Paying to Pollute
According to the New York Times, you can atone for the environmental sin of spewing heat–trapping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere when driving. New York drivers are turning to groups on the Internet that offer pain-free ways by paying for the pollution.

There, you can buy a carbon offset in one of these Web sites. The money collected is used to help fund the production of clean electricity. Just go to one of several carbon-offset Web sites, for example www.terrapass.com, calculate the amount of carbon dioxide produced when you drive, and then buy an offset that pays for an equivalent amount of clean energy.

Compared to the old-fashioned ways of being green---driving less, turning off air-conditioners and etc---paying for the pollution decreases the sacrifice. Though it is not clear whether the system works, at least these environmentalists are spreading the ideal of “being green” in a new way.

Jin Yanni

[Ed: Unfortunately, you need to subscribe to New York Times to access the article. The good news is that subscription is free.]

Yum-yum! Delicious Architecture.
Remember the magic house made of cookies in “HANSEL AND GRETEL”? Well, we invite you to that fantastic world now.

South Koreans are enjoying this summer with “yummy” architectures in the “Yum-yum! Delicious Architecture” exhibition which is held from 22nd July to 20th August in Sejong Art Museum. 60,000 boxes of crackers are now reborn as the famous Chung-gie River with traditional Korean houses and the royal palace. 13 architectural students and lecturers of Kewon University contributed to the surprising work.

The exhibition also runs a workshop in which children can make cookie houses themselves. [The original text is in Korean but you can get a Google translation here.]

Jin Yanni

The aesthetics of recycling?
Is a new aesthetic awaiting us as we venture into the world of environmentalism? The artwork of Christine Tarkowski seems to suggest so. US born Ms Tarkowski admits to being influenced by Russian Constructivism. Quote:

"With the Constructivists, you had fine art artists getting involved in industrial design, integrating politics, decoration, and utility. It's like wearing your politics, your art, on your teacup. Decorative propaganda arts within industrial goods."

Pity it is all screenprint wallpaper. On the other hand, why not? It is probably cheaper and less environmentally destructive (the actual materials can probably be recycled for more useful purposes). The days of using recycled materials for anything handy are numbered, as they should be. In any case, truthful expression of materials is so yesterday.

ongboonlay