inhabitat HQ in NYC, and she gave me some fascinating insight into her inspiration for the book, the impact climate change will have on future housing and what she believes is necessary to create a more sustainable and responsive built landscape. Watch the video above for the interview, and if you want to learn more, you can get your own copy of Urgent Architecture here.

A full transcript of the interview with pics is available after the jump.

Read the rest of INTERVIEW: With Bridgette Meinhold, Author of ‘Urgent Architecture’

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Post tags: "sustainable architecture", adaptable housing, book review, bridgette meinhold, bridgette meinhold interview, design for disaster preparedness, design to withstand disasters, disaster design, disaster housing, Eco Architecture, eco design, green architecture, green books, green design, inhabitat book review, Prefab Housing, resilient architecture, resilient design, sustainable design, urgent architecture

In light of all the dire news related to climate change, rising sea levels and the natural disasters which have stricken numerous coastal areas around the world, we here at Inhabitat would like to highlight an interview Inhabitat Editor-in-Chief Jill Fehrenbacher conducted with architect Koen Olthuis of Waterstudio.nl. A studio focused on designing for a future water world, Olthuis has been at the forefront of this once unconventional, yet now timely design vernacular. Olthuis says that despite our civilization’s history of trying to drain and fight against wet landscapes for the past thousand years, our best move for the future would be to “let water in and even make friends with the water.” Read on for the fascinating interview where Olthius describes his what designing for water landscapes worldwide really means.

Read the rest of INHABITAT INTERVIEW: Koen Olthuis of WaterStudio.nl Talks About Design for a Water World

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Post tags: Amphibious Houses, floating house, flood proof housing, houseboat, inhabitat interviews, Jill Fehrenbacher Interview, koen olthuis, water house, Waterstudio, Waterstudio.nl

This summer’s been one of the hottest yet, but if you’re already sweating from the intense heat, you can rest easy — I’ve got a sweet, refreshing treat that is sure too cool you down! Popsicles are a delightful and refreshing staple for the summer season, and I know personally that it’s hard to let a day pass without biting down on a delicious bar (or maybe 5…). But buyer beware — if you’ve been heading to your local supermarket for a box, you should know that not all popsicles are made equal. High fructose corn syrup pops laden with #5 red and #8 blue dye dominate grocery store shelves, and those yucky popsicles pose more of a health risk than an innocent indulgence. If you’re looking for a healthier — not to mention cheaper — alternative, your best bet is to make your own delicious and nutritious popsicles at home! Jump ahead for my easy DIY popsicle tutorial featuring one of my favorite recipes: Summer Strawberry Popsicles. Not only will you be able to cool down with a batch of mouth-watering, refreshing and healthy popsicles, but you’ll have saved yourself money and time by making your own at home. All you need is a freezer, popsicle molds and something sweet to put in ‘em!

Read the rest of HOW TO: Make Homemade, Healthy, Organic Popsicles To Beat the Heat!

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‘It’s easy being green’.

‘Green is the new black’.

Are you tired of simplistic eco slogans and soundbites yet? This may come as a bit of a surprise — but I’m really starting to hate Earth Day. One might think that the editor of environmental-leaning publication like Inhabitat would live for Earth Day, but the opposite is true for me. I’m starting to come to the conclusion that Earth Day is just a shallow marketing opportunity for companies to jump on the green bandwagon and try to make some extra cash using eco-caché. Having one single day designated as Earth Day gives people and corporations an excuse to pay less attention to the environment the other 364 days of the year. The greenest and most innovative companies are not the ones running Earth Day marketing campaigns and giving out eco totes on April 22nd. In fact, you wouldn’t believe some of the ridiculous green-themed press releases I received over the past few weeks leading up to Earth Day. Read on for five of the most egregious examples of greenwashed Earth Day marketing gimmicks I’ve seen, and chime in with the most ridiculous gimmicks that you’ve run across in the comments – we’ll be collecting your submissions and adding them to our post!

Read the rest of Top Five Dumbest Greenwashed ‘Earth Day’ Gimmicks

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Post tags: carbon offsets, earth day, earth day 2010, eco tote bags, eco water bottle, environmental activism, environmental responsibility, gimmicks, green design, Greenwashing, sunchips bag, sustainable design

You’ve all heard the tired mantras about changing your lightbulbs and recycling at home in order to save the planet – are you yawning yet? Many consumers think that going green is a gesture of self-sacrifice that often comes at great expense and inconvenience – but nothing could be further from the truth. What many don’t realize is that going green is not really about doing something good “for the planet” but is instead about improving your own quality of life through making your environment safer and healthier. And one of the easiest places to start leading a greener and healthier life is in the home.

No one better epitomizes smart, healthy and stylish green living than Ecofabulous founder and cradle-to-cradle green designer Zem Joaquin. This eco jetsetter and green girl about town is well known for her phenomenal green parties, her insightful analysis of green products over on her site Ecofabulous, and her ability to make eco-friendly lifestyle choices feel glamorous and fun. We recently sat down with Zem to find out more about her gorgeous green home in the beautiful hills of Marin County, CA, and get her personal tips and tricks on how to make your home cleaner, greener and healthier through the power of smart design. Read on to find out about Zem’s secret tips for a green home, including – believe it or not – foot pedals on sinks!

Read the rest of 5 Tips to Make Your Home Safe, Green & Healthy from Zem Joaquin

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Post tags: 5 Tips to Green Your Home With Zem Joaquin, and look for non-toxic varieties, bamboo flooring, c2c, C2C design, cork floors, cork harvesting, cork tree, cradle-to-cradle design, cradle-to-crale, eco design, eco fabulous, eco floors, eco home, eco-friendly flooring, ecofabulous, foot pedals, green design, green flooring, green floors, green home, green lifestyle, green living, green style, greenguard certified, Harvesting cork in Portugal, healthy home, how cork is harvested, IAQ, improving indoor air quality, low VOC MDF, Marvin Windows, Medium Density Fibreboard, no-VOC MDF, non-toxic furniture, non-toxic home, nontoxic MDF, refurbishing vintage furniture, safe home, sick building syndrome, Think carefully about MDF, toxic home, toxic MDF, VOCs, Volatile organic ch, Volatile Organic Componds, Zem's daughter on her cork floor

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Read the rest of Original Copies: Bianca Bosker’s New Book Tackles China’s Copycat Architecture Trend

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Post tags: architectural copies China, Architectural Mimicry, Bianca Bosker, copy cat architecture, duplicative architecture, duplitecture, eco design, fake eiffel tower, Faux Eiffel Tower, green design, knock off eiffel tower fake Venice in China, knock-off architecture, Original Copies, Original Copies: Architectural Mimicry in Contemporary China, replicated austrian village, sustainable design, thames town, Zaha Hadid Wangjing Complex

We love treehouses here at Inhabitat, and are enamored with eco-architect Mitchell Joachim’s visionary ideas about how to grow living treehouses from ficus molded around frame structures. We’ve covered these brilliantly playful architectural ideas before on Inhabitat, but now we have a video from Mitchell Joachim explaining the details of how they work. Joachim does much better justice to his future-forward ecological designs than we are able to do in a mere post, so if you have any interest in living treehouses (and we know you do), check out this fascinating video above.

Read the rest of VIDEO: Mitchell Joachim on How to Grow a Treehouse with TeReForm

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Post tags: fab tree hab, Future-forward green design, green architecture, growing treehouse, living architecture, living tree house, Michael Sorkin, mitchell joachim, Omni Bub, postopolis, sheep car, shoe car, sustainable design, TeREForm, Terreform

Read the rest of 5 Tips to Green Your Home From Organic Architect Eric Corey Freed

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Inhabitat readers might remember that we interviewed California Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom back when he was the mayor of San Francisco in a live webcast that was open to any of our readers who wanted to attend. The finale of our Green Talks series of live chats with green thought-leaders, this interview touched on subjects such as mandatory composting, electric vehicle infrastructure and political leadership in CA. Our interview with Mayor Newsom was provocative and inspiring, and was a can’t-miss bit of Inhabitat journalism, if we do say so ourselves. Happily, for those of you who missed this amazing interview – we finally have the videos together of the interview in its entirety. We’ve chopped the full 35 minute transcript down into 4 shorter, themed segments for easier viewing. Enjoy!

Read the rest of VIDEO: Inhabitat Interviews California Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom!

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Post tags: California, electric cars, Gavin Newsom, green building San Francisco, green politics in california, green san francisco, high speed rail in CA, INHABITAT GREEN TALKS, inhabitat interviews, mandatory composting, mandatory recycling, renewable energy, san francisco city hall, san francisco mayor gavin newsom, solar power San Francisco, Video, youtube video

For years, the city of Boston has been considered one of the WORST cities in the world for biking – with no bike lanes to speak of and crazy drivers. Nicole Freedman, Boston’s new ‘Bike Czar’ is hoping to change this with an ambitious program to overhaul Boston’s streets and make them safe and conducive for biking – even bringing the U.S.’s first urban bike share program to Boston! If you are a regular Inhabitat reader, you may remember that we hosted a live webinar discussion with Nicole on Inhabitat this fall, as part of our Green Talks series of video interviews. Our fascinating discussion with Freedman shed light on how urban bike share programs work, and how one goes about trying to turn the worst biking city in the world to one of the best.

Watch our full videos of the talk below to find out more about Nicole’s achievements making Boston a better place to bike, and her grand plan to try to make commuter cycling safer and more practical for more Americans.

Read the rest of VIDEO: Boston ‘Bike Czar’ Nicole Freedman Talks Bike-Share & Urban Cycling

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Post tags: Bike Boston, bike sharing program, Boston Bike Czar, Boston bike share, boston bike sharing program, cycling in Boston, Head of bicycle programs, mayor Menino, nicole freedman, public bike share system, public bike sharing, urban bike share, urban cycling

You may (or may not) recall that last year we ran a virtual home makeover design contest with Comcast Town, where the grand prize was a sweet collection of new home entertainment electronics and a green room makeover by yours truly – the editor (and LEED-AP designer) of Inhabitat.com. The lucky winner of the Comcast Town contest was a certain Howard J Dudy (aka Richard), and we headed down to his pad to give him a sweet green home renovation. For anyone who was wondering what happened with this eco renovation, we are thrilled to say we FINALLY have our video of the project all edited down to a nice watchable 5 minutes for your viewing pleasure. Here is our snapshot of the eco-renovation – hope you enjoy! Feel free to leave a comment – we’d love to hear what you think!

+ Comcast Town
+ Comcast Town Contest

Read the rest of VIDEO: Inhabitat’s Green Renovation for the Comcast Town Contest!

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Post tags: comcast town contest, eco renovation, green design contest, green home renovation, green renovation, inhabitat design team

INHABITAT 2012 GREEN HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE >

The Inhabitat Green Gift Guide is back again this year and it’s chock full of eco-conscious gifts “yule” love! Whether you’re shopping for your mom, dad, siblings, better half, kids, friends or co-workers, we’ve got all kinds of beautifully designed, sustainable and unique options that they’ll be delighted to find stuffed in their stockings. We’ve featured all kinds of green toys, accessories, home goods and gadgets, but we also think it’s important to point out that gifts don’t have to be bought in a store. Sometimes the best presents are not even physical knick-knacks at all, so we’ve provided some inspiration for crafty DIY presents you can make yourself and thoughtful “gifts of time” that show how much you care. No matter what your budget, there’s something in our green guide for everyone on your list, so get a head start on your eco-friendly holiday gift-giving right here!

GREEN GIFTS UNDER $20 >
GREEN GIFTS UNDER $50 >
MAKE YOUR OWN GIFTS >
ECO GIFTS FOR HER >
ECO GIFTS FOR HIM >
GREEN GIFTS FOR MOM AND DAD >
GREEN GIFTS FOR TOTS >
ECO GIFTS FOR GIRLS >
ECO GIFTS FOR BOYS >
GREEN GIFTS FOR THE HOME >
GIFTS FOR THE GREEN THUMB >
GREEN GADGET GIFTS >
GIFTS THAT GIVE BACK >
COZY KNIT GIFTS >
GREEN JEWELRY GIFTS >
CUSTOMIZED GIFTS >
GIFTS OF TIME >

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Post tags: cheap green gifts, eco-gifts, green gift guide, green gifts, green gifts for dad, green gifts for guys, Green gifts for kids, green gifts for mom, green gifts for pets, green gifts for the family, green gifts for women, inhabitat 2012 green gift guide, inhabitat gift guide, Inhabitat green gift guide, sustainable gifts

Christmas trees are one of the most enjoyable traditions of the holiday season, and there are lots of easy ways to go green with your Christmas tree: from using living potted Christmas trees, to recycled cardboard trees, to buying LED Xmas lights. After weighing the choices every December for years, and going on my own personal quest to have the greenest Christmas tree ever, here are the most eco-friendly tips I can offer on greening your holiday tree:

Read the rest of HOW TO: Green Your Christmas Tree

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Post tags: Cardboard Christmas Tree, Cardboard Xmas Tree, eco friendly christmas tree, eco-friendly xmas tree, Green Christmas Tree, green holiday tree, Green Xmas Tree, green your xmas tree, how to green your christmas tree, jill fehrenbacher, living christmas tree, living tree, Living Xmas Tree, potted Christmas tree, Potted Xmas Tree, Rosemary Christmas Tree, Rosemary Tree, Rosemary Xmas Tree

One of the easiest ways to ensure that a holiday gift will be liked by the recipient is to personalize it to suit their taste. Nowadays it’s easy to create one-of-a-kind, customized gifts for everyone on your list, and the likelihood that such a special present will get trashed or shoved in a closet somewhere is a lot lower than a bland, cookie cutter item. From cufflinks featuring the silhouettes of loved ones to custom mini books with pics from their personal Instagram feed to furniture inlaid with their own photos, flip through our customized gift guide to see all of our suggestions.

CUSTOMIZED GIFTS >

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Post tags: customizable gifts, customized gifts, customized giftsgreen gifts, eco-gifts, green gift guide, green gifts for dad, green gifts for guys, Green gifts for kids, green gifts for mom, green gifts for pets, green gifts for the family, green gifts for women, inhabitat gift guide, Inhabitat green gift guide, monogrammed gifts, personalized gifts, photo gifts, sustainable gifts

When Hurricane Sandy hit last week and the power in my lower Manhattan apartment went out, my first thought, as I dug around for candles and LED lamps was “Well this will be a fun little off-grid adventure!” I naively harbored some romantic notion of the coziness of eating dinner and playing board games with my family by candlelight, and even actually enjoyed the first 24 hours without electricity for the chance to disconnect. However, when my gadget batteries started to die one by one, the water dried up, the food in the fridge started to spoil, and contact with the outside world began to shut down, the novelty started to wear off and the reality of the situation finally began to hit me. First my computer battery died, then iPad, then finally my phone, and I think I never fully realized until that moment how much of a lifeline these mobile communication devices are. Without even a working cell phone – my last vestige of communication – to call my family or look at the news, I had no idea what was going on around me, how much longer the power outage was supposed to last, and whether there was any help available, and I started to get desperate.

Read the rest of How The Nokero SunRay Pro Power Solar Charger Saved My Skin & My Sanity During Hurricane Sandy

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Post tags: blackout NYC, charger for power outages, compact solar chargers, compact solar power chargers, cord free lamps, designs for power outages, disaster relief designs, emergency lamps, emergency lighting earthquake lighting, emergency lights, emergency relief designs, flood lighting, humanitarian relief designs, hurricane new york, hurricane relief, Hurricane Sandy, hurricane sandy blackout, hurricane sandy knocks out power, jill fehrenbacher, new york blackout, new york goes dark, new york power loss, nokero, Nokero Crestone, Nokero Crestone Solar Light Bulb (N200), nokero Solar Battery Chargers, nokero solar charger, nokero solar charging unit, nokero solar products, Nokero SunRay Pro Power Panel, powerless new york, powerless nyc, sandy new york, sandy nyc, sandy storm, solar batteries, solar battery, solar charger, solar charging stations, solar gadgets, solar lamp, solar light, solar light bulb, solar lighting, solar power charger, solar power designs, solar power emergency gadgets, storm new york, sun chargers

Read the rest of PLEASE HELP: Desperate Lower Manhattan Struggles For Water, Food, Communication

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Post tags: humanitarian aid, hurricane aid, hurricane rebuilding, hurricane relief, Hurricane Sandy, lower Manhattan, manhattan, natural disaster relief, new york city, social responsibility

I have been enamored with environmentally conscious furniture company Scrapile ever since I came across their line of recycled wood furniture during New York Design week years ago. Brooklyn-based designers Carlos Salgado and Bart Bettencourt have created a beautiful, cutting-edge line of furniture by collecting wood scraps from various lumber mills and recycling those scraps (which would otherwise be headed for landfill) into their stunning minimalist pieces. At this point, the Scrapile line includes tables, benches, stool, shelving, crates and lamps, all made out of their signature striated material. I had a chance to sit down with the up-and-coming design duo at their shop in Williamsburg to learn how it all began.

Read the rest of INTERVIEW: Inhabitat Chats with Recycled Wood Designers Scrapile

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The High Line urban park project in New York City opened last summer to tremendous excitement from locals and tourists alike looking to escape the bustling streets for a more peaceful, green enclave in the sky. NYC’s High Line is a project that exemplifies effective adaptive urban re-use in a city that is littered with structures and spaces that have since reached the end of their useful life. By turning an abandoned, elevated freight train track into a public park, this project has redefined the New York experience, affording never-before seen views of the city’s surrounding natural landscape as well as an expansive and intimate look into one of the world’s most dynamic urban environments. With the completion of the rest of the High Line currently in the works, we couldn’t think of a better time to catch up with one of the brilliant minds behind the design of this beautiful public space. I recently sat down with landscape designer James Corner, the lead designer behind the High Line, to get his personal perspective on the what it was like to take an abandoned train track and turn it into one of NYC’s best loved spots of greenery. Read on for my exclusive interview with James Corner below…

Read the rest of INTERVIEW: Architect James Corner On NYC’s High Line Park

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Post tags: Diller Scofidio + Renfro, high line, high line new york city, james corner field operations, Landscape Architecture, native plants, sustainable design, Urban design, urban green space