EcoLiving Ideas

By Yuka Yoneda on Mar 17, 2009

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The recent opening of New York's first eco-club, Greenhouse, was a big step in the right direction for those on the green scene who want to banish the stereotype that eco-sensibility is all about wearing hemp and composting all day long. The sleek interiors and rather sexy green innovations such as the bamboo dance floor, composting and recycling programs, reusable glasses serving eco-friendly vodka 360, waterless urinals and recycled glass bar are far from crunchy.

As advanced as it is, even Greenhouse cannot compare to London's Surya when it comes to green factor. The brainchild of club4climate founder Andrew Charalambous---a.k.a. "Dr. Earth--- Surya boasts a dance floor that easily one-ups mere bamboo - it is piezoelectric. This revolutionary flooring uses quartz crystals and ceramics to transform dancing into electricity! I kicked myself for not thinking of that one sooner.

Dr. Earth takes it one step (get it?) further by offering free entry to any clubber who can prove he/she walked or used a bicycle to get to his clubs, although I’m not really sure how - perhaps a heartrate reading? Surya also has its own wind turbine and solar energy system with plans to donate surplus power to local citizens. In addition, the club claims to only use poly-carbon cups and low voltage lighting, recycle all bar waste, and donate part of profits to environmental charities. The non-evil Doctor is also planning to open a club4climate Party Island where eco-clubbers can gather to “save the world lying down and sipping cocktails next to the pool.” It will undoubtedly be expensive to attend a bash there, but I can’t wait until 2010, the slated opening date, to see what eco-innovations the island will reveal.

“Unless we stop preaching to people and use an inclusive philosophy we’re never going to create the revolution to combat climate change,” said Charalambous to Reuters. “It’s also about creating avenues of thought. Imagine what you could achieve if big corporations adopted this kind of initiative.”

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