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From the monthly archives:

December 2007

North America’s Largest Solar-Electric Plant Switched On

December 28, 2007

North America’s largest solar photovoltaic system is now running and generating power — about 30 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. The 14 megawatt power plant is at the Nellis Air Force Base in the sunny desert of southern Nevada. It’s expected to save about $1 million in power costs annually, and reduce carbon dioxide emissions [...]

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Aptera Test Drive A Success!

December 24, 2007

It’s the Aptera — a futuristic car that has generated a lot of buzz lately — and with good reason — the Aperta is a very, very efficient vehicle (just check out the video: you’ll see what I’m talking about). The car’s head-turning design has a purpose: the shape is highly aerodynamic (much like a [...]

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Solar Trees May Light Up Europe

December 23, 2007

This is a great innovation — the streets of Europe could soon be lit by "solar trees". These self-contained streetlights could save cities energy and money too. Unlike regular streetlights, they do not require costly underground wiring to install, and they are immune to blackouts. Designed by Ross Lovegrove, the lights have 10 solar panels [...]

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U.S. To Phase Out Incandescent Light Bulbs

December 21, 2007

Photo credit: USA today
After being passed by Congress, Bush just signed into law a massive energy bill that will, among other things, spell the end of traditional light bulb. USA Today reports that the bill will phase out the venerable (but power-hungry) incandescent bulb over the next dozen years in favor more efficient fluorescent, halogen, [...]

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The World’s First Biodegradable Umbrella

December 20, 2007

The Brelli is said to be world’s first biodegradable umbrella. Inspired by asian parasols, the Brelli’s handle and frame are crafted from bamboo (sustainably-harvested), and the canopy is made out of an innovative bioplastic. The canopy can be composted in conventional landfills – it has passed stringent tests certifying that it will fully biodegrade in [...]

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Solar Film Debuts: Cheapest Solar Panel In The World?

December 18, 2007

Nanosolar has just announced that, after five years of development, it will be shipping its innovative “solar film” product. Basically, Nanosolar is able to print solar panels on machines that resemble printing presses. The company, whose backers include Google’s co-founders, say it is producing the world’s lowest-cost solar panel, costing as little as 99 cents [...]

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Optimal: Natural Rubber Pacifiers

December 18, 2007

Pacifiers that do not contain toxic materials are efficient. Infants are much more susceptible to chemical contamination that adults. A company from Denmark, Natursutten, makes 100% rubber pacifiers using natural latex from the tree Hevea brasiliensi. These pacifiers have no artificial colors, chemical softeners, parabens, PVC, or phthalates. They are softer than pacifiers made of silicone [...]

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Italian Town Runs On 100% Renewable Power

December 17, 2007

Varese Ligure, a town in Northern Italy, runs on 100% renewable power. The town uses a mix of wind, solar and small-scale hydropower. The town has reaped benefits from the energy network through added jobs, and an additional 350,000 euros [US $514,000] in revenues that are handed over to the council each year. Varese has [...]

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26-Acre Green Complex Planned For New York

December 14, 2007

The Hudson Yards is a huge swath of land located on the Far West Side of Manhattan. The land, which is the largest undeveloped site left in Manhattan, is owned by the Metropolitan Transit Authority. Now, five teams of architects are in the running to develop a 26-acre site in a sustainable way. Pictured here [...]

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UK Plans 25 Gigawatts Of Offshore Wind

December 10, 2007

The UK plans to build offshore wind farms that generate a total of 25 gigawatts. This is in addition to an existing 8 gigawatts of planned construction. This vast increase in wind power, in addition to the wave and tidal projects being tested in the Orkney islands, could power all of the UK’s homes by [...]

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Strida: An Ultra-Portable Folding Bike

December 10, 2007

The Strida was designed from the ground up to be a very low-maintenance folding bike. It weighs 19-22 pounds and folds down in about ten seconds. Once folded, you can wheel it around (instead of having to carry it like most folding bikes). This makes it easy to bring the bike on trains or into [...]

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Highly Efficient “Kid Friendly” Trains

December 9, 2007

I’ve never been on a train like this. Here are two superbly designed trains from Japan, that take the idea of ‘child-friendly public transport’ to the next level. Designed by Eiji Mitooka, the two trains seen here are the ‘Omoden’ (toy train) and ‘Ichigo Ec’ (strawberry train). They are a couple of regional trains [...]

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Optimal Green Instruction From Allison Rogers

December 6, 2007

Recently, I was lucky enough to meet Allison Rogers, who is now working with the House of Representatives to Green the Capitol. Allison shared some of her optimal green techniques and knowledge with me. I am currently documenting some of her activities on TreeHugger. Later, she surprised me with an unusual but efficient organic cheese [...]

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How to Live Well Without Owning A Car

December 5, 2007

In his book, How To Live Well Without Owning A Car author Chris Balish exposes the true costs of car ownership, and shows how car-free living can put anyone on the path to financial freedom. Take a look at the book’s car cost worksheet, and see how much owning a car really costs — you’ll [...]

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Plug-in Electric Trucks Coming To U.S.

December 5, 2007

The air quality of urban areas would greatly improved if we could replace the thousands of diesel delivery trucks currently in use with zero-emission vehicles. In this vein, a company called Smith Electric Vehicles will be introducing their electric trucks to the U.S. Their Newton truck (pictured above) can be recharged via an regular electric [...]

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A Green Spaceport?

December 4, 2007

Discover reports that, starting in 2009, tourists with deep pockets will be able to enjoy something fewer than 500 people have been lucky enough to experience—spaceflight. For $200,000, if all goes well, they can orbit for two and a half hours in Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo. But the port for landing and takeoff—Spaceport America in New [...]

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The Wave Tower: A Green “Seascraper”

December 4, 2007

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Designed for the waterfront in downtown Dubai, this “Wave Tower” will be located right on the water. A large undulating plane creates a bridge to the base of the tower, then folds upwards to create one of the twisting silk-screened glass sides of the structure. The “seascraper” is designed to be a green building. Interior [...]

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Solar Hybrid Lighting Tested In California

December 3, 2007

A handful of buildings in California are beginning to try a new kind of indoor lighting: sunlight without windows. It’s called hybrid solar lighting, and it is being marketed by a company called Sunlight Direct. During the day, sunlight is captured and channeled into lighting fixtures, then at night, the fluorescent bulb takes over. On [...]

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A Solar Carport: Charge Your Car Or Home

December 3, 2007

A carport that can generate power from the sun is debuting at the Electric Vehicle Symposium 23 (EVS-23) this week in Anaheim, California. Created by a company called Envision, the Lifeport can generate power for the home, or it can used to recharge electric vehicles directly.

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