Where design and sustainability cross paths

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We’ve Just Made it a Lot Easier to Suggest Materials

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Here at Ecolect, we are in a constant state of making updates to the site, improving dynamically as we go. This week, we’ve updated the form for submitting materials to our team for review. We invite all visitors to use this form as much and as often as you see fit. It is our goal to extend ourselves, our knowledge and ultimately our support to everyone in the industry (manufacturers, architects and designers included) who are having an impact and working towards making design and development sustainable around the world.

If you are a manufacturer and would like us to review your material, do not hesitate to send samples and information straight away to our east coast office (contact listed below). We are open to all types of design and building materials including, finishes, sheet materials, fabrics, adhesives, foams, and plastics, just to name a few.

60 Valley Street, Unit 7
Providence, RI 02909
USA

Our team looks forward to learning more about all of the great business and individuals out there doing amazing things with sustainability while shaping what it means to be “green.” Thank you all for your support and we welcome any feedback you have for us. Visit ecolect.net/contact and let us know what you think!

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Controversial ELF House Burning in Seattle

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ELF stands for “Earth Liberation Front” The following is a description of the “movement” from earthliberationfront.com “The ELF is an underground movement with no leadership, membership or official spokesperson.”

Also known as “Elves” or “The Elves”, the group is made up of anonymous and autonomous individuals who use “economic sabotage and guerrilla warfare to stop the exploitation and destruction of the natural environment.” These acts of eco vandalism have inspired the terms “ecotage” or “monkeywrenching” to describe the actions that people are taking with ELF and other networks. Originally, ELF was formed in Brighton in the United Kingdom during 1992. By 1994, influence had spread to the rest of Europe and beyond. They are seen as a “sister” to the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) and often cooperate in their actions. ELF was classified as the top domestic terror threat in the United States by the FBI in March 2001 under the category “eco-terrorists” and in 2005 they were featured on an edition of 60 Minutes.

The houses that they burned in Seattle have been touted all over by the media as models of “sustainable” housing. The buildings used alternative energy and many eco-friendly and efficient materials in their construction. The creation of the buildings however was part of a larger development plan that harmed and in some cases destroyed local ecosystems.

For more information about ELF visit earthliberationfront.com

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Benchmarking blackness

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You might ask yourself, why are scientists working to create a material that absorbs up to 99.9 percent of visible light? Pulickel Ajayan, who’s working with the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York will tell you that this new material has the potential to be used in solar energy conservation. It has only been tested on visible light but there’s a chance is can be used for infrared detection, astronomical observation. It could also function to block infrared and ultraviolet light as well as radiation. Click here for more information.