Honk Honk Driving Less and Enjoying it More


Only 31 percent of American 16-year-olds had a driver’s license in 2008, down from 46 percent in 1983, according to a University of Michigan study published in the journal Traffic Injury Prevention. Eighteen-year-old legal drivers decreased from 80 to 65 percent over the same period, as did adults in their 20s and 30s, although by not as much. A new survey by the car-sharing company Zipcar confirmed that those with licenses are trying to drive less, as well. Altogether, more than half of drivers under the age of 44 are making efforts to reduce the time they spend in traffic. Factors supporting this trend include the high cost of gas and insurance, tighter restrictions on teen drivers in many states and congested roads. In addition, Michael Sivak, a research profes-


sor at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, cites the importance of the Internet. “It is possible that the availability of virtual contact through electronic means reduces the need for actual contact among young people.” He also points out that, “Some young people feel that driving interferes with texting and other electronic communication.” Public transit is filling part of the vacuum. The United States, which has long trailed other countries in mass transit usage, is catching on among younger generations.


Source: Grist.org


Bug Muscle Biomimicry Presents a Solution for Drought


With global temperatures continuing to rise and droughts expected to become more severe, Australian Edward Linacre has designed a beetle-inspired de- vice called Airdrop that is capable of extracting water from even the driest desert air. His invention recently won the prestigious global James Dyson award. “Biomimicry is a powerful weapon in an engineer’s armory,” com- ments Dyson.


Linacre, a graduate of Swinburne


University of Technology, in Melbourne, wanted to solve the drought problem afflict- ing parts of his country. The lack of rain has brought dry, damaged soil, dead crops and mounting debt for farmers.


Rather than using complex, energy-intensive methods such as desalination or tapping into underground water sources, Airdrop’s source of water, the air, can be used anywhere in the world. The device delivers water to the roots of crops in dry areas by pushing air through a network of underground pipes and cooling it to the degree at which moisture condenses; then the water is pumped to the roots. Linacre was inspired by the Namib beetle, which survives in areas that receive just half an inch of rain per year by consuming the dew it collects on the hydrophilic skin of its back.


Find more info at Tinyurl.com/6ts34y5.


coverartist


Mother Earth Jenness Cortez


Renewal and purpose are repeating themes in the contemporary works of Jenness Cortez, symbolically portrayed in luminous layers. Internationally rec- ognized and collected as a master realist painter, Cortez is revered for her remark- ably intimate landscapes. Her vision comprehends all nature as a manifesta- tion of the divine. Inspired by the light, color and form of the great masters, Cortez’s dynamic and rich compositions invite the viewer’s eye to move eagerly through her paint- ings again and again, savoring every nuance. Cortez says she hopes her work inspires the beholder to rediscover, re- value and reintegrate their own creative force into the hurried regimen of modern life. “I want to lead people to something good and eternal,” she says. The Indiana-born artist began her studies under the guidance of noted Dutch painter Antonius Raemaekers. She further developed her fine arts background as a graduate of the Herron School of Art, in Indianapolis, and a student of Arnold Blanche, at the Art Students League of New York.


View the artist’s portfolio at CortezArt. com. Cortez is also co-founder of the nonprofit American Meditation Institute (AmericanMeditation.org).


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