…what really influenced the type of directions was the culture of the wayfinder. Americans were far more likely, across all tests, to give navigators a street name or a cardinal direction (i.e. north, east, south, or west). Dutch wayfinders, on the other hand, provided far more landmarks and left-right turn-descriptors…

atlanticcities, 06.07.12.

interesting and not surprising. for those into Kevin Lynch’s “Image of the City”.

Peugeot iON

“I’ve been amazed at all the green transit options touted here, including a serious bid to use bicycles to carry freight. Yes, the age of the cargo bike has arrived.”

forbes/mnn, 04.05.12.
via copenhagenize.

by mikael c-a.

Nesjavellir Geothermal Power Station: Iceland’s second largest geothermal power station

smarterplanet:

A proposed high voltage electrical cable running across the floor of the North Atlantic Ocean to tap Iceland’s surplus volcanic geothermal energy would become the world’s longest underwater electrical cable, if it goes ahead. The cable would be a significant step towards a pan-European super grid, which may one day tap renewable sources as far afield as Scandinavia, North Africa and the Middle East. It’s argued that such a grid would be able to widely transmit energy surpluses from active renewable sources, thereby alleviating the need for countries to use (or build) back-up fossil fuel power stations to cater for peaks in demand when more local renewable sources aren’t particularly productive.

If a European super grid comes to fruition, energy surpluses will be big business. So it’s hardly surprising that both Germany and the United Kingdom are jostling for position at the other end of the Icelandic cable, with Norway and the Netherlands also having been mooted as potential connectees. That would necessitate a cable at least 745 miles (1198 km) in length, making it easily the longest electrical cable in the world.

» via ars technica

via infoneer-pulse:

(via emergentfutures)

In 2008, Sweden’s No. 1 burger chain got rid of its kids’-meal boxes and, contrary to expectations, sales of the meals rose. Apparently parents who are facing the prospect of their children scrabbling for survival on this wrecked cinder of a planet don’t like creating needless trash? At least in Sweden, anyway.

Max has even taken the unusual step of trying to nudge customers toward its vegetarian options by showing them that the beef version of its burger leads to five times as much carbon emissions. Sales of non-beef burgers went up 16 percent.

via grist.org: Swedish fast food chain makes bank by becoming ‘Klimatsmart!’, 13.04.12.

more: timemag, 09.04.12.

and there’s a “Minimize Me” campaign—contrary to America’s favourite fast food slogan.

how many more reasons to love Swedes/Sweden/Scandinavia?

Key portions of the Kyoto Protocol are set to expire at the end of 2012. But many of the world’s major greenhouse gas emitters have already set national targets to reduce emissions, and they’re forging their own initiatives to meet those goals.

Some are focusing on curbing deforestation and boosting renewable energy sources. Several nations are experimenting with cap-and-trade plans: Regulators set mandatory limits on industrial emissions, but companies that exceed those “caps” can buy permits to emit from companies that have allowances to spare. In some cases, it’s not clear that countries are doing much to meet their stated climate goals. What is clear is that the pledges currently on the table aren’t legally binding, and they fall far short of what would be required to stabilize the planet’s atmosphere.

Here’s a look at what nations are doing.

npr, 09.12.11.

(Source: climateadaptation)