Category Archives: eco

beat the heat

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Beat the heat and quench the thirst natural way. How do you drink water? Bottled? From the refrigerator. When I say I still drink water from terracotta pitcher or ‘matka'(in Hindi), I know you are going to think I am crazy. Or perhaps you would think I live in an era 200 years back. In India too earthen pot, to cool and store water is fast going out of fashion. It is not so with me and a few who swear by the water from terracotta pot. Water becomes cool and more tastier and it actually satisfies my thirst. The terracotta cools the water by up to 14 degrees through a natural evaporation process (More in surahi- another word for earthen pot- different in shape-narrow neck).

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earthen pot I use- with tap

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traditional matka surahi

‘Surahi’ or better still surahi made with black clay cools water faster and becomes much cooler.

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With filter and stylish tap matlo-Doshi-Levien

This is Doshi-Levien terracotta water vessel with diatomite filters, brass tap and enameled tripod stand. ‘Matlo’ or ‘matlu’ is gujarati word for terracotta pot. I wonder why Doshi-Levien is not mass producing their ‘matlo’ in India.

I love my eco terracotta water cooler!

Digg me

wooling around

Can you imagine your planters made of wool? Yes  designers Jaime Salm and Roger Allen at MIO has designed these softbowls made of wool which can be used as containers or planters etc.

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What captures my attention is the revelation that eco has competition from eco. This bowl  takes up only one -tenth of energy needed to make ceramic planters or bowl!

Another interest is that these bowls are manufactured in Philadelphia by one of the last remaining millineries in the US and each container is handmade by local crafts people.

Do visit Mio’s culture lab.