The first cardboard bike has been created by Phil Bridge, a design student from the UK. The design is almost finalized as the last few kinks are being worked out. The frame is completely made of cardboard so it’s all recycled and VERY green. The wheels are standard bike wheels made of rubber and metal but you won’t find any other materials besides carboard. It can hold a person up to 168 pounds and only costs $6 to make!! Retail value is around $25. This is awesome.

On Saturday, July 12th, Bon Jovi is going to burn, burn, burn in New York City, for free. It’s supposed to serve as a prelude to the MLB All Star game on July 15th; the final All Star game at Yankee Stadium ever. That pretty much sums it up. I don’t know who would still be into going to watch Bon Jovi, but I guess if it’s free and in a setting as beautiful as Olmsted’s Central Park, you can’t really go wrong. All you New Yorkers: Enjoy Bon Jovi for free; we’ll just keep huffing wildfire smoke and drinking heavily at all times to stifle this hellish void.

From Chico, CA all the way to the Bay, the blue skies have turned gray. No matter what part of California, everyone is lost in the abyss of smoky clouds.I can not even walk out my front door without the smell of smoke lingering into my lungs. Even the governator was in Butte County this week, visiting the local Starbucks, for his grande non-fat, light caramel, caramel macchiato. What he did up here is unsure, but he was here none the less. (My boss took a picture with him and BOY is he short!) Instead of blogging about the usual celeb gossip or random shit us Synthesizers bring to you readers, I decided to post some pictures from KTVU.com, showing the view of the smoke from space. This is just proof that these fires are a lot bigger than mankind can handle.

Hope everyone is staying safe and indoors, which gives you more reason to hit up the Synthesis.net. WHY!?! Cuz we are hot like fire too!

[The following, written by Synthesis weekly columnist Julia Murphy, appeared in the Synthesis Weekly on Monday, June 16th, 2008. Julia can be reached at ninjatreehugger@gmail.com]


“Foregone Production” and Human Resources

“By being left in the ground, the resource would provide no value to society.”
I am reading an ICF International (consulting firm) document that was prepared for the Colorado Oil and Gas Association. This phrase is used to illustrate the tragedy of “foregone production”, that is, when you leave something—natural gas, in this case–in the ground and don’t attempt to extract and sell it.
El Jefe sent me a short article from the website Americans for American Energy— “California Consumers to Take $4.5 Billion Hit From Proposed Colorado Energy Regs.” The ICF International study is the material that the article hinges on; Colorado Governor Bill Ritter updated the draft regulations for oil and gas mining in Colorado, after concerns voiced by hunters, homeowners, local governments, and of course those environmental groups. The usual whining: “Oh! You’re spoiling the air! You’re taking all the water! You’re harming public health!”

more after the jump. (more…)

June 19th is a holiday which means.. another excuse to party! June 19th, or Juneteenth, is an annual holiday celebrated in the United States. It is also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day because it celebrates and observes the abolition of slavery. The holiday originally began in Texas, where many freed slaves would join their funds together to purchase large amounts of land for big Juneteenth parties. They often include music, BBQ’s, parades and some crazy fun. So go out and celebrate, Juneteenth style.

John and Yoko would approve of this nakey time. On July the 4th, nudity/peace activist Jen Moss will be pushing the limits of Ashland, Oregon’s decency laws. As it stands, the law states that you have to have your genitalia covered while in a city park or downtown commercial district. She’s often seen riding around topless on her bike (no fossil fuels baby), but on Independence Day she (and some more hairy, gnarly hippie types) will be joining the Annual 4th of July parade in nothing but a hemp G-string. Or at least attempting to.

Ashland rules, amIright?

Alright, yes, you’ve seen better looking women naked, but it’s the thought that counts, amIright?

From OG Paper (original gangsta?):

According to a post she made online, the Naked Lady plans “wearing only a hemp G-string and blowing a conch shell” during the parade. “We don’t feel that someone in the parade who is topless or nearly naked is appropriate for a family audience. She’s welcome on any other day of the year to do that. But not on the Fourth of July while in the parade,” parade chairman James Kidd was quoted.

Find out more (and watch more nakedness) at EarthFriendJen.com!