The new Yellow Tree House Restaurant by New Zealand based Pacific Environments Architects Ltd. (PEL) is a stunning architectural feat perched high above a redwood first. Appearing for all the world like an enormous chrysalis grafted onto a 40-meter-high redwood tree, the project is constructed of plantation poplar slats, redwood balustrading milled at the site, and makes extensive use of natural lighting throughout.

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Note to skaters – according to the Science Channel, skateboards have replaced furniture as the leading contributor to maple deforestation. The Canadian maple takes 40 to 60 years to mature before it can be cut down to make your decks. The good news? BambooSK8 is a true-green company that makes first rate skateboards that are durable, sustainable, and even stronger than maple.

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What if a single inexpensive upgrade could significantly cut your car’s emissions while simultaneously increasing its fuel efficiency? That’s the enticing concept behind the Blade, a chromed-out exhaust filtration module that wouldn’t look out of place on the most pimped of rides. From filtering particulate matter to increasing catalytic converter efficiency, the Blade it makes some pretty incredible claims, but is it truly a shining silver bullet aimed at the black heart of our carbon churning car culture - or just another piece of green-washed bling out to pilfer your pockets?

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Mazda’s aggressively styled KAAN concept vehicle represents an innovative foray into the future of racing. A finalist in this year’s Design Los Angeles Automobile Design Challenge, the all-electric car envisions a transit system where vehicles are propelled by roadways imbued with “a sub-level electro conductive polymer” powered by solar panel farms in the Mojave desert. The emission-free vehicle sports a sleek aerodynamic profile and is powered by electric motors encased within wheels infused with electric pickups.

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We have heard of cars and planes using biofuels, but we must admit that we never thought we’d hear of a bio-diesel powered flying car! Designed by Gilo Cardozo, the Skycar is a vehicle that has been attached to a paramotor that can actually fly! To prove its capabilities the vehicle will be chartering a voyage from London all the way to the Sahara!

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Frequent passerby in the neighborhood of Santa Margarita, Spain may find themselves a bit lost when they can’t seem to find the white wall they just passed by. Appearing at first as a simple sheet of folded paper, this beautiful white-walled building features a facade of panels that open in brilliant pops of color. Designed by Romera y Ruiz Arquitectos, “Ocho casas inscritas y tres patios” is a sustainably constructed social housing complex with a facade that changes according to the wishes of its inhabitants!

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Recently New York’s visionary Hearst tower was honored as the winner of the prestigious 2008 International Highrise Award. Constructed by Inhabitat favorites Norman Foster and Partners, the LEED gold-certified structure showcases a stunning array of sustainable strategies that have led to it being hailed as the greenest skyscraper in the New York skyline. We got the scoop on the Hearst tower’s sustainable features at last weekend’s Net Impact conference, where Hearst Director of Corporate Real Estate and Facilities Planning Brian Schwagerl gave an in-depth look at the iconic tower’s innovative solutions.

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What with gas prices being as high as they were this summer, we didn’t go on as many road trips as we would have liked to. If we had a camper like the Verdier Solar Powered Camper, we definitely would have embarked upon more road trips to beautiful National Parks and done it in eco-style. Verdier’s eco-RV is based upon a classic VW Westfalia that has been upgraded with many green elements, like a hybrid engine, solar panels and a lot of high-tech systems that makes this bus a hippy’s Pimp My Ride dream come true.

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As fears of global warming induced population displacement are steadily realized, the allure of waterborne aquatecture becomes more and more enticing. Designed by Alexander Asadov, this incredible floating Aerohotel features a lighter-than-air aesthetic that sits serenely atop an elegant system of supports. Conceived as an elevated aquatic structure replete with hanging gardens, the space-age floating island preserves the entire extent of the ecosystem beneath it, contrasting with man-made islands that disrupt their immediate environment with tons of gravel fill.

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With a distinct urban and rock ‘n roll feel, Brooklyn-based Wrecords by Monkey creates unique handmade accessories using reclaimed vinyl records. The company, made up of friends Patrick Chirico and Brian Farrell, was started in 2004 when the two started to make jewelry in their dorm hallway at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Their first and signature product, the Wrecord bracelet, ranges in styles from quirky to sophisticated– some even glow in the dark! Today, the duo’s work has come to include bracelets, necklaces, earrings, rings and t-shirts– all eco-chic items for the music lover.

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