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From the monthly archives:

June 2005

World’s Best Cat Litter

June 30, 2005

The self-proclaimed “World’s Best Cat Litter” may be able to live up to its name. Because it is made from whole kernel corn, the litter delivers great odor control. The microporous structure of corn provides a large surface area to trap and absorb ammonia and urine odors.
We like it because it is biodegradable, comes from [...]

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Solar Grill by Tammock Trading

June 30, 2005

This grill from Tammock Trading in Switzerland can barbecue fish, chicken, vegetables and steaks. The Solar-Grill has a flexible mirror, which focuses the sun beams on the self-contained barbecue cup, allowing it to heat up. Your meal is heated evenly from all sides, without direct irradiation by sunlight. The price is 180 Euros, which is [...]

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Elite Hemp Blends

June 29, 2005

Hempest carries a range of shirts made of hemp blended with silk, linen and ramie. You’ll notice the dual powers of breathability and durability in these blends when wearing these shirts in the summer. The shirt pictured here is a very soft hemp/linen blend, and is available for $59.95. They also have women’s shirts.
Hempest Shirts

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Oxynator: Modular Shower Filter

June 28, 2005

NewMarket Naturals makes modular shower filters which can accomodate some of the more efficient showerheads out there. They also make a April Shower filter which is compatible with the Oxygenics showerhead we recently featured. Available from: NewMarket Naturals.

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Aurelle LED Candles by Philips

June 27, 2005

These Aurelle LED Candles were recently introduced by Philips. They are similar to Candela Rechargeable Lamps, but use less toxic NIMH batteries instead of NiCads.
These lamps actually flicker like a real candle (I’m not sure if I’d want that or not). They last six hours on a charge, and come with a recharging base. More [...]

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Bamboo Fiber Table “Linen”

June 27, 2005

More bamboo fiber! This time it’s table linen made in Thailand out of 100% bamboo.
The bamboo fiber has a linen-esq texture. Great for the dinner table because bamboo fiber is naturally antibacterial.
The set consists of 4 placemats, coasters, and napkins. Available from Antiki for $38.

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IPath Hemp Jeans

June 27, 2005

Almost all jeans are made of cotton today, because, at the time the cotton gin was invented, nobody has the technology to process the tough fibers of hemp into a soft fabric. Hemp grew better than cotton in poorer soil conditions, and didn’t require pesticides, but it was discarded in those early days.
Today we have [...]

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Portable, Motion-Detecting LED Lights

June 25, 2005

Portable, motion-detecting LED lights are an efficient way to light rooms at night for a few minutes. This portable light from Maxxima, turns on when you enter a room in the dark (similar to motion-detecting outdoor lights), then turns off after 30 seconds of non-motion.
It runs on four AA batteries (we suggest using NIMH rechargeables), [...]

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Seaweed Clothing and Bedding: SeaCell

June 24, 2005

Want a bit of the ocean in your clothing or in your bed? Seacell is a fabric made out of Lyocell (a 100% wood pulp fiber) and seaweed. The theory is that your skin will absorb nutrients from the seaweed, which is quite mineral- and vitamin-rich. From what I can gather, Seacell incorporates 5% seaweed [...]

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New Adidas Hemp: Dakota Lo

June 24, 2005

Perhaps due to the resurgence of interest in their hemp shoes, Adidas has introduced a new shoe called the “Dakota Lo Hemp”. This cranberry number is a reintroduction of the original Adidas basketball shoe from in the late 70s. It’s reasonably metaefficient in its construction — with hemp uppers and laces. We believe the sole [...]

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Very Compact Ofuros (Japanese Baths)

June 23, 2005

Japanese soaking baths are built small but deep.
These compact “ofuro” will fit in just about anywhere — even the smallest apartment.
Diamond Spa makes the baths pictured here. We’ve no idea on the price, but the concept is good. If anyone knows where to get this style of tub at a reasonable price please let us [...]

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Efficient Diesel Motorcycle Created

June 23, 2005

Star Twin, a company in Holland, has designed and built a motorcycle with a turbocharged, direct injection diesel engine. There’s potential for biodiesel here, and reportedly the bike gets 150MPG. It’s called the “Thunder Star 1200 TDI Sportbike”. KneeSlider tells us that Star Twin started with a three cylinder diesel engine from the VW Lupo, [...]

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PaxFan: An Innovative Spiral Form

June 22, 2005

A fine example of biomimicry, the PaxFan is an innovative, spiral fan created by Jay Harman, an Australian inventor. His domestic exhaust fan is half as noisy and three-quarters more efficient than the average fan. Sierra Magazine reports:
Harman spent a lot of his life watching water flow, both as a diver and as a sailor, [...]

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Bamboo Fiber Duvet & Sheets

June 19, 2005

After trying bamboo fibers shirts, I’m sure sleeping under this bamboo fiber duvet would be great. You can read about the efficiency of bamboo fiber here. Bamboo fiber sheet sets are available from Bed, Bath and Beyond.

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LED Grow Lights

June 15, 2005

A lot of readers expressed interest in using red and blue LEDs for hydroponic growing. These LED lights can be found at Amazon. It is, of course, more efficient to grow plants outside, but when this is not possible, LEDs are an efficient choice.

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Presso: A Non-Electric Espresso Maker

June 12, 2005

The Presso is a manually operated espresso machine — no electricity is required. You make an espresso by adding hot water and ground coffee at the top. When you press down on the levers, the pressure pushes the water through the coffee, and it is deposited in your cup. You can make either a double [...]

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Soapstone: Highly Efficient For Cooking

June 11, 2005

Soapstone is a porous stone that retains heat efficiently and evenly. It’s an excellent material for cookware. Soapstone pans and pots are handmade in Brazil and are able to withstand temperatures twice as high as cast iron and other metal cookware. Soapstone develops a natural non-stick surface and lustrous black patina finish after curing. They [...]

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Effective Microorganisms or EM

June 10, 2005

This may be one of the most efficient things we’ve featured.
“Effective Microorganisms” or EM is a formula of specially selected microbes which can be used for many applications. For example, they are a metaefficient compost additive. If you add a mixture of them to your kitchen compost and it will decompose more quickly and with [...]

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Mobile.Seed: Biodegradeable Mobile Phone

June 10, 2005

Interesting concept. It’s called the Mobile.Seed. The idea is to have a fully biodegradable mobile phone that contains a visible seed inside. When you done with the phone, you put it in the ground, and flowers grow from the seed within. The phone’s brand could be tailored around the seed and plant that grows.

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Vigilus Mountain Resort

June 10, 2005

Vigilus is an efficient mountain resort located in Südtirol, Northern Italy. It is reachable only by cable car. The resort was made with the ideal of an “organic architecture” — architecture integrated with the existing natural elements. All rooms outfitted with a clay partition wall, which stores warmth and moderates the room climate. The Vigilius [...]

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