EvYouWa2KnAboDes, BWeAfr2Ask

More news about Electrolux's design lab. Next week the 8 finalist of the competition will meet in Paris and the winner will be announced. You can see their projects at designlab TV. In my opinion, not all the projects are actually for the year 2020... some are more 2010 or 2007... but they all are clever ideas. I liked the honeycomb-panel refrigerator and the air freshener... the solar cooking pot would be a nice alternative to electric stoves. I really would have to try out the fog shower, because it may get you clean, but there's also the question about how one feels clean... I totally hate air hand dryers because it's not the same feeling as having a surface (towel or paper) touching and drying the skin, and I have my doubts on how green they really are, because air dryers consume a lot, a lot of electricity! they have to go from zero to warm in seconds and then it takes a while until one is actually dry... sometimes you see people using the air dryer and then rubbing their hands on their clothes because it takes too long to dry. Anyway, if the fog shower actually works... then it would be a great saving on water waste! Congrats to all finalists! But that's not all:

Next week in Paris a panel of internationally renowned experts from the environmental, design, and technology communities, are speaking at the International Forum on Design and the Environment presented by Electrolux Design Lab 2007.

Design Lab is an annual global design competition open to undergraduate and graduate industrial design students. This year they are invited to present their innovative ideas for eco-friendly and sustainable household appliances and solutions for 2020.

All four experts have a different background and will explain what they believe is key to tackle climate change:

• Matali Crasset, award-winning industrial designer: Environmental design: looking at the bigger picture
• Céline Cousteau, international environmental activist: Lessons from tribes in the Brazilian Amazon
• Jason Bradbury, Gadget and Consumer Technology presenter: Green Gadgets: making eco sellable
• Henrik Otto, Head of Global Design Electrolux: Thinking outside the box: how to work with sustainable design

The Forum will air on Design Lab TV. You are invited to send in questions in advance to the panel via the designlab blog.

That's a great opportunity to learn everything you always wanted to know about sustainability but were afraid to ask... now it's the time to ask, and get some answers from the experts. I am certainly looking forward to that podcast.

ciao