bright environmental future, bright idea, bright decoration
922959
These are gorgeous and do not go out, but I wish the price were better...adds up quickly if you want several.
2402390
The Cardinal lantern is attractive and unique.  The colors are brilliant, and the cardinal does stand out. The sides holding the glass together are a bronze tone. It is not a small lantern, but it is not oversized either. Like most solar lanterns, I would not hang it where bright lights are in vicinity, such as street lights in front of your house. That would be something to be aware of for hanging location. I like it not only for summer, but for winter.
201154
The recipient of the year 2000 Blue Planet Prize (aka the Ecology Nobel), Dr. Karl-Henrik Robert has offered the world a delightful peak at his decade-long adventure in making visible the possibility of a just and sustainable future for all. Beyond skillfully describing the beginnings of the idea of The Natural Step and its framework's scientific basis, he also shares some remarkable stories that express his deep social consciousness and longing for a world that works for everyone.
He lets the reader know, among other things, that
  --his heroes are Greenpeace activisits
  --participants at the World Economic Forum at Davos (to which he was invited) for the most part seemed unaware of the plight of the world's poor
  --the apathy and helplessness that most people feel with regard to our global dilemma may be one of the most serious problems we face in resolving the dilemma
  --the economic paradigm must change
  --new business leaders may be key to shifting current mass media reluctance to cover issues of social and ecological sustainability
  --and so much more!
The materials in the Appendixes are worth the price of the book itself. Invaluable in understanding the core values of The Natural Step, applying its framework, and learning how the agricultural sector (one of many, by the way, who have explored this approach to strategic planning) in Sweden arrived at consensus on developing a sustainable future, the back matter will fascinate as much as the growing pains and other stories in the main portion of this singular, thought-provoking publication.
Essential reading for anyone concerned about our common future.
427370
Dr. David Suzuki and co-author Holly Dressel have put together a series of examples of good environmental stewardship going on all over the world for a refreshing break from the usual enviro bad news we are constantly being pelted with.

From individuals with small projects on up to larger multi-national efforts, there are a host of positive accomplishments covered and this is not just "Good News"- it's excellent, uplifting and inspiring great news- the kind of good news that everyone concerned with the health of the world needs for inspiration on continued action for the environment.

The authors conclude with the idea that teaching children from early age about the workings of nature by immersing them in it, will enhance and spread a new sense of awe, respect and good environmental stewardship of the Earth. Many examples of  current enviro-education are cited. This attitude parallels the thoughts of Dr. David W. Orr in his books "Ecological Literacy", "Earth in Mind", et al. Teach your children well!

There are several resources for environmental action cited at the end of this fine book.

David Suzuki is the Chair of the David Suzuki Foundation (google it). This website is full of resources for environmental education, action and involvement.
4083307
You really never know what a product is going to be like until you get it.

I was pleasantly surprised by two things.

First: This isn't just garden decoration quality. This is truly commercial grade. It's going to last a long time and it's going to be safe.

Second: The light bulbs look great and emit a pleasant kind of light. I like the bulbs so much that ordered an extra pack of 20 for other applications.
3731300
Right now I have these lights on one of my most favorite bushes in my front yard. I am going to relocate them soon to a nook in another area. They do look great and work quite well. I am most pleased with them. I have received several compliments on them and my family is enjoying them. They brighten our world. I did receive these solar powered lights at no cost for my review.
31406
EarthEasy has produced a new solar lam that is so adaptable to different circumstance because of the way it is made that it seems this may just be the beginning of environmentally intelligent alternative to electricity use. The product is small but very powerful. The solar panel side is handsome - a flat panel instead of the usual globular form - and on a bright day it is fully charged in under three hours. After that, common use in the house is not dependent on placement of the light by a window (although on my desk the window is very close and therefore the source of energy is ever present!).

The LED light has both high and low settings depending on your needs - for using for specific tasks where extra light is needed it can be placed on a bottle or on its own stand, or if you simply need a light in a corner it is attractive enough to use as a table lamp, or one use that is not mentioned is using it as a night light to read by at bedtime. Once charged it apparently holds that charge for a long time - mine is too new to determine that feature.

In all this is a step in the right direction. The next time that electricity bill arrives, remember this lamp - and possibly get several for use throughout the house. It DOES make a difference. Grady Harp, November 14
2715148
I bought these bulbs not quite knowing if they would be better than the average bulbs out there, and I was pleasantly surprised when I actually got them. The bulbs are attractive and appear to be well built. They are very bright but not overpowering on the eyes. One bulb easily lights up an average sized room. Since we are committed to recycling in our family, in time I plan to replace all of the bulbs in our home with these SELS LED bulbs since they're also 100% recyclable.
1581924
Phenomenal! Beautifully illustrated. Get the hardcover edition! These wonderfully researched and imagined future cities and the questions they raise are an antidote to despair, "Hope and desire, mixed with a rich social imagination, can work together as potent antidotes to the complacency of accepting the status quo." See also, the gorgeous accompanying website Ecotopia2121.com.

In this book, Dr. Alan Marshall looks at 100 cities and their most pressing problems. From this, he extrapolates their future and imagines a positive outcome for their citizens through an ecotopian lens (positive futures reached through sustainability and renewable energy).

There are some wonderful and possible ideas here for improving urban life the implementation of which typically depend upon the political will and involvement of an outspoken populace.

Some of the imagined cities verge on dystopias (cities with serious disadvantages or perhaps undesirable aspects), but Marshall always aims to solve a problem and lean towards a positive implementation and outcome of an idea.

What the book does wonderfully: It avoids a single solution or polemic approach. Instead, it engages in problems with creativity and explores various possibilities.

It's a fun and inspiring read and gorgeous to browse through.

This would make a fantastic classroom text, perhaps along with Ernest Callenbach's Ecotopia, for a variety of studies and students  urban planning, geography, sustainability studies, creative writing students etc.

Some favorite ideas:
--"All of the buildings are veneered with a skin laden with algae that not only capture solar energy but also feed on carbon dioxide and fix it into the building walls..."  Vienna 2121
--"hotels transformed into public schools"  Varna 2121
--Participatory budgeting, eco-drones  Toronto 2121
--"every individual in business...attends annual environmental education classes before being granted a license to work" and "good food is more important than excessive mobility"  Sydney 2121
--Piezoelectric tubeways  Shanghai 2121
--"It was not technology that changed the world but enthusiastic storytelling!"  New York 2121
--"Precautionary Principle: if there is any risk to human or environmental health from a new machine system...then err on the side of caution..." Plymouth 2121
--Robust democracy
3135406
Architects, urban and city planners have an abiding faith in planning and design to create a better world...the physical forms we create will invoke a better life. The environments we design are intended to support life processes, but if we froze time and active life stopped, these physical forms would quickly loose their relevance...regardless of how beautiful and well planned the physical forms are. We realize that a "better world" really means that life is experienced as more purposeful and meaningful.

How can we plan and design our environments so that they have better outcomes in sustaining the evolution of living systems?

Jane Jacobs in her seminal book "The Death and Life of Great American Cities" (published in 1961) was one of the great pioneers in discovering and bringing to light the living processes of cities - the patterns that underlie our experiences of excitement, fun, appreciation, sense of community, belonging, fear, crime, and boredom in cities.

Pamela Mang and Ben Haggard have significantly extended this understanding with their book about regenerative development and design, an approach which has been under development for at least 30 years.  This important book will empower you to approach our relationships to each other and the world, in ways that unleash new potentials for our evolution to be in a long term, vital relationship with the world. It is a holistic approach that seeks ways of adding value in all aspects of our existence, rather than, as all too often happens, increasing value in some aspects (i.e.. money) at the expense of others (i.e.. people, planet).

Their approach becomes very practical and real, as this work is done with stakeholders of and in their places. The "hidden" origin stories of people and place are revealed in ways that allow you to image new potentials for both. When planning and design is built on these deep patterns and potentials of people and place, then we, as professional designers and planners, can leverage our skills far, far more effectively than ever before...to indeed create environments for a better world.
1071503
Charming and brightly colored, these lights are a fun outdoor accent for places where you don't want or can't plug into electricity.  They have several different options for twinkle or flash and an on/off button for those times you wNt to go dark.  I've had mine up for a month now, they are going strong and have held up well through some unseasonable heavy rain as well as high desert sun and heat.  I plan to leave these up year round to accent my second story deck. My winters are usually sunny but very, very cold, I'll update this review after we see if they can last through that.  I'm excited to see how they do.  If they last I plan to get several more strings by the same manufacturer for all my decks and several garden sculptures.

UPDATE: I took these lights and strung them on the upper deck of my house as soon as they arrived. I played with the controller until I got the setting I wanted and then I left them alone. Now  two years later that are still going strong.  I live in the high desert. They've survived high heat and frigid, below zero winters. I couldn't be happier with these lights. I'm upgrading to five stars.
4592406
Rarely do you find such a wonderful combination of environmental challenges and reasonable well thought out solutions to those problems.  While exploring the problems facing residents of the Pacific Northwest (from Northern California to British Columbia) the authors choose not to dwell on the problems but to walk through obtainable solutions to those problems that really leave the reader thinking that they really can make a big difference.
By applying simple straight forward action to the existing economic and cultural climate in the area, big changes could be made towards creating a sustainable Northwest. Anyone looking for an uplifting boost to their environmentalist morale should check out this book.
I feel that this book would be useful to people all over the planet as most of the ideas presented here are applicable to any area of the world. The examples are set in the context of the Pacific Northwest, but it would be easy to extrapolate those examples to your part of the world.
2571974
These are great. They are bright and colorful. We pinned them to an outdoor awning and they look great. I have mixed feelings about the battery pack - I'm afraid they'll get caught in the rain and ruin but we're trying to bring them in if the weather looks iffy. Aside from that, no complaints.
2877670
Okay, so this isn't pretty--but it's important! Too many brand new resources costing us millions of trees and barrels of oil (that's where plastic comes from) are put into office and school supplies. Let's lighten the load--this is a great idea! Nice and clean, a great surface for decorating if you're an artist, too! My only complaint is that the cardboard stock used is a little thin, but this can be worked around. Thank you for creating this!
2611593
Words have power and this kit is a clever way to boost self esteem while crafting. Much like vision boards, it is fun to plan it. There are clear instructions. It is a fun activity for parents to do with kids. The end result is colorful and uplifting. The poster itself is rather small and the process is time consuming, especially considering drying time. A good project that inspires both creativity and communication.
2955959
These lights are useful, fun, economical, innovative, environmentally advantageous, and  extremely compact. Im going to buy more as gifts.
2638683
This product arrived very well packed. The branches are all compressed together when removed from the box so some artful shaping is required.  The stems seem to be made of malleable wire wrapped in brown florist tape.  The flowers are cut from some material (silk?) and mounted around each of the tiny "grain of wheat" lamps. The power supply is a relatively large and heavy wall-wart that will tend to slip out of the outlet.  My outlets are old and I had to use a short stub of an extension cord so the power supply could lie on the floor rather than hang from the wall.

When illuminated, the tree is really lovely.  The light is fairly dim and it makes a perfect accent piece in a darkish room.  My sole concern at this point is how long the bulbs will last.  As the package insert notes, they are not replaceable.

If you have a corner that needs an Asian accent, this could be it.