Many of our readers have already switched out their incandescent light bulbs in favor of energy-efficient CFLs, and for this we applaud you! However for those out there who have not made the switch, it may be due to concerns over the bright glare that these bulbs emit. Enter the Bright Idea Shade, a beautiful open-source bulb shade composed of interlocking polygonal pieces. It was created at the Eyebeam OpenLab, an art and technology center in New York that encourages creative thinking and open-source designs.

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From green cleaning products to energy-efficient appliances, Green Home 101 has delved into several different aspects of what makes a sustainable, environmentally responsible household. But what about the home itself? Look skyward in any major American city and you’re likely to see a soaring new green high-rise. With scarce land in urban areas, the cost of housing skyrocketing, and increasing demand for better communities, high-density development is experiencing a renaissance in the US. But development is not just growing up, it’s growing green. As consumers look for long-term savings and seek to live in healthier environments, more big developers have grasped onto the fact that the green in the building can lead to green in the bank. Inhabitat’s Green Home 101 takes a closer look at some of the new high-rise projects sustainable residential towers are sprouting up all over the US.

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Tags: green, building, sustainable, architecture, home, 101, us, cities, los, angeles, arterra, visionaire, evo, env, cor, bosch

The world’s first commercial wave farm went live at the end of September in Agucadoura, located off the coast of northern Portugal. Designed by Pelamis Wave Power, the farm employs three Wave Energy Converters - snakelike, semi-submerged devices that generate electricity with hydraulic rams driven by waves. This first phase of the new renewable energy farm is rated at 2.25 MW with 3 machines, and the the second phase will add an additional 25 machines to bring the capacity to 21 MW - enough to power 15,000 homes!

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Ming Tang’s beautiful origami-inspired Folded Bamboo Houses are intended to be used as temporary shelters in the aftermath of an earthquake. Brilliant in their simplicity, the geometric shelters are constructed from renewable materials and can be folded into a variety of structurally sound shapes. Their elegant design was recently honored as a notable mention in this year’s Re:Construct competition sponsored by San Francisco’s Urban Re:Vision

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Last day to help us win the Cooper Hewitt People’s Choice Award

Today is THE LAST DAY to vote for Inhabitat in this year’s Cooper Hewitt People’s Design Awards! The competition is fierce and we’re currently in 4th place and rallying for the win! Founded by the prestigious Cooper Hewitt Design Museum, the competition gives people a chance to vote for their favorite examples of good design. Registering takes just a few seconds and the deadline is 6pm on October 21st so please please pretty please help us and vote for Inhabitat today!

VOTE HERE >

Recently several auto sites revealed a first glimpse of the eagerly anticipated 2010 Prius! Currently scheduled for official unveiling in January at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the revamped model features a similar body shape with a redesigned front, more interior room, and better fuel economy.

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Tags: prius, toyota, 2010, new, photos, alternative, fuel, energy, hybrid, transportation, sustainable, car, vehicle, hybrid

What is stronger than steel and stands to revolutionize our built environment? Paper! Or rather, buckypaper to be more precise. Buckypaper is a material composed of carbon nanotubes that is 10 times lighter and over 500 times stronger than steel. While the miraculous material used to be prohibitively expensive and hard to make, scientists from Florida State University believe that they have made several key developments that will allow them to efficiently manufacture it for a variety of applications including airplanes and vehicles.

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Just in time for the Los Angeles Motor Show, BMW has released the first images of the all new fully electric Mini E! We’ve hinted at it before, and it was just a matter time before it was unveiled, complete with a 204hp fully electric engine, a regenerative braking system, and a range of 150 miles.

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Shelby Supercars has announced that it plans to trump the Tesla Roadster and all other competitors by building the world’s fastest electric car, the Ultimate Aero EV. Sleek, sexy, and surrounded by an incredible amount of hype, the 500 horsepower vehicle is being touted as “the first 100% Green Supercar to achieve speeds never before seen”.

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Just one day left to help us win the Cooper Hewitt People’s Choice Award

With just ONE DAY LEFT in this year’s Cooper Hewitt People’s Design Awards the competition is fierce and we’d love to have your support in voting Inhabitat to the top of the list! Founded by the prestigious Cooper Hewitt Design Museum, the competition gives people a chance to vote for their favorite examples of good design. We were #4 a few days ago and now we are number eight, so competition is fierce. Registering takes just a few seconds and the deadline is 6pm on October 21st so please please pretty please help us and vote for Inhabitat today!

VOTE HERE >