Experience Sky Factory’s Biophilic Illusions of Nature at Greenbuild 2012
The Sky Factory will exhibit at Greenbuild 2012, November 14 – 16 at the Moscone Centre in San Francisco, CA.  You can visit booth #4457N to experience eScape™, the new digital cinema virtual window with HD motion and sound; and a Sky Factory EcoSlim LED Luminous SkyCeiling™, the leaner, greener virtual skylight. 

Fairfield, IA November 6, 2012 — The Sky Factory is exhibiting at Greenbuild, November 14-16th, in San Francisco. The company will showcase eScape™, the new virtual window that displays eight hours of real-time, high-definition nature sequences captured with leading-edge RED Digital Cinema™ technology; and the EcoSlim LED Luminous SkyCeiling™, a vividly realistic virtual skylight that creates a sense of openness in otherwise confined spaces. Sky Factory products bring nature’s soothing presence to interior environments — image, motion and sound — a significant, researched, biophilic benefit for mind and body.

Sky Factory eScape™ is a digital cinema virtual window that features a commercial-grade HD LED screen embedded in a full-size casement window; several trim styles and finishes are available in wood and aluminum. Unedited nature scenes include tropical ocean views with dramatic surf, sunrise and sunset, waterfalls, rivers, lakes, wildlife and underwater marine life. Go here to watch a video on escapes.

Sky Factory EcoSlim LED Luminous SkyCeilings™ are virtual skylights displayed in an ultra-thin, toxin-free, energy-efficient system. The dimmable EcoSlim LED edge-lighting system contains virtually none of the toxic elements of fluorescents, is far longer lasting (50,000 – 100,000 hour life), and costs 15% less to operate for comparable illumination. The EcoSlim lighting unit has a compact profile that uses less material to construct; EcoSlim frames are made from 76% recycled aluminum. The EcoSlim power supply was recognized by the Illuminating Engineering Society in the IES Progress Report as “a unique and significant advancement to the art and science of lighting”. The LSC 24PS power system provides the first LED power supply with up to 1,500 watts capacity. It has a 24-V DC output and is capable of being dimmed. Multiple power supplies can be controlled by one dimming device.

Sky Factory reconnects people with the energizing and healing qualities of natural beauty and daylight utilizing unique architectural and biophilic design elements. Biophilia refers to human beings’ instinctive, genetically based need to affiliate with nature. Sky Factory products are versatile, visually engaging tools that modify the experience of the built environment and enliven human beings’ innate attraction to the natural world. These realistic illusions bring the refreshing influence of nature to enclosed spaces where access to real nature is limited or impossible. Applications include residential, hospitality, retail, office, educational and healthcare spaces.

Texas Tech University’s Neuroimaging Institute has partnered with Sky Factory to research the neural effects of Sky Factory’s photographic sky compositions. The first half of their research is complete. Of particular interest to Sky Factory’s founder, Bill Witherspoon, is “the fact that the Sky Factory sky compositions activate areas of the brain not activated by other positive images. Sky Factory artists introduce compositional principles and elements into our sky images that insure the necessary visual cues are present to trigger a profound ‘relaxation response’ — the unique physiological state that corresponds to an expanded awareness and sense of inner peace and stability. We expect that additional research is likely to further link this experience of SkyCeilings™ to the biophilic engagement that is reported by end-users.

The second part of the study will compare health data from patients staying in hospital rooms with and without Sky Factory Luminous SkyCeilings™. This part of the study will conclude in late 2013.

Sky Factory is an AIA Continuing Education System (AIA CES) Registered Provider, offering two free courses for AIA credit: Illusions of Nature in Architecture and Sustainability, Biophilia, and Illusions of Nature. The courses are available both as live webinars and online download. To learn more, visit www.SkyFactory.com/education/

About The Sky Factory
The Sky Factory, LC is a unique fine art and technology company that creates realistic Illusions of Nature™ – virtual skylights and windows – that transform interior spaces. Founded in 2002 and based in Fairfield, IA, the company is factory-direct with International Partners representing 50 countries. Sky Factory was named one of Inc. Magazine’s Top 20 Small Company Workplaces 2010 and was recently featured as the Wall Street Journal’s Workplace of the Day.

I have received a wonderful report from Claire Smyth, on the topic of  travel transportation and technology. I wanted to be sure and share this report with you, because it may be of  interest to you for its great value and information.

English: A technology roadmap of the Internet of Things. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As you know, technology not only helps us get from point  A to point B, but it has also given rise to better methods of monitoring and improving sustainable travel, as well as, great information and cost effectiveness, when planning our travels.

While, the report is a wrap-up of the latest advancements in travel technology, broken down by industry sector, they have also delved into the ways in which we are using technology to become more eco-conscious. It has also been a huge help in  finding helpful ways to make green choices. You can check out this full report, which also covers the most cutting edge travel gear and apps currently available, here:

I’m sure you will agree that technology is playing a huge roll in the future of green traveling.

This increasingly-advanced technology is a fascinating subject and as such, I thought I’d share this all-encompassing report with you, my readers.

If you feel the same,and enjoy this report and article, then please share it with your friends and family that are likely to feel the same as you do. I’m sure you will agree it is some valuable information. There will be a link to this report in my blogroll for future reference. Together we are working toward a better tomorrow!

Photo “Atlanta Showroom” at Interface

According to Interface, Inc.  There Are Five Questions Businesses Must Answer in order to Advance Toward Sustainability. Latest Sustainability Metrics Beg Questions to Narrow Environmental Impacts Gap

Established in 1973, Interface, Inc. (NASDAQ: IFSIA) is the worldwide leader in design, production and sales of environmentally responsible modular carpet, manufactured for the commercial and institutional markets under the Interface(R) brand, and for consumer markets as FLOR(TM).

In a recent PRESS RELEASE in Atlanta, Georgia- by Marketwire, on August2,2012:

Interface, Inc. (NASDAQ: IFSIA), the worldwide leader in design, production and sales of environmentally responsible modular carpet, has linked sustainability progress to inquiry since 1994.  At that time, a customer asked a question about the company’s position on the environment and Interface was not satisfied with its own answer.  Now, with the release of the company’s latest 2011 EcoMetrics(R) and SocioMetrics(TM) report, tracking annual global environmental and social effects, Interface today offers five questions in need of answers for sustainability progress.

“Disciplined measurement is one way Interface accounts for what it takes from the earth, and helps us to ultimately take less from the earth,” said Erin Meezan, vice president of sustainability for Interface, Inc. “And some of the questions that we’re asking as a result are not unique to Interface. Without a doubt, finding answers has universal meaning that can ultimately lead to a better future for the environment and for business.”

Since the initial environmental question was posed more than 18 years ago, Interface continues to move away from a take-make-waste industrial model, toward a sustainable business inspired by nature. The company considers indicators such as its physical waste, energy usage, greenhouse gas emissions and water consumption crucial to understanding its progress toward sustainability and the challenges ahead.

Interface’s journey is guided by research and development in manufacturing processes and product innovation. Sustainability is linked to local, regional and global communities, including the companies, organizations, people, governments, schools, media and others that coexist. Interface also considers the significance of social capital and investment in people, including the company’s employees and local community members, as critical components for advancement.

Interface believes that answers to the following five questions can test any business’ approach to becoming a sustainable organization:

1. How can we increase use of recycled and bio-based materials? Evaluating material alternatives through compatibility and footprint analysis is one of the best ways to help answer this question. Interface is pioneering commercial carpet applications for bio-based yarn that is created from corn and soy. Last year, 44 percent of raw materials used were from recycled or bio-based sources. In the past eight years, the percentage of recycled and bio-based raw material use has grown from four percent to 44 percent.

2. How can we prevent our products from ending up in landfill? Understanding the full lifecycle of products from raw materials to production, distribution, use and end of useful life shows a well-worn path. Consider the best way to take back products from customers and extract further value from them. For instance, Interface’s ReEntry(R) 2.0 process reclaims old carpet and converts it into recycled raw materials. Interface is expanding an infrastructure for end-of-life carpet reclamation to recapture used face fiber to be reconstituted into nylon and convert used vinyl backing into new backing. Last year, ReEntry diverted 25 million pounds of carpet and carpet scraps from landfill. Since 1995, ReEntry has diverted a cumulative total of 253 million pounds from landfill.

3. How can we reduce greenhouse gas emissions and at the same time increase our use of renewable energies? Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere that cannot be absorbed by vegetation are causes of increased global temperatures, acidification in oceans, and dangerous climate change, according to WWF’s 2012 “Living Planet Report.” For Interface, actual greenhouse gas emissions at manufacturing facilities have been reduced by 32 percent from a 1996 baseline. Interface’s energy efficiency and direct purchases of renewable energy have resulted in a cumulative reduction of more than 22,000 metric tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions from baseline. This amount is the equivalent to the carbon sequestered by approximately 565,000 tree seedlings grown for 10 years, according to the U.S. EPA’s “Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator.” Energy from renewable sources accounts for 31 percent of energy used at Interface manufacturing facilities.

4. How can we reduce water consumption? Excessive water consumption by businesses and households threatens freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity globally. Finding ways to conserve water use in manufacturing processes is essential for lessening environmental impacts. Since 1996, Interface water intake per unit of production has decreased by 84 percent. Water intake includes all water used at manufacturing facilities, including administration buildings, customer support sites and warehouses.

5. How can customers make decisions about our products based upon trustworthy environmental facts? Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) are a leading-edge methodology for consumers and businesses, like nutrition labels only much more detailed, to make comparisons when purchasing products. EPDs offer detailed product “ingredients” and environmental impacts that occur throughout the entire life of a product. EPDs are based on life cycle assessment, which details the resource use and environmental impacts of products. EPDs follow standardized product category guidelines that are verified by third parties to provide full disclosure. In 2011, Interface developed EPDs for more than 90 percent of its products, globally.

Individuals, businesses and organizations can learn more about Interface and how the company is tracking its environmental impacts and progress by visiting interfaceglobal.com