Use Too Much Water And Poor Little Fish Floats Belly Up.

Industrial designer Yan Lu is hoping that you'll think twice about your water consumption if you think of it as draining the home of a poor little fish, hence the name of his innovative design.

The wash basin, "Poor Little Fish", topped off with a fishbowl, not only looks interesting but works in such a manner that, if you're a fish lover, will not have you wasting a drop.



Why? Because as you turn on the faucet and let the water flow, the level of water in the fish bowl lowers proportionate to the amount of running water you are using. Let the water run for too long and you've got a fish out of water. Don't fret though, the water level in the bowl returns to normal after turning off the faucet. And it's designed in such a way that the water from the tap is pure because the pipeline does not connect to the water in the fish bowl.





The project was first shown in 2008 at the Kith Kin exhibit, a London based art & design cooperative, producing events exhibitions and projects to inspire. Then at Designersblock London in 2009

Here are some additional images courtesy of Mocoloco:




Yan Lu is a Chinese designer/engineer based in London. He graduated from product design department in Central Saint Martins in 2009, and currently in the first year of the Industrial Design Engineering joint course (MA + MSc Double Masters) at the Royal College of Art and Imperial College London.

See more of his imaginative and innovative designs here.

The Porta Hedge Allows You To Study Nature Incognito & Eco-consciously

The Porta Hedge is a mobile artificial hedge created by Justin Shull. The exterior repurposes discarded artificial Christmas trees and on the inside, it can accommodate people, offering them an opportunity to study what's around them, such as birds and plants, all while enshrouded and incognito from nature.



above: exterior, Mixed media, including artificial Christmas trees, birdsong audio, video surveillance cameras, 21′x8′x6′


above and below: interior Mobile Observation Lab


As described by the designer:
Like all hedges, the Porta Hedge is a physical barrier that provides a certain amount of privacy in the guise of greenery. Built within the ‘green’ paradigm, the Porta Hedge features several eco-conscious design features including solar power, a small physical footprint (2 tires and a swivel jack), recycled Christmas trees on the exterior, living plants and wood finishing on the interior, and the relaxing sound of birdsong audio on the interior and exterior.



BRANCHES: The exterior of the Porta Hedge is constructed from thousands of recycled artificial Christmas tree branches donated by 7,000 EVERGREENS Instead of going to the landfill, these artificial tree branches become part of a new mobile landscape.



AUDIO: The Porta Hedge also features exterior audio of prerecorded, arranged birdsong. Robins, Cardinals, Chickadees, Blue Jays and Mourning Doves are just a few of the birds that one hears crooning softly from the Porta Hedge.

WILDLIFE HABITAT: A study is currently under way on the Summer '09 Tour to determine if the combination of artificial branches and precorded birdsong audio will attract other bird and animal species to use the Porta Hedge as a home.

SOLAR:

The roof of the Porta Hedge is the perfect location for photovoltaic solar panels. Generate additional electricity either for the interior of the Porta Hedge, for your home, or for any structure nearby.

What About the Trailer?
With minimal impact upon the landscape, and mobility for the lifetime of the hedge, the Porta Hedge and its related Porta Projects are a novel approach to landscape design.


Like many other contemporary products, all Porta Projects are designed to be modular and easily relocated when necessary. With only 5 points touching the ground, Porta Projects have minimal impact upon the land they are situated on.

INTERIOR:





The Porta Hedge's interior Mobile Observation Lab features surveillance cameras/monitors, a rooftop observation hatch and peep holes with accompanying chalkboards to observe and respond to one's surroundings. For the comfort of the inside observer, amenities include a small bathroom, live plants, and an internet uplink.

Rooftop hatch and live plants:

bathroom:


Since July 2009, the Porta Hedge has been travelling the country in search of suitable sites, for field testing, and to meet the public. To learn more about it and see other projects of Justin Shull, visit his site here.

all information and images courtesy of Justin Shull

Save Your Logo & Help Save Animals & Plants!

The principle of Save Your Logo is simple:

Save Your Logo creates an opportunity for companies represented by a plant or animal in their logo to contribute to the conservation of that species. Preserving the planet and its biodiversity is essential in the survival of the human species.

Save Your Logo is an innovative global initiative in the field of biodiversity that involves public and private funding, with supports like the Global Environmental Facility (GEF), the World Bank, the International Union for Nature Conservation and the Endowment Fund for Biodiversity.



above: Lacoste is the first major brand to join this program.

How it works:

The funds from the private sector will be invested in the Endowment Fund for Biodiversity and will then be distributed to organizations that specialize in biodiversity and local conservation projects.

The selection and follow up on these grants will be managed by a steering committee of representatives from the World Bank, the IUCN, the GEF and the Endowment Fund for Biodiversity.

Part of the private sector funding will be used to finance the creation of an Emergency Fund for the conservation of for lesser known species that are found on the IUCN Red List.

All these efforts will be overseen by independent auditors and the court of auditors.

To learn more about the tax laws and implications of the program, go here.

This public-private partnership will engage new partners from the corporate sector in the conservation community and complement existing conservation efforts. A robust education outreach campaign will engage the general public to participate in this effort.

The status of all conservation projects will be updated on a daily basis on the website.


Save Your Logo will create the first global observatory for biodiversity using a multimedia platform to communicate about it programs, creating a community of people interested in plant and animal biodiversity and the health of the planet.


If your company or one you know of has a plant or animal in their logo, turn them onto this!