Optimal gift wrapping comes from renewable sources and does not contain toxic substances. Virgin forest fiber, bleach and heavy-metal inks need not be a part of gift giving. What are some of the better choices? One of the more optimal ways to wrap gifts is Furoshiki, a traditional Japanese technique of wrapping gifts using cloth. The appeal of this form of wrapping is that the cloth is reused for other purposes, see our previous post for more information on this optimal technique. [Click to continue...]
Hewlett-Packard has announced it will install a 1-megawatt solar array in its San Diego facility. The installation will be made up of 5,000 panels on seven buildings. It’s a large solar array, but smaller than Google’s 1.6-megawatt solar array, which is thought to be the largest corporate installation to date in the United States. [Click to continue...]
This is highly optimal. In Austria, cars can now fill up on a renewable, locally-produced fuel. The fuel is called “biomethane”, and it’s created by fermenting meadow grass (Poa pratensis). The grass is grown without the input of synthetic fertilizers or pesticides. And it’s a true ‘cellulosic biofuel’ — it doesn’t rely on grains and oilseeds.
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by Justin on November 29, 2007
in LEDs
LED Christmas lights are efficient — they use 90% less energy than incandescent bulbs. They are also brighter, less prone to breaking, and cool to the touch.
Less optimal is the fact that almost all Christmas lights are made in China using questionable labor practices, and then transported half way around the world.
LED Christmas Lights
You can find LED Christmas lights at Amazon
. You can also find some snowflake-shaped and color-changing Christmas LEDs from Environmental Bulbs.
A group at MIT has unveiled a scooter that folds in half, and collapses to the size of a suitcase. The low-cost bike could be carried on a bus or stored under your desk at work. A prototype of the new design was recently unveiled at the Milan Auto Show. According to William J. Mitchell of MIT’s Smart Cities Group, “the design is all about providing a clean, green, silent electronic scooter that would provide the same kind of urban mobility as motor scooters.” [Click to continue...]
Scheduled for release in early 2008, the iZip Express is an electric bike that will operate without a throttle. Instead, the bike has a special torque sensor that applies power as the rider requires it. Basically, the harder you pedal, the more the motor assists you. Test drivers have said that this automatic drive system is one of the most intuitive they’ve tried. The bike is said to have a 70+ mile range. [Click to continue...]
Personally, I find combination of clean energy and art to be compelling. Michael Jantzen’s designs certainly embody both ideas. Pictured above is his “Wind Shade Roof” concept – it’s a swimming pool complex with wind turbines integrated into the roof. The turbines provide power for night lighting, pool heating and pumps.
I’m sure the design is not entirely optimal, but also I’m would be amazing to stand inside this structure. See more photos on his web site. He has a number of similar clean energy projects in his portfolio.
Here’s another solar innovation that could reduce cost of solar energy by as much as 50%. A company in Japan has developed a novel way of making solar cells with arrays of thousands of tiny silicon spheres surrounded by hexagonal reflectors. The key advantage of the system is that it reduces the total amount of silicon required, says Mikio Murozono, president of Clean Venture 21, based in Kyoto, Japan. “We use one-fifth of the raw silicon material compared with traditional PV cells,” he says. [Click to continue...]
eSolar is one of the early-stage companies Google is working with.
Google has announced a plan to develop sources of renewable energy that will be cheaper than coal. The new initiative, RE<C, (renewable energy is cheaper than coal) will begin by focusing on solar power technology, and will also encompass geothermal energy production.
According to the Google.Org blog, of the early-stage companies they’ve begun to work with to drive down the costs of renewable energy are eSolar Inc. and Makani Power. [Click to continue...]
by admin on November 26, 2007
in Bicycles
Brammo Motorsports, a company based in Oregon, will be debut their Enertia Bike at the EVS-23 Show in Anaheim California (it’s an electric vehicle show). The Enertia Bike was designed from the ground up to be a fully electric bike. It has a top speed of 50 mph, range of 45 miles, and can fully recharge via a standard plug in 3 hours. It weighs just 275 pounds, and uses a direct-chain drive for power. Over the fold is a video of the bike in action: [Click to continue...]
by admin on November 26, 2007
in Bicycles
The Go-One Velomobile
A velomobile is a “bicycle car”, or more officially, a “human-powered vehicle, enclosed for protection from weather and collisions”. They are virtually unknown in the U.S., but a quite popular in some parts of Europe. Velomobiles are highly efficient commuting vehicles, especially when they are equipped with an electric assist motor. Velomobiles tend to attract a lot of attention — many riders devote at least 10 minutes of their day to answering questions from curious on-lookers. Some owners even finance their vehicles by putting advertisement on the sides of their bike. [Click to continue...]
Cocona is a natural fabric enhancer that is made with activated carbon. The activated carbon is derived from coconut husks — it is a “waste” product of the water filter industry. But what does Cocona do exactly? It is said to help traditional fabrics resist moisture, control odor and shield ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Activated carbon has a huge absorbing area — one gram of it has a surface area the size of two tennis court. Some 40 outdoor clothing manufacturers, including GoLite, Marmot, Sierra Designs and Royal Robbins, are incorporating Cocona into their 2007 product lines. [Click to continue...]
Toys that are well-designed and made with renewable materials are optimal. European toys often fit this description. This durable block set, for example, is made in Germany by Haba using solid, natural, untreated beech wood that is harvested from sustainable forests. Toys like this are known for their longevity — they can be enjoyed by multiple generations of children. [Click to continue...]
The Barcode nightclub was built in a disused brick Victorian railway arch in Vauxhall, south London. The entire nightclub is illuminated using only LED lights, and the sound system is also energy efficient. The architect, Woods Bagot claims that the system consumes “less electricity than the power used to boil a kettle”. If they could just give a watt hour figure I’d be happier! Still, this is a interesting example of all-LED lighting in a building, which I’m sure we’ll see more in the coming years. Because the LEDs give off very little heat, much less AC is required to cool the building in summer. See more pictures over the fold.
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by Justin on November 3, 2007
in Clothing
Patagonia is really a leader in effective, green manufacturing. Now the company is making its manufacturing processes as transparent as possible. Patagonia has created a web site called the Footprint Chronicles, where you can track the eco “footprint” of several pieces of Patagonian clothing. Also listed in the amount of waste and CO2 generated as the garments are produced — quite elucidating.
