The Live Earth concert over the weekend sure got my environmentally conscious pals and I worked up. Maybe we would have been more supportive if the acts were anyone worth wild but John Mayer's poo-face (the face he makes when he hits those cringe-inducing cliche guitar notes) started a rant about how un-environmental a giant concert is. Apart from the obvious waste and litter large stadium shows make, a friend of mine brought up that an Internet streamed concert from around the world would be just as effective, possibly "revolutionary", and a much smaller carbon footprint than planes for the artists and fans to fly to Tokyo, for example. From an environmental design perspective I was really unimpressed by the tire wall for the U.S. show. The "recycled-chic" look got lost when I started to think about the amount of energy needed to transport old tires and then attach them to a giant wall. And it doesn't look any better than Fat Albert and the Junkyard Gang's clubhouse.

Kelly Clarkson gets down with tires [via liveearth.msn.com].


Repetition with re-used or recycled materials is a signature green look - from seat belt purses to crochet plastic bag bags. The best looking example of this I saw today via sub-studio design blog. The Vintage Belt Floor Mat by Branch is awfully pretty. Made completely out of discarded men's leather belts, it makes quite the statement piece for your floor not to mention all the color variation from years of wear and fade would match most decors. And like signature green products it'll put you in credit card debt faster than you can download the Live Earth concert.


Never lacking at the local thrift stores, I'm confident a rip-off version could be made from old belts and a lot of leather glue. Branch's creation in fact is made just like that - belts glued onto "reconstituted leather backing". A bad suede jacket plus your dad's hand-me-downs could equal similar results, or at least a couple trivet trays. You'll need leather shears and strong glue which can be found at fabric or upholstery stores.

Labels: design, DIY, environmental