Summer is the prefect time for picnics, pretty much anywhere! On roof tops, in Central Park, at the beach, open air cinemas or the zoo, a good picnic is special. But how often do you make the effort and unleash your creativity to put together a delicious lunch or dinner in a box or basket? The design team The Three Blind Ants have just made it a little bit easier, a little bit more fun and a little eco-friendlier with the Boxsal. It is basically a fashionable cardboard box with enough room to fit a bottle of wine, snacks, sandwiches and more. Boxsal comes with beautiful utensils, plates, cups and n… Read the full story on TreeHugger

Dear Pablo: I am thinking about replacing my windows to cut back on my home’s energy usage. Will this yield a good return on my investment or is my money better spent elsewhere?

Most windows can be compared to a giant hole in your home’s insulation. While a standard wall might have an R-Value (resistance to heat flow; higher is better) of 13-19+, a single-pane window is no better than 1. A gas-filled double-pane window can reach a R-Value of 3, or closer to 2 once t… Read the full story on TreeHugger

The last great extinction occurred sixty five million years ago. You can visit the exact point on earth where it started, on the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico. The Chicxulub crater, more than 110 miles in diameter, was formed by the enormous impact of a meteor the size of San Francisco hitting the earth. Life on earth changed radically from that moment of impact…. Read the full story on TreeHugger

The five Barcelona-based Residual Gurus have decided to fight trash with comical roaming concerts, and are touring Europe at the moment. These talented musicians know how to transform rubbish into a spiritual performance that turns the street into a stimulating yet unpredictable haven. “Eastern rhythms, electronic sounds, original instruments, laughter, meditation and improvisation combine in an unrepeatable, collective ritual.” The musical group Karam started the show Residual Gurus last year to raise awareness about our trash pro… Read the full story on TreeHugger

A picture is worth a thousand words. How can we grab people’s attention, and get them to eat more local food? Yes, local food — because it is healthier, slashes food’s carbon footprint, and makes you savour the seasons again.

Advertising agencies around the world have launched some truly smart marketing campaigns to educate people on local food and culinary traditions. But don’t take our word for it: See the Australians dress up crocodiles, the Italians… Read the full story on TreeHugger

Last year, Enviu, known for the sustainable dance floor and club, launched the Open Source House project, a platform to share much needed sustainable and affordable housing solutions. The goal of their first competition, in which 3100 architects participated, was to design an affordable, flexible and sustainable house for people living in poor housing conditions in Ghana. Read the full story on TreeHugger

This month Time Square is getting a makeover. Brooklyn-based artist Molly Dilworth won the competition reNEWable Times Square to design temporary surface treatments, launched by the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT). Her project “Cool Water, Hot Island” will refresh and revive the streetscape designs currently at the Times Square pedestrian a… Read the full story on TreeHugger

Air-drying clothing is definitely the cheapest, and especially the most eco-friendly way of drying your clothes; no energy or machinery is needed. However, if you live in a small space, a rainy country or simply are a busy (or forgetful) person, line-drying can be a little impractical, or even, banned by the authorities depending on where you live (see video Drying for Freedom)! Levi’s wants us to come up with a solution and will launch the Read the full story on TreeHugger

Right now, The Earth Awards are accepting submissions but this opportunity for innovative designers to win between $10,000 and $50,000 is ending soon. The deadline is May 10, 2010…. Read the full story on TreeHugger

In 1851, the Great Exhibition in the Crystal Palace started the boom in World’s Fairs as “Great Britain made clear to the world its role as industrial leader.”

Shanghai is pretty much like that, with the nations of the world putting their best foot forward to impress. After all, build a better expo pavilion and people will beat a path to your door. Some even make a pretence of being green, notwithstanding their disposable nature…. Read the full story on TreeHugger