One day there may not be another building lot available. In a world of bloated urban development, an exploding world population and a finite supply of land, the need for more space, or better use of it, is becoming painfully obvious. Time for floating a new idea.

The SeaScraper, designed by William Erwin and Dan Fletcher, is a concept for a self-sufficient floating city, designed to provide a low impact, sustainable living environment that reduces urban sprawl on land by allowing us to create dwellings in the ocean. The floating city will consist of homes, commercial space, and recreational areas and is envisioned as producing all of the energy needed for its operation. (more…)

From recycled and upcycled to everything in between…here’s a quick roundup of this year’s Green Gift Guides from The Alternative Consumer crew … remember, only buy what you really need and love:

(12.21.10) Eco deals of the day: delivery by Xmas

(12.21.10) 5 Holiday Gifts for the Eco Dog

(12.20.10) Our Favorite Things, Really – (25 Tried and Trues) (more…)

• Brown Christmas…Calif. Rain Eases but Storm Contaminates Water – msnbc
• Shrewd marketing move by ethanol industry…NASCAR Give Ethanol Green Flag: Who Will Follow – npr
• My satellite-positioned automated tractor is the bomb…Smart Farming Takes Off in the West – scidev.net
• Bull crap. This is all about oil and emissions…Polar Bears Not Endangered, US Confirms – bbc
• Cleaner fuel from inedible animal fat…Fat’s Chance as Renewable Diesel Fuel – natgeo
• Fried food no-no…Eating Less Healthy Fish May Contribute to America’s Stroke Belt – sciencdaily
• The 12 Most Unintentionally Disturbing Christmas Ads – cracked.com