David Lidsky's Blog, page 4651

A Photographic Journey Through Rwanda's Emerging Green Industries

A new photography show produced for the U.N.'s World Environment Day portrays Rwanda as a model of sustainable development where humans live and work in harmony with nature.

Why Change Is So Hard: Self Control Is Exhaustible

[transcript of video:]You hear something a lot about change: People won't change because they're too lazy. Well, I'm here to stick up for the lazy people. In fact, I want to argue that what looks like laziness is actually exhaustion. The proof comes from a psychology study that is absolutely fascinating.So picture this: Students come into a lab. It smells amazing—someone has just baked chocolate-chip cookies. On a table in front of them, there are two bowls. One has the fresh-baked cookies...

Method That Turns Wastelands Green Wins 2010 Buckminster Fuller Challenge

Livestock might not be just the cause of desertification--they might also be the solution.

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Today, the Buckminster Fuller Institute announced the winner of its 2010 Challenge: Allan Savory, who has spent the last 50 years refining and evangelizing for a method of reversing desertification that he calls "holistic management." The African Center for Holistic Management International, an NGO he helped found, will take home a $100,000 grant.

The Buckminster Fuller Challenge is meant to award big...

Analyzing Steve Jobs' Language at D8: He's a "People" Person!

So Uncle Steve appeared at the D8 conference, and now we know things about Apple and Steve's sex life that maybe we didn't before. But did you look at the language he used? We did, and there're a few nice surprises in there. 

Steve Jobs is an incredibly accomplished public speaker, as anyone who's watched a clip of his professional presentations at Apple conferences can attest. His 2005 Stanford Commencement address is also compelling viewing, and reveals a more personal and troubled side to...

Jeff Koons and BMW Unveil Art Car at Paris Le Mans [UPDATED]

The 17th BMW Art Car was unveiled in France yesterday, two months after artist Jeff Koons had previewed it before the world's media. Originally a 3-D computer-aided design, it's lost a dimension, been printed onto vinyl and wrapped around an M3 GT2 Beemer, ready for next weekend's 24-Hour Race at Le Mans, where it will be driven by Andy Priaulx, and two Dirks, Muller and Werner.

Sonic booms, light explosions, and Christmas lights were, apparently, Koons' inspiration, and it looks even better...

BP Oil Disaster in Video: Memorial Day 2010, Grand Isle, Louisiana

For Memorial Day weekend, the traditional start of the tourist season along the Gulf of Mexico, Fast Company visited Grand Isle, La., where oil from the gushing BP well in the Gulf of Mexico made landfall.

Image: Ryan Marshall, Video: Mike Marshall/Category 5 Films

In the late afternoon March 30, on the eve of Memorial Day, the traditional kickoff to the Gulf Coast tourist season, Grand Isle, La., mayor David Camardelle ordered the beaches partially open. They'd been completely shut down at...

The Problem with Greensumption: Questions for Annie Leonard

Planet Green's Virginia Sole-Smithhad discusses "Greensumption" with Annie Leanard, former Greenpeace activist, founder of The Story of Stuff and reigning #92 on our 100 Most Creative People

To kick things off, we're talking about "greensumption," or when you buy organic produce, install a low-flow
showerhead in your bathroom, bring reusable bags to the grocery store and think, "whew,
let's call it a day!" I fully admit to being guilty as charged on this
one. Here's why we can (and should...

SolarMagic Raises Solar Panel Efficiecy by 20&

Solar panels suffer from being an imperfect tech, and differences between the quality of each individual cell can even affect how efficiently the whole thing works. Enter National Semiconductor, with smart solar optimizer chips.

The electronics in National Semi's "SolarMagic" chips are the "solar industry's first" in-panel solution to optimizing the electrical light-to-power efficiency of photovoltaic solar panels, according to the press release, and NS is going as far as saying this means...

iFive: Hulu, Google, Space, Trafigura, Startups

While you were all tucked up in your beds, innovation was having an all-night party. And this on a Tuesday after a long weekend? And in space? Apparently so.

1. Iridium has become the largest presence in the cosmos--well, that we know of so far. It's ordered 88 spacecraft for its Iridium Next venture, to boost its telecommunications network. French firm Thales beat Lockheed-Martin for the $2.1--or $2.9 billion, depending what you read--gig. In other space news, big shout out to the Japanese...

iFive: Hulu, Google, Space, Trafigura, Start-ups

While you were all tucked up in your beds, innovation was having an all-night party. And this on a Tuesday after a long weekend? And in space? Apparently so.

1. Iridium has become the largest presence in the cosmos--well, that we know of so far. It's ordered 88 spacecraft for its Iridium Next venture, to boost its telecommunications network. French firm Thales beat Lockheed-Martin for the $2.1--or $2.9 billion, depending what you read--gig. In other space news, big shout out to the Japanese...