( Images via : http://5osa.tistory.com )

Salt mounds harvested, after a night of rain. photo by flickr/kuzquiano

The massive salt playa in Bolivia covers about 9,000 km2.

The optimism surrounding the potential of electric vehicles to mitigate resource extraction does overlook a few key factors that extend beyond the obvious economic and cultural hurdles. One interesting factor is resources needed; Yes, resources for electric and hybrid vehicles. Such as the need for massive amounts of lithium carbonate. Lithium is the mineral of choice for batteries, and is found in most laptops and mobile phones. It is central to the next generation of hybrid and electric cars and this success will depend upon 5 times the current estimates of lithium worldwide to support the emerging industry.

Many are turning to Bolivia for clues. With over half of the world’s (untapped) lithium reserves found in Bolivia, in the the Uyuni salt plain, the attention is obvious. Uyuni is the largest salt playa in the world, covering nearly 9,000 square kilometers. The salar playas are believed to have been a closed basin for the last 10000 years. Receiving about 300mm/year of rainfall has created a repeated wet/dry cycle and a thick but smooth evaporite of mostly halite.  Besides its fascinating geomorphological history, the Uyuni is also simply a stunning endless mirror landscape of surficial saline waters.

found via: http://infranetlab.org and http://disc.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov

 » One of the most important aspects of urbanity is the adoption of space through the urbanites. In Berlin sand and gravel are ubiquitous materials of the current construction activities. Sand piles are among the first advertisements of changes to come. It is at the same time a material of strong haptical qualities and seductive to play. Formed through erosion, it continues to erode and to be transported furtheron. In this way sand may be seen as expression of change. It is also the typical ground material of the wider Berlin region, the Mark Brandenburg. What could an urban garden in Berlin be? The project is an attempt at defining this with banal and ordinary material of a sand-pile. From the pure form of a cone it becomes a dynamic element in the city. Change is initiated through the passers-by: they play, touch, vandalize, acknowledge or disagree. A rake is used to continually establish a communicative state of the gravel pile. Over four days a game between the gardener and the passers-by takes place which engages the latter in interaction with their place. The visual pun with the associative imagery of the japanese zen-gardens helps to make the site understood as an urban garden which might trigger an appropiative view on the open space of the city.

( Source : http://www.100land.de. Thanks to Thilo Folkerts. )

( Source : http://www.sla.dk )

( Source : http://www.johannkoenig.de )

Orto Botanico. The world’s first botanical garden was created in Padua in 1545. It still preserves its original layout – a circular central plot, symbolizing the world, surrounded by a ring of water. Other elements were added later, some architectural (ornamental entrances and balustrades) and some practical (pumping installations and greenhouses). It continues to serve its original purpose as a centre for scientific research. UNESCO WHS description.

( Source : http://www.aspland.ch & http://www.hh-h.ch )

Sea bath, Kastrup by White Architektur AB

Photography: Ole Haupt, White arkitekter, Erco Lighting

Apple Tractor, Wisley by rolyatam