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PERSONALISED
AFTER LIFE
Further deflecting "aging" stereotypes, Boomers are inventing
novel ways to say goodbye, opting for final resting places that are
groundbreaking, to say the least. Deep sea and deep space are two final
destinations that are increasingly popular. Eternal Reefs mixes cremains
into a concrete "reef ball" which is dropped into the ocean
and seeded for ecosystem development. LifeGem reduces ashes to carbon,
which are then heated and compressed into a diamond for individuals
who want to be a family heirloom. The Eternal Ascent Society sends ashes
up in helium balloons, while Space Services arranges for remains to
go into orbit or into deep space. Beginning in 2010, Space Services
will even arrange for a burial on the moon. (source: Iconoculture).
HOLIDAY HELP
More than just a time to renew body and spirit, for holiday makers at
Ritz-Carlton hotels worldwide a vacation now also be a time to give
back to the local community. The Give Back Getaways program gives guests
the opportunity to volunteer their time to improve and assist the local
community in which they are vacationing. In Cancun, for example, guests
can get hands-on experience protecting mother sea turtles during nesting
and helping them return safely to the sea. Visitors to Berlin, meanwhile,
can roll up their sleeves and help spring clean-up facilities for children
with serious illnesses. Experience, of course, is what it's all about,
as the hotel goes beyond furnishing a purely functional place to stay
to give guests a lasting, potentially transforming experience they'll
remember forever. (source: Springwise).
WEED FUEL
Kudzu is an extremely fast growing plant, usually considered a weed,
that can grow up two two inches a day. A native plant of China, it was
first introduced to the USA in 1876, and planted extensively in southern
states to prevent soil erosion. Fast forward, and Kudzu is now growing
out of control and messing up the local ecosystems. The good news is
that the Kudzu plant is a great raw material to make ethanol. The roots
are the size of sweet potatoes and contain all the right elements to
produce the (currently) corn crop hogging fuel. (source: PSFK).
DANCE CHARGING
Orange is tapping into the energy party-goers expend dancing, and putting
it to work powering up mobile phones. The Orange Dance Charge, developed
with renewable energy firm Gotwind weighs just 180 grams and is about
the same size as a pack of cards. The unit comes encased in a black
elastic neoprene strap that gets attached over the wearer’s bicep
with Velcro, much the way a runner’s arm-mounted MP3 player does.
As users move their arms along with the music, a specially designed
system of weights and magnets creates an electrical current that gets
stored as charge in a reserve battery. That energy can then be used
to recharge a mobile phone. Reportedly, Orange tested the Dance Charge
out at Glastonbury by employing a "Dance Charging Man" who
was on duty to dance (for free) with those in need of some recharging.
(source: Cool Business Ideas).
