Smog Eating Concrete

A recent article in the New York Times describes efforts by architect Richard Meier to use new technology in a church he is building outside of Rome. The building uses his usual minimalist approach and stark whites and glass (like his Federal Court House in Central Islip, NY, where I once served jury duty). But in the Rome church he is using photocatalytic concrete. This concrete contains a coating of titanium dioxide that, when exposed to sunlight, destroys the smog in the immediate vicinity.

Certainly not a silver bullet, but a interesting element to the push towards green architecture and design.

We All Like Sheep

Especially organic ones! There is a lot of coverage out there about organic food and organic health care products--but what about organic cloth and clothing? Cotton has one of the most chemical intensive plants to grow, partly on the (wrong) assumption that since we are not eating the crop, the chemicals will not affect us.

My two favorite pair of pants both happen to be made from organic cotton: my Patagonia duck pants--which I wear for anything outdoors, from hikes here In New Jersey and New York, to stomping around the wilds of Australia. And a pair of organic, Patagoina Aimless Jeans. I just got these and they are some of the most comfortable jeans I have had.

Not to toot Patagonia's horn too loudly (although I do think that they are a really good company and have tremendous products), but Patagonia has made big efforts to produce their clothing from eco-sensitive materials. From creating fleece from recycled plastics, to organic wool and organic cotton. Not an easy thing in this Wal*Mart world where people associate cheap with good.