CustomEarthPromos - Eco Blog US

Currently showing at In-Town Gallery, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, is "Patterns by Nature," a collection of eco-prints by artist Janice Kindred. Kindred uses plants and flowers she has gathered locally, and through a multi-step process she has developed, transfers their shapes and colors to watercolor paper. She then uses a variety of ways to enhance her patterns to produce beautiful original works of art. If you live in or around Chattanooga, the public has the opportunity to view these unique pieces at a reception happening on Friday, June 7, from 5—8 PM. The gallery is located at 26 Frazier Ave # A, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37405. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Kindred's father was a painter. She began drawing and painting as a child. As much as she loved art, she also loved plants and growing things. After completing a program at the Holden Arboretum, in Kirtland, Ohio, and became an Ohio Landscape Association certified licensed grower. This led to a career in horticulture.Help develop your own green thumb with Custom Earth Promo's seed paper. After moving to Chattanooga in 2011, art became a more serious hobby. Kindred began taking drawing classes at Chattanooga's Townsend Atelier and classes at Chattanooga's Art Creations. She was heavily influenced by artist Sandra Paynter Washburn and her classes in mixed media. In this show, the artist combines both her knowledge of plants and the aesthetics of a working artist to create what Kindred calls "eco-prints." The prints begin with the gathering of plants such as dogwood leaves, clover, maple tree seed pods, wildflowers, and honey locust tree leaves. The materials are then arranged in compositions on watercolor paper and placed in a special hot water bath.Make your own special hot water bath with stainless steel water bottles and tumblers. "And at that point, the process takes over. I'm continually surprised at what results. Often colors I'd planned appear on the paper, but sometimes colors or shapes emerge I never would have imagined."Artist Janice Kindred Once the plants have stained the paper, it is allowed to dry before beginning image enhancement. Items such as beading, embroidery thread acrylic paints, inks, or cutting away negative spaces are used for Kindred to change and mold the pattern normally found in nature. Kindred's collection will remain until the end of the month. The gallery is open 11 AM—6 PM Monday—Saturday and 1—5 PM on Sundays. You can also call them at (423) 267-9214 for more information.

There is a newly opened cafe in India that is proving cardboard is not just for boxing up your possessions on moving day or living out of if you have no money anymore. Known as the "Cardboard Cafe," the only part of the restaurant not made out of corrugated cardboard is the kitchen. Everything in the restaurant, from the light fixtures, to the tables, to the walls, to the menu holders, are made from recyclable cardboard. In total, this is about 40,000 square feet of the material. Cardboard is naturally 50 percent air. This makes the material is lightweight, durable, inexpensive, and exceptional at absorbing sound. The sound absorption makes it perfect for a busy restaurant atmosphere. The tabletops were treated with wax to make them spill resistant. The cafe was designed by the founder of the architectural firm Nuru Karim. It took a total of seven months: three months of planning and four months of construction. The team spent an extensive amount of time testing the material for durability, flexibility, moisture resistance, and temperature adaptation. In addition to being made out of sustainable materials, the cafe serves sustainable food. They specialize in serving organic, locally-sourced meals. Karim says that his idea behind starting this restaurant was to show the versatility of cardboard. this was to help it be taken more seriously as a structural material.If you are serious about being green or going green, head over to Custom Earth Promos for all of your sustainable, eco-friendly, reusable items. "I think the idea was to literally think outside the cardboard box. We also wanted to advocate for issues such as climate change, global warming, sustainability, and hopefully this cafe could start becoming a dialogue for the way we treat our natural resources, the way we treat our planet, the way we consume, and the way we recycle." Cardboard Cafe Designer and Nudes Founder Nuru Karim via Midday India

All across France, activists have been taking down official portraits of President Emmanuel Macron to protest what they believe to be his "inaction" against climate change. Now, they face up to 10 years of time in prison. The first of several trials began on Tuesday in the town of Bourg-en-Bresse, located in eastern France. Around 300 activists showed up to support the 6 defendants. They chanted "We're all portrait removers!" These six people are accused of "group theft by deceit" and face both potential jail time and substantial fines for removing Macron's official presidential portrait from town halls around the country. However, they may be able to escape jail time. Prosecutor Eric Sandjivy has requested fines of €2,000 (euros; about $2,235) against five of the six for charges of theft and refusal to provide DNA samples. The sixth, charged only with theft, faces a fine of €1,000 (about $1,117). The portrait removal has called attention to Macron's pro-business strategy; notably, as young people are taking to the streets to demand more planet-friendly strategies after France's Greens Party saw its support jump in the European Parliament election this week.Be pro-business and planet friendly by purchasing your next set of promotional items from Custom Earth Promos. Domestically, activists accuse him of lagging on promises to wean France off of fossil fuels. Internationally, however, Macron is vocal about fighting climate change. He sees himself as the voucher for the UN's Paris climate accord from 2015. He has even challenged President Donald Trump on the issue, inviting US scientists to do research in France under the country's "Make Our Planet Great Again" program. Nine other trials are scheduled. Thirty-six people are accused of taking down 40 portraits. "I'm convinced of a climate emergency and floored by the fact that nothing is happening in France. My action was legitimate. Taking down Macron, that makes sense.Bourg-en-Bresse Defendant Anne-Sophie Trujillo Gauchez via Associated Press Activists complained about the heavy sentences. "While we're conscious of the risks, we are only taking symbolic action."Bourg-en-Bresse Defendant Helene Lacroix-Baudrion The two women, along with four others, took down the portrait from the town hall in Jassans-Riottier. They called this an act of civil disobedience. All six of them had previously clean police records. Their association, ANV-COP 21, wants to turn Tuesday's trial into a political tribune. They've invited top French climate scientists to testify. The threat of prison isn't a deterrent. More than 100 portrait removals are scheduled, most notably during the lead up to the G7 summit in the southwest city of Biarritz in August. This annual international conference is where world leaders, especially the seven most industrialized democracies in the world, and world organizations, such as World Bank and the UN, get together to discuss the global economy. ...

As the clock approached midnight, volunteers in the kitchen of the Islamic Center of Minnesota's women-only clubhouse washed silverware and ceramic plates to be used for the upcoming iftar. It made for more work, but that meant less trash after the traditional evening meal used to break the fast during Ramadan. "A few years ago, when we decided to organize iftars, we reached out to the community and asked for old plates, silverware, dishes and cutlery. We have been using them since. People are used to the convenience of using plastic or paper plates. They want the easy way out."CLUB ICM Director Sally Hassan Mosques and Islamic centers across the state of Minnesota are becoming increasingly minimal or zero-waste. Organizers are coming up with way to ensure that Ramadan does not include any overflowing garbage bags, piles of plastic bottles, or wasted and uneaten food at the nightly events that draw anywhere from handfuls to hundreds of people. According to the US Department of Agriculture, Americans waste more than a third of all food. The US Environmental Protection Agency, estimated that food comprised 22 percent of all trash sent to landfills back in 2015, more than any other single material. Against this information, Muslims in the Twin Cities, and beyond, are creating "green teams" to gradually switch over to eco-friendly mealtime habits. "As Muslims, we have to be stewards for this earth. You cannot be a good practicing Muslim and not take care of planet Earth. The two do not match."CLUB ICM Director Sally Hassan The Indiana-based Islamic Society of North America has been reaching out to mosques and Islamic centers to join the campaign "Greening Our Ramadan" by adopting practices like conserving food; using relatively quick-degrading paper; and giving a khutbah, or Friday sermon, on the Islamic imperative to conserve and protect the environment.Muslim or not, it is imperative to protect the environment and save the health of our planet. Custom Earth Promos can help. Outside of the mosque community, restaurants have also rolled out green initiatives. Owner of Indian/Bangladeshi restaurant Gandhi Mahal in Minneapolis, Ruhel Islam, stated that he has been following a zero-waste approach since he opened the restaurant in 2008. His iftar buffet features compostable dishes, small portions, and cooking oils are recycled into bio diesel. Many of the herbs used are grown in the basement's aquaponic facility. "I grew up in Bangladesh in a community which grows its own food and believes in reducing carbon footprints."Gandhi Mahal Owner Ruhel Islam Depending upon things such as budget and manpower, Islamic centers are adopting ranges of practices including completely ridding themselves of plastic, to composting, to sorting recyclables out of their trash.Rid yourself of plastic by replacing your bags the next time you go to the store. "We choose to serve our guests at our buffet, offering modest portions first, and allowing ...

Generation Investment Management, co-founded by our most eco-friendly politician and former US Vice President Al Gore, has raised $1 billion for its latest private equity fund to back sustainable start-ups. Generation Investment Management Sustainable Solutions Fund III will invest between $50 million and $150 million in companies helping the health of the planet or individuals, or those driving financial inclusion.Make an eco-friendly investment in your business by getting your promotional items from Custom Earth Promos. "We believe that we are at the early stages of a technology-led sustainability revolution, which has the scale of the industrial revolution, and the pace of the digital revolution."Former US Vice President and Generation Investment Management Co-Founder Al Gore The company was founded in 2004 alongside the head of Goldman Sachs' asset management business, David Blood. Its headquarters are in London, England, and there is an office in San Francisco, California. Previously backed businesses include Ocado, DocuSign, and Asana.Ocado is an online grocery store, but make sure if you visit a physical store, you take reusable bags with you. The fund has invested in Switzerland based health technology business Sophia Genetics. Generation Investment Management led a $77 million investment round into this company, which uses artificial intelligence to analyse health data in one of five different areas, including pediatrics and two types of cancers. The investment occurred in January, just days after Dr. Mike Lynch, founder of the software company Autonomy, stepped down from the board of his company. Dr. Lynch is facing 17 different fraud indictments from the US Department of Justice. These are all connected to HP's acquisition of Autonomy. Lynch is denying allegations. Generation's new fund has also led a $100 million investment round into Andela, which allows companies to hire software engineers across all of Africa. The funding round also included investment from number one female tennis player Serena Williams' fund, Serena Ventures. The demand to invest in sustainable ventures is growing, especially in Europe, even if the definition of "sustainable ventures" varies. For Al Gore's company, target companies provide "goods and services consistent with a low-carbon, prosperous, equitable, healthy and safe society."

Electric vehicles have been around almost as long as their gas hungry siblings. Unfortunately, technical limitations, such as battery size and efficiency, have hindered the adoption of what is clearly a cleaner, more efficient form of fuel-powered transportation. Today, thanks to innovations in how electricity is collected, stored, and discharged, the planet has entered a new era of mobility. Innovations, including high-energy lithium-ion battery cells, the development of battery charging networks, and engineering breakthroughs such as hybrid drive-trains and regenerative breaking, are rapidly making both electric and hybrid vehicles more attractive. Most of the world's automakers either already produce, or are developing, Earth friendly transportation. With today's new hybrid technologies, it is possible to drive the equivalent of over 40 miles per gallon! Fully electric cars have even better millage, able to reach equivalencies of over 100 miles per gallon! But, what if you are tired of always buying gas, or are against fossil fuels, or want to switch to electric to help curb pollution, and don't know how? The following article is a list of the USA's 18 most eco-friendly vehicles from 2018, as compiled by USA TODAY. (In a few cases, multiple versions of a given model have different fuel efficiencies, all of which were high enough to make the list. In those cases, only the most fuel efficient model is listed.)Need a place to store your keys? Make sure your lanyard is eco-friendly by choosing recycled and organic materials and store it in a reusable bag when you aren't wearing it. If you live in Florida, you might want to keep an umbrella in your new car (All figures come from the US Environmental Protection Agency's annual review of fuel economy for all passenger vehicles sold in the United States to determine the most fuel-efficient vehicles on the market for the 2018 model year. For electric vehicles, the fuel efficiency figure listed is in MPGe, or miles per gallon equivalent, a metric developed by the EPA to translate the fuel economy of vehicles running exclusively or partially on electricity into miles per gallon of gasoline.) 18. Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid Type: Midsize Hybrid SedanFuel/Energy Efficiency: 46 mpgAnnual Fuel Cost: $900 The Chevy Malibu Hybrid is one of two Chevrolet vehicles on this list. The 80-cell 1.5 kWh (kilowatt hour) lithium-ion battery pack provides extra millage compared to the 30 mpg non-hybrid version. The battery can run on speeds of up to 55 miles per hour (mph) alone before the gas engine kicks in. The 2019 version costs $28,000; about $6,000 more than the gasoline only version. The car earns a rating of Excellent from Motor Trend. 17. Honda Accord Hybrid Type: Large Hybrid SedanFuel/Energy Efficiency: 47 mpgAnnual Fuel Cost: $900 Honda also has two vehicles on this list. The hybrid version of one of America's best selling cars carries an extra 14 mpg when compared to the most ...

Newly opened near Mansion House, the residence of the Lord Mayor of London, in the City of London, England, the Vintry & Mercer feels like the cooler edgier answer to its sister hotel: The Ampersand, in South Kensington, England. It was named after two of the honorable guilds that were founded in the area many years ago. The hotel nods at the landed gentry, while also providing a fresh, youthful energy for the enthusiastic crowd that sleeps between its doors. The hotel is situated in an area full of high rises and chain restaurants, so the subway tiles and potted plants, and factory style windows and Art Deco furniture have been well received as representative of the millennial generation it is hoping to appeal to. As a new building, the architects had the benefit of being able to design the hotel the way they wish without being subject to the old structures and systems. This has allowed it to be eco-friendly. It is run completely on renewable electricity, which has multiple sources, including biomass, wind and solar generators, and rooftop solar panels. The food and drink is locally sourced and as seasonal as possible. All of this helps them reduce their carbon footprint.Reduce your carbon footprint while advertising your business by purchasing your promotional items from Custom Earth Promos. The building boasts 92 rooms, ranging in size from standard doubles all the way up to superior suites. While not quite as roomy as other places to stay, the rooms aren't small or cramped. Everything has been designed to fit together seamlessly and maximize space. The "jewel in the crown" of this hotel is the Mercer Roof Terrace, a restaurant and bar whose outdoor seating area overlooks the city skyline. It is accessible by both guests and the general public. Their menu features the best of modern British cuisine using meat and fish straight from the British Isles. Their weekday lunch features local produce, farm-to-table meat, fresh fish, and seasonal veggies. Their weekend lunch includes local produce and fresh ingredients.If you are looking for a more casual meal, Vintry Kitchen is an Asian Tapas, or Dim Sum, style menu. The wine poured in this location is straight from large barrels lining the gantry. The portions are small and perfect for sharing, ensuring not much, if anything, is wasted.On your next trip to the grocery store, keep your food miles low by using reusable bags made from recycled and eco-friendly materials. There isn't much in the way of entertainment when it comes to the Vintry & Mercer, but it is worth venturing into the surrounding area. Being part of the City of London leaves them close to local attractions, such as Leadenhall Market, a local covered walkway housing both designer and independent boutiques with plenty of pedestrian access. They aren't far from St. Paul's Cathedral, which has stood for over 1,400 years. The River Thames is only a 5 minute walk, and London Bridge can be reached in 15.England is ...

Following the fire that destroyed famed Catholic church, Notre Dame, the French government has launched an international architectural competition to redesign the church's roof and spire. One of the many designs that have flooded in is from Belgian Ecological Architect Vincent Callebaut. His design sees the roof turned into a garden, covered with a glass steeple. This project, known as "Palingenesis," aims to include the stone nave. It will blend in naturally as a "graft" that harmonises the roof and spire together. From the four gables, the original geometry of the 10 meter (about 33 feet) high attic would be respected.Respect the planet by purchasing eco-friendly, sustainable promotional items for your business at Custom Earth Promos. It will be constructed with cross-laminated timber (CLT) beams prestressed with carbon fibers. The new oak frame seeks to use the most minimal amount of material possible. This is to ensure a low-carbon footprint while still offering the greatest transparency possible to the cathedral.Lower your carbon footprint by using reusable bags and bottles instead of single-use plastic. The rooster statue that once crowned the building, which was found among the rubble the day after the incident, will crown it again. In its new position, it should remain the "spiritual lightning rod" and protector of the faithful. Callebaut revealed that the new design "evokes the rebirth but also the mystery of the cathedral and the resurrection of Christ." The idea is to use this new "graft" to turn Notre Dame into a positive energy building; one designed to produce more energy than it consumes. The contemporary, three-dimensional Gothic, stained glass "graft" produces all of the electricity, heat, and passive ventilation that the building may require. This is accomplished by combining passive systems and advanced renewable energies. The wooden frame will be covered with a three-dimensional crystal glass dress that will be subdivided into faceted diamond-shaped pieces. The crystals consist of an active organic layer, made of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen, which will absorb light and turn it into power. This energy, which will be stored in hydrogen fuel cells, will be distributed throughout the cathedral. To avoid any greenhouse effect(s), the crystal diamonds open at the acroterion of the nave and transept. This will create a natural air flow towards the top of the spire, mimicking a wind-powered chimney. The project features an internal garden devoted to contemplation and meditation. Up to 21 tons of fruits and vegetables could be harvested and distributed for free each year. A farmers market could be held each week on Notre Dame's forecourt.Start your own garden with seed paper. Once buried and soaked, this paper will turn back into a plant. "In conclusion, we advocate for an exemplary project in ecological engineering that feels true to its time and avoids a pastiche architecture that turns the ...

The dog park of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, the local government for the city of Hyderabad, the capital of the Indian state Telangana, is a pop of color for the surrounding area. Not only is the greenery a big contributor but also the brightly colored tiles on the pavement. If you read the information board outside of the park, you'll find out that the tiles are more than just a colorful addition to the park. They are made out of plastic waste. They are manufactured by Shayna EcoUnified, India's first company to produce HDCP tiles from plastic waste. Based in the state of Uttar Pradesh, the company was founded in 2018 after Paras Saluja took a trip to Vietnam. Speaking to The Better India, he said, "In fact, it was way back in 2015 when I did the Everest Base Camp (EBC) trek that the passion to do something useful for the country ignited in me."Shayna EcoUnified Founder & Director Paras Saluja He told the news outlet that the EBC is one of the most beautiful places in the world and attracts a lot of trekkers each year, however, the amount of waste left behind by enthusiastic travellers is shameful.Leave behind less waste by choosing reusable items from Custom Earth Promos. "At that point, I didn't know what to do. But my trip to Vietnam in 2017 cleared it. I wanted to change my career from pharmaceuticals to recycling plastic sustainably."Shayna EcoUnified Founder & Director Paras Saluja When he got back, Saluja did extensive research on waste, and how to manage and recycle plastic. While the solutions were inspiring, but one idea struck him like a tonne of bricks—plastic waste, everything from single-use shopping bags to old chairs, could be made into tiles, and the manufacturing process would emit less pollution! Saluja met with both government officials and scientists at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL). Fortunately, the NPL was working on technology to compress plastic waste into tiles. Saluja jumped at the opportunity to scale up their business. "Working with the NPL, we secured a deal for a plant in North India."Shayna EcoUnified Founder & Director Paras Saluja He stated that they are working with government-approved technology that upcycles plastic while also preventing poisonous gasses from being released.Upcycle your plastic by using reusable bags made from recycled materials. Saluja mentioned that people he approached were skeptical of recycled materials. When it came to long-term projects, like building houses, people prefered using materials such as marble and ceramic for floor and wall tiles. Saluja gets around this by targeting governmental organizations and corporations; to help make their premises colorful and eco-friendly. Saluja was joined by Sandeep Nagpal, the co-founder & co-director. He and the rest of the team at Shayna EcoUnified manage plastic waste sustainably and economically. Nagpal has 25 years of experience in the field of sales and ...

We've all played a video game or two at some point in our lives—whether it was as recent as "Mortal Kombat 11"; a modern classic like "Mario" or "Sonic"; or even as old as "Tetris," "Centipede," or "Pong." In April of 2005, the first game in the popular "Virtual Villagers" series was released; and in May of 2009, "Minecraft" became available. In "Virtual Villagers," the goal was to build an island tribe and help them thrive, all while exploring the secrets of the mysterious island. "Minecraft" is a sandbox game where the player's only objective is to obtain resources to craft with and build the world around them. Enter "Eco," which combines them both. "Eco" is a multiplayer game about starting a civilization from scratch and progressing it far enough that you can stop a meteor from destroying your virtual world. During this progression, however, you can, unfortunately, have a negative impact on the environment. This includes global warming. "People, by default, will not consider the group." Strange Loop Games CEO and "Eco" Developer John Krajewski Krajewski was talking about "Eco's" players at the start of the game. At this point, each player only has a few simple tools. Everyone seems to only focus on themselves. They chop down trees to build their house with little thought to how this impacts the world around them. It does, however, impact their world. Knocking down too many trees without replacing them can destroy entire forests. Hunting too many animals can cause extinction. Producing too much carbon dioxide can warm the planet. This all mimics the real planet.Make less of an impact on your world by purchasing eco-friendly, sustainable products from Custom Earth Promos. In "Eco's" virtual world, players produce CO2 by making iron, an important resource. Just like in the real world, people don't usually band together to try to solve problems until they realize that there is one. "Eco" lets their players create governments and laws, so a player might simply limit the amount of iron being created, or they may enact government oversight by putting taxes in place that decrease demand.Create less CO2 by using recycled items, including bags, bottles, notebooks, even umbrellas! But, "Eco" is meant for more than just entertainment. Strange Loop designed the game for educational purposes. Classrooms, even entire schools, can go have an "Eco" experience together. Krajewski noted a story where one class used all the available trees for housing. The next class, playing on the same servers, found themselves tree-less. They knocked down the other class's houses to obtain lumber for their own. Studies are also being done with students playing "Eco." This includes asking them if playing this game changes their thoughts on global warming. While traditional schooling can teach kids about climate change and our impact on the environment, "Eco" lets them experience it first-hand. "Eco" isn't just for school children either. Entire ...