Interior city spaces are being remade as well, and in no room is that truer than in the kitchen.   The compost distiller, the work of a British inventor, uses kitchen waste to create nutrient-rich composting materials and an alcoholic byproduct.  A pair of French designers have set about recreating the entire kitchen to reduce waste and energy use with a conceptual system called Ekokook that employs smarter appliances, including a steam oven.  (See image).  And if you’re planning on broiling fish for dinner, consider the Biosphere Home Farm, presented in the book, which functions as your own indoor aquatic farm.  That means no reason to stop by the seafood market.
      The art world’s fascination with environmental design is also represented here quite heavily.  After all, the museums and galleries of any self-respecting green city are increasingly filled with works that make use of organic or recycled materials.  That’s welcome news to any sculptor wary of being subjected to the possible health effects of toxic art supplies (though eco-approved materials like tree trunks and cactuses have been know to cause splinters).   
      As exhibited in My Green City, it’s actually not all doom and gloom this Earth Day.  No matter how destructive and shortsighted human beings are capable of being, here are some signs that we are equally inventive and resourceful.  The book introduces a vision of the 21st Century city that’s actually quite encouraging.  Who says a window box garden can’t change the world?