October 2016 ~ Home Improvement Hacks

Friday, October 14, 2016

New This Week: 3 Dining Rooms Boost the Mood With Modern Decor (3 photos)

2. Midcentury Mix

Designer: Amber Sokolowski of Soko Interior Design
Location: Long Beach, California
Size: 300 square feet (28 square meters); 15 by 20 feet

Homeowners’ request: For her own home, designer Amber Sokolowski wanted to take a few risks and have some fun. She and her husband honed in on a style that’s “midcentury, eclectic and a little glam,” she says.

Special features: Vaulted ceiling; cement tile surround; custom wood beam mantel; oversize lantern-style light fixture; abstract artwork; midcentury-style table and chairs with a walnut finish

Why the design works: “I wanted to bring attention to the height and grand scale of the room, which is why I added the large Darlana lantern and a large abstract piece of artwork to draw the eye up,” Sokolowski says. “The space is so open, and with the vaulted ceiling and all-white walls, it took a while to make it feel complete. The addition of the artwork and accessories like plants really helped to make the room come together.”

Designer secret: “Updating the lighting made a huge difference,” she says. “It’s amazing what a dramatic difference this one change can make.”

Also on the team: Rod Hand Craft (mantel); Amy Bartlam (photography)

Wall paint: Snowbound, Sherwin-Williams; Strata I fireplace tile: Cement Tile Shop; large Darlana lantern: Circa Lighting; midcentury expandable dining table: West Elm; Tracy dining chairs (similar): Modway via Houzz; Targa buffet in carbon gray: Carrera collection, Lexington Home Brands via Houzz; Trussell vintage-style rug (similar): Safavieh via Houzz; “Blue Strap” art: Sara Brown, Z Gallerie

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from Houzz http://ift.tt/2e752qC

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Green Lunch with... Novozymes' Peder Holk Nielsen

11:31 PM Alternative Energy, Green Living, Green Policy Home - Business Green, Green Technology, Solar power, Wind Energy

BusinessGreen joins the Novozymes chief executive at Grain Store in London's King's Cross to talk biofuel, food security, and sustainability while sampling some 'veg-centric' dining

It is a coincidence, but Grain Store is a strangely apposite venue for lunch with Peder Holk Nielsen, chief executive of Danish biotechnology giant Novozymes. The converted grain warehouse on the banks...

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Mini Project: How to Get a Live-Edge Barn Door (6 photos)

1:20 PM Articles on Home design Houzz, Home Design

Height. “This is important to know to make sure the piece of wood comes all the way down to the floor to meet up with the glider,” Gatto says.

For this project, Gatto hung her barn door track 5 inches above the door opening to accommodate her slab, which, after cut to size, came out to 7 feet, 2 inches tall. “It’s always best to wait and cut the door height on-site so you can verify the wood hits right above the floor,” she says.

Thickness. You will need to know what thickness of wood will work with the track you’ve selected. In this case, Gatto brought the track specifications to the millworker where she bought the slab, and had the slab planed and refinished at an additional fee to fit the track. “Bring the specifications with you of the track you are using while shopping for your wood piece to verify they are compatible,” she says.

Species. When selecting the species of wood, “ask for a lighter-weight wood to verify your track can support the weight,” Gatto says. “Again, refer to the track you have selected for optimal weight.”

Lightweight species include ash and alder, which Gatto used. It’s best to ask a professional at your lumberyard what will work best for your needs and track system.

Hardware and stain. Depending on your preference and the style of your home, you can choose whether to stain and finish the door, and whether to add hand pulls and locks. In her project, Gatto wanted a natural, modern look, so she applied a clear coat on the wood to bring out its natural beauty.

“The piece can be finished from the vendor prior to bringing it on-site,” Gatto says. “Or, if you have a crew, they can finish it on-site. Depending on the wood quality and how much sanding and finishing is needed, you can do it prior to installing or after. It is easiest to do it on a flat surface prior to installing, though. Hand pulls are done after the wood is installed. In my case, I did not use hand pulls.”

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Houzz Call: Show Us Your Bygone Home Features (4 photos)

11:25 AM Articles on Home design Houzz, Home Design

Houzz Editorial Staff. When I'm not writing about cool homes and the talented people behind them, you can find me crafting, practicing calligraphy, taking photos, watching gymnastics and sending lots of snail mail.

Houzz Editorial Staff. When I'm not writing about cool homes and the talented people... More

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Scotland region will be 100% powered by kites within a decade

7:24 AM Architecture, Green Building, Green BuildingInhabitat – Green Design, Green Design, Inhabitat Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Solar

In parts of Scotland, one response to the need for renewable energy is to go fly a kite. No, really. In just under 10 years, kites will generate power for an entire region of Scotland, thanks to efforts by a British company named Kite Power Solutions. Their “kytoons” (hybrid kite-balloon power systems) look like parachutes, and fly on the jet stream at 20,000 feet elevation, moving up and down in the wind currents to generate hundreds of megawatts of energy for a super low cost.

Kite Power Solutions will soon install a 500-kilowatt system of kite-supported power stations at the Ministry of Defense’s West Freugh Range, near the town of Stranraer. By 2025, the company expects the offshore kite station to be up and running, generating clean renewable energy from the jet stream. KPS says their system is so affordable that it won’t need any of the tax-based government subsidies other renewable energy projects tend to rely on. The project will be backed instead by Royal Dutch Shell oil company and the UK government.

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Each high-flying kite measures approximately 131 feet (40 meters) wide and is capable of generating up to three megawatts of electricity. That’s similar to the output of a single 328-foot (100-meter) wind turbine. One of the big advantages to a kite-based power system is that they can be put to use in places where a traditional offshore wind turbine would be difficult to install, and they require much less maintenance over time, making them less expensive to operate. KPS says a ‘farm’ of just over 1,000 kites could produce as much electricity as the planned Hinkley Point C nuclear power station.

Because Scotland is very windy, the kites will be generating power most of the time. David Ainsworth, business development director of Kite Power Solutions, estimates there will be fewer than 10 days a year when the kytoons not generate energy. During those periods, a fan will keep the kites up in the air until the wind picks up again.

Via Motherboard

Images via Kite Power Solutions

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green BuildingInhabitat – Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building http://ift.tt/2dJh3ot

Room of the Day: A Tween Bedroom Pulls Off Study Time With Style (6 photos)

7:15 AM Articles on Home design Houzz, Home Design

Starting with the sleeping area, Saether created a cove-like feeling by positioning the bed against a wall of windows. To do this, she first needed to rip out old, ill-conceived built-ins on that wall to allow access to the bed.

For a statement piece, she selected a sophisticated wood canopy bed frame, hoping this tween could keep it down the line for her first apartment or future home. Then Saether had fun layering in colorful accents, from patterned pillows to hanging paper pompoms.

Next she reworked the walls, adding shiplap to two for texture and brightness and painting another in a contrasting navy — a soft, unexpected neutral.

The shiplap gives the room dimension, highlighting the height and light in this nook. Saether carefully selected each board. “The softness that wood creates and the brightness of the white are a great palette cleanser and keep the room both fresh and mature,” she says.

Farmhouse canopy bed: Pottery Barn; garland: Etsy; Diamond percale sheet set: Design Within Reach; Map of London embroidered pillow: J Brulee

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Clinton: "We cannot risk putting a climate denier in the White House"

1:29 AM Alternative Energy, Green Living, Green Policy Home - Business Green, Green Technology, Solar power, Wind Energy

Hillary Clinton attacks Donald Trump's stance on climate change, and says she can not wait to appoint Al Gore as a climate advisor to the White House

Hillary Clinton has given her most comprehensive speech on energy and climate change of the US presidential race, warning the country "cannot risk putting a climate denier in the White House".

Speaking alongside former vice president and leading environmental campaigner Al Gore at a rally in Florida, Clinton stepped up attacks on her Republican rival Donald Trump over his stance on climate change.

Trump has in the past described climate change as a hoax, and when asked about energy and environmental issues during last Sunday's debate he made no mention of the environment and instead argued the government should increase support for the coal industry.

Clinton warned Trump's policies, along with those of the wider Republican Party, presented a serious threat to US and global security and prosperity.

"We cannot risk putting a climate denier in the White House at all," she said. "That is completely unacceptable. We need a president who believes in science. We cannot keep sending climate deniers and defeatists to Congress, or to statehouses, and certainly not to the White House."

She also reiterated her plans to build on President Obama's recent climate policies and accelerate the transition to clean technologies.

"Climate change is real, it's urgent, and America can take the lead in the world in addressing it," she said. "We can transform our economy, we can rally the world to cut carbon pollutions and above all we can fulfill our moral obligation to protect the planet. Just remember what is at stake. My opponent is a guy who denies science, who denies climate change every day."

She highlighted plans to increase investment energy efficiency and solar projects, declaring that she wanted to "see 500 million more solar panels installed in America by the end of my first term".

"Let's generate enough clean energy to power America," she added. "We can do all of this and create millions of good paying jobs as we do. The clean energy solutions are being created right here in America. And while we do that, make sure communities are ready for the effects of climate change that are coming right at us."

Clinton also revealed she "couldn't wait" to have Gore alongside her as an advisor to the White House on climate change.

The former vice president, who won the popular vote in the 2000 election but lost out on the White House after losing Florida by less than 500 votes, urged voters who care about climat change to back Clinton. "Your vote really, really really counts," he said. "You can consider me as an exhibit A of that truth."

He also warned US support for the historic Paris Agreement, which Trump has threatened to "cancel", was critical to global efforts to tackle climate change.

"The world is on the cusp of either building on the progress of solving the climate crisis, or stepping back, washing our hands of America's traditional role as a leader in the world," he said.

And he warned that Florida would be on the front line of future climate impacts unless urgent action was taken, noting how the recent Hurricane Matthew went from a tropical storm to a category 5 hurricane in just 36 hours.

The rally came on the same day as new series of climate studies highlighted how the US was already facing significant climate impacts in the form of more frequent floods and high impact storms similar to Hurricane Sandy.

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Is BP putting stranded assets theory into practice with exit from Great Australian Bight?

5:25 AM Alternative Energy, Green Living, Green Policy Home - Business Green, Green Technology, Solar power, Wind Energy

Oil major says it is abandoning plans to drill in the remote region to focus on opportunities likely to create value in the 'near to medium term', but to some it sounds like a response to the 'carbon bubble'

The South Australian Bight is perhaps one of the world's most biodiverse marine habitats. Beneath the pristine waters swim Australian sea lions, Bluefin tuna, endangered whale species and sardines, alongside...

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Egypt's first solar-powered village rises from the desert in Bahariya Oasis

5:15 AM Architecture, Green Building, Green BuildingInhabitat – Green Design, Green Design, Inhabitat Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Solar

A company in Egypt has constructed a solar-powered village for workers, and it is the first of its kind in the country. Located in Egypt's Bahariya Oasis, and powered by solar panels integrated into the buildings, the Tayebat Workers Village designed by KarmBuild currently provides shelter for 350 people. KarmBuild is "the only company in Egypt to integrate solar technology into a building's design," according to KarmSolar, and its use of local, natural materials ensures a gentle environmental footprint.

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Principal architect Karim Kafrawi said in Egypt, solar panels are often seen as unattractive, too industrial, and “not practical in architecture integration.” KarmBuild’s innovative methods could upend those unfavorable views. Their solar integration designs allow the region to benefit from plentiful sunlight in a seamless, elegant manner. Photovoltaic solar panels adorn the rooftops of the Tayebat Workers Village, but in such a way that they blend in the stone walls of the village. The rooftop solar panels also act as “thermal roof protection,” according to Kafrawi.

Kafrawi told Inhabitat, “The idea was to create an architectural character that would smoothly blend into the natural landscape so that from a distance, this rather large building would be discreet, almost invisible expect for the towering stone structures highlighted by the P.V. solar panels reflecting the sky and sun.”

Not only is the power generation environmentally friendly, but KarmBuild employed sustainable construction techniques, such as utilizing energy-reducing methods and building with 90 percent local earth materials. In the region where the Tayebat Workers Village is located, sandstone is often removed in order to construct buildings. But KarmBuild realized the sandstone could be utilized in the buildings instead of going to waste. They found this “wealthy natural resource” is in fact “structurally viable,” according to Kafrawi. The use of the natural, local sandstone allows the buildings to blend in beautifully with the surrounding desert.

According to Kafrawi, KarmBuild’s methods reduce waste and can even reduce project costs in some instances.

“The high intensity of the sun along with the wide possible uses of viable natural building materials in these areas open up great possibilities for strong sustainable development solutions in the area. We work on trying to provide solutions that blend these two very different elements in a non-intrusive and attractive manner that works with the local architecture, whether traditional or modern, in the region,” he told Inhabitat. “We believe there is great potential to change the architectural landscape in these areas to be more self-sufficient, sustainable, and comfortable for occupants.”

+ KarmBuild

+ KarmSolar

Images courtesy of KarmSolar

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green BuildingInhabitat – Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building http://ift.tt/2dG6XVl

Scientists grow test tube human brains with potential to think and feel

4:40 AM Architecture, Green Building, Green BuildingInhabitat – Green Design, Green Design, Inhabitat Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Solar

A group of Cambridge scientists are attempting to grow human brains outside of the body in a lab. But they don’t look anything like what you might imagine. The “cerebral organoids” are made with stem cells derived from human skin and raised in giant incubators. Without any kind of blood supply, they receive nutrients by soaking in a special fluid. And these brains are tiny, small enough to fit in a petri dish – about four millimeters across and crammed with about two million neurons. For the sake of comparison, a fully developed mouse brain contains four million neurons. The average adult human brain, up to 1,000 trillion.

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Just like a normal brain, these bundles of cells contain a mixture of gray matter and white matter. They even form specific regions like the cortex, hippocampus, cerebellum, and many more. In the end, they are equivalent to what might be seen in a nine-week-old fetus.

However, while the neurons in these tiny organoids do communicate and fire with electrical activity, they aren’t capable of thoughts or feelings in the way we would understand it. Dr. Madeline Lancaster compares their neural activity to the way heart cells can be made to beat in a petri dish. While they are alive, the lack of a body or any sensory input means they aren’t receiving any of the information that could lead to consciousness. If lab-grown brains were hooked up to an EEG, no brain waves would be observed.

However, consciousness is not the goal of this research. Instead, Lancaster is interested in uncovering some key differences between humans and other primates. Our DNA is only 1.2 percent different from chimpanzees, yet somehow we have completely different intellectual capabilities. Her team is replacing individual genes involved in brain development with genes from chimpanzees, and observing how the replacements influence the growth of the specimens.

In other labs, organoids like these are being used to learn more about human development – for example, what makes the brain of someone with schizophrenia or autism different from a normal brain. The inability to identify these disorders in other animals has made researching them in the lab impossible. (And while there are a lot of reasons not to support animal testing, dissecting the brains of living humans is obviously unethical as well.)

Instead, researchers can use this technology and a stem cells from patients to learn more about how their neurons function. This has already led to some interesting insights into the development of autism, and will likely reveal even more hidden knowledge in time.

Via Digital Journal

Images via Cambridge University

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green BuildingInhabitat – Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building http://ift.tt/2dRRHU6

Home Improvement Hacks

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Tip #1 Always select the right tools for the job.

Tip #2 Measure twice, cut once.

Tip #3 Secure your project if at all possible.

Friday, October 14, 2016

New This Week: 3 Dining Rooms Boost the Mood With Modern Decor (3 photos)

Thursday, October 13, 2016

Green Lunch with... Novozymes' Peder Holk Nielsen

Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Mini Project: How to Get a Live-Edge Barn Door (6 photos)

Houzz Call: Show Us Your Bygone Home Features (4 photos)

Scotland region will be 100% powered by kites within a decade

Room of the Day: A Tween Bedroom Pulls Off Study Time With Style (6 photos)

Clinton: "We cannot risk putting a climate denier in the White House"

Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Is BP putting stranded assets theory into practice with exit from Great Australian Bight?

Egypt's first solar-powered village rises from the desert in Bahariya Oasis

Scientists grow test tube human brains with potential to think and feel

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