Archive: Jun 2012

Burrito robot problematizes fast food and nutrition, makes you a disgusting burrito

For his thesis project, Marko Manriquez, “a maker, interactive designer and foodie of all things delicious,” has created a robot that prints “a 3D edible extrusion combining a blend of digital fabrication and gastronomy.” That is the least appetizing possible way of saying “it makes a burrito.” Ladies and gents, we present, the Burritob0t: Why […]

Help name these weird species

Giving children names is exciting and all, but it is important to consider how they will feel when their name is shouted on the playground. But not so with species! You can name those suckers whatever you want and they will be none the wiser. The Guardian is holding a contest that lets readers indulge […]

Twitter, storms, and Twitterstorms

Twitter is the tool of choice for influencing the Earth Summit in Rio and stopping traffic deaths in Arizona.

Climate change is simple: We do something or we’re screwed [my TEDx video]

In April, David Roberts gave a TEDx talk entitled "Climate change is simple." Here, he expands on the points he made during that brief presentation.

Ask Umbra: How can I get my neighbors to stop spraying pesticides?

A reader's garden has been poisoned by her spray-happy neighbors. Umbra offers ways to help them catch the drift.

Twitterstorm rising: On Rio eve, sharing a call to end fossil fuel subsidies

Can 350.org outdo Justin Bieber in setting records on Twitter? And can that possibly make a difference to the planet?

Electric cars: A shopper’s cheat sheet

There are plenty of EV models to choose from these days, which makes for a complicated decision. Here's a table with basic stats on the major electric and plug-in hybrid cars.

Hot dam: Hydropower continues to grow

World hydroelectric power generation has been rising steadily for 40 years. But there's still enormous potential in unconventional hydropower like tidal and wave projects.

Phasing Out Fossil Fuel Subsidies Must Be One of the Major Outcomes of Rio+20

What if I told you that governments around the world were spending almost $1 trillion dollars a year to subsidize activities that are driving global warming?  What if I told you that the leaders of the major countries had committed to phase-out these fossil fuel subsidies in 2009 but they hadn’t really done much to […]