We are well aware of the danger posed by pollution from cars, power plants and factories and all the things that are affecting our outdoor air quality.  Indoor air quality however, sometimes gets overlooked, even though it can pose a more serious health risk. 

Toxic chemicals like formaldehyde, benzene, radon, trichloroethylene and carbon monoxide can come from a variety of seemingly innocuous household sources like cleaning materials, your furnace, and even your house itself.  These chemicals can contribute to allergies, asthma and a host of other conditions including cancer. 

NASA studies have shown that the presences of plants in your indoor environment can significantly reduce your exposure to these toxic airborne chemicals and greatly improve the quality of living.  Since many of us spend so much time indoors at home and at work it’s very important that we bring some of the outdoors in and here are some of the best plants to do that with…

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Well this jar concept by itself is not Green.  I don’t know how the designer, sherwood forlee, intends to manufacture it, or out of what, or if it will ever get made but the concept is creative and it’s about reducing waste so we have to give him props.  Here is how it is explained on the designers site…

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Enjoy an eco friendly fire right in your living room without cutting down a tree, cleaning the flue, or raking out the soot. Planika Fires has designed fireplace units that have been intertwined with household furniture and produce flame by burning a biofuel called Fanola. Producing no smoke or smell only H20 and C02 at unharmful levels Fanola is comprised of plant origin material, has been touted as hygienic, and is a renewable energy source. The sheer ambiance and appeal of the Planika design is astounding let alone the coup de gras of a greener fire for the family. You may be wondering about the proximity of the flame to the furniture…Planika has thoroughly considered safety in the engineering of their fireplaces, so enjoy!  More pictures after the jump…

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The Decades chest is the work of Lisa Widén and Anna Irinarchos from WIS Design.  It is made from drawers rescued from Stockholm area flea markets and white lacquered MDF.  Widén and Irinarchos are currently looking for a more sustainable substitute for the MDF board which will make this a real eco-friendly find.  If you want one of your own you can contact WIS Design to get one custom made or you can break out the tools and fashion your own design.

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Sleek, sexy & eco-chic the Fisker Karma is the first Luxury Plug-in Hybrid.  Did I mention it’s screamin’ fast?  Not quite as quick as the Tesla Roadster, but it still boasts an impressive 0-60 in 5.8 seconds and a top speed of 125mph.  Not all power and asthetics, the Karma has some impressive eco-amenities.  According to Fisker the Karma can travel 50 miles on a single charge, without tapping into it’s gas reserve.  For longer trips the gas tank switches on and increases the range up to 650 miles.  No word on the size of the tank or the actual MPG, but another site speculates that it will get about 40mpg, which is pretty good for a sports car. 

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This kitchen floor pattern was put together with remnant pieces of Marmoleum left over from other projects, all part of an eco-friendly home construction that is being chronicled over at Diary of  a Vermont Eco Builder. 

In keeping with our eco design model, and just for the sheer fun of it, we’ve decided that the kitchen floor will be made up from all the leftover pieces of Marmoleum we’ve saved so far.

The builders mocked up the design on the computer, cut the pieces out according the plan and then had a professional come in and install it.

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From RADIUS comes the environmentally logical Source Replaceable Head toothbrush. The average life of a toothbrush is roughly three months. Once the bristles have reached the end of their usefulness the entire brush is discarded. Source from RADIUS uses a detachable wide angle head to cut waste by 80% so that the handle may continue onward serving its purpose indefinitely. The handle for the Source (which swivels to accommodate the proper brushing angle for left and right handers) is made from recycled wood bio-plastic. Bio-plastic is 50% recycled wood and 50% post-consumer polypropylene. To top it off the packaging your new Source brush comes in is 50% recycled soda bottle and recycled card stock designed to be light weight to cut required shipping energy. I have used RADIUS brushes myself for a few years and the big fat head on these things is amazing. When I am forced to brush with “regular” sized brushes it just feels inadequate!

We found this cool pendant lamp made from re-purposed coat hangers over at Thwart Design.  They don’t have any information on it but it has inspired us so we will work up a how-to and share it with you when it’s done.  Stay tuned…

GreenPix is the largest color LED display in the world, but more importantly it is powered by a photovoltaic (solar) system that allows this massive media display to operate without using any power from the grid.  This massive curtain wall (20,000 sq ft) is mounted to the front of the Xicui entertainment complex in Beijing, near the site of the 2008 Olympics.  Harvesting solar energy by day and using it to illuminate the screen by night it is an important reminder of sustainable design in China, a nation that is undergoing rapid and almost unrestricted industrial growth. 

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The FlexibleLove 16 seats one to sixteen people.  It uses an accordion like honeycomb structure to compact to a single chair or expand into an number of styles that can seat up to sixteen adults!  The FlexibleLove 16 is made entirely from recycled materials (post-consumer recycled paper and post-industrial recycled wood) and uses pre-existing production processes to reduce environmental impact during manufacturing.

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