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benjamin

Best Backyard Compost Tumblers

November 18, 2009

Composting is a great way to reduce the amount of waste your household generates, plus there’s the added benefit of free fertilizer for your yard or garden. There are some nifty options for indoor composting on the market, but to do it on a larger scale you need to move outdoors. Here are [...]

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REI’s LEED Certified Stores

November 11, 2009

REI’s newest LEED certified retail stores are evidence that smart business and environmental responsibility sometimes lead down the same path. These new stores enjoy lower operating costs, and customers appreciate the company’s dedication to sustainable building.

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Toshiba Dynario Fuel Cell Device Charger

November 10, 2009

The first commercially available fuel cell device charger is here! (Well, technically it’s only “here” if you’re reading this in Japan, but that should soon change). Toshiba’s Dynario charger packs fuel cell technology into a portable package that can provide instant power to a dead mobile phone or other gadget, completely off the [...]

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An Energy Producing Home In Disguise

November 5, 2009

Who says that a home with cutting-edge energy efficiency has to look like an ultra-modern pod? This recently completed Wisconsin home packs so much energy tech that it makes money by selling electricity back to the grid, and it still keeps a low neighborhood profile.

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Kite Gen – The Future Of Wind Power?

October 21, 2009

Wind power holds great promise as a clean energy source, but current windmill generators aren’t appropriate for all locations.  Italian firm Kite Gen hopes to change that with its innovative new generator designs, which use “kites” to capture strong high-altitude winds.

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Best iPod Car Stereos Under $150

September 8, 2009

If you’re a music lover who spends a lot of time on the road, you don’t want to fumble with an iPod’s controls to enjoy your music. So what’s the solution? An iPod-ready car stereo receiver. And there’s no need to break the bank – here are four of the best options [...]

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The Best Noise Canceling Headphones

July 14, 2009

Headphones with active noise cancellation technology let travelers hear their music with greater clarity and less ear fatigue. These headphones are useful for those who want to seal out their surroundings, since noise cancellation circuitry is especially effective at countering low-frequency tones (like crowd noise or engine noise on an airplane). Here are [...]

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Efficient Home Improvement: Re-Using Materials Gets Easier

June 9, 2009

For “D.I.Y.”ers, using recycled construction products is a great way to reduce raw material consumption and lessen stress on landfills.  But for retailers, the “Re I. Y.” trend (Re-use It Yourself) is taking the idea a step further, giving unused building products a new lease on life.

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Naturemill Pro Promises Easy & Efficient Indoor Composting

June 4, 2009

Nobody’s going to put up with a compost heap in a closet.  But what if you could quickly compost your organic waste with no odors or bugs, indoors or outside, with a device small enough to fit in a kitchen cabinet?  Naturemill promises that its Pro Edition automatic composter will do just that, producing hassle-free [...]

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How To Stay Efficiently Cool This Summer

May 31, 2009

Summertime is almost here, but hot weather doesn’t have to mean skyrocketing power bills and nonstop air conditioning. We’ve compiled these tips to help you maximize your summer comfort and energy efficiency.

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Chicago’s Green Alley Initiative

May 26, 2009

Urban alleyways. Grubby places that only scrappy cats or cop-show perps could love, right? Not in Chicago, where the Department of Transportation is giving them some serious TLC with its recently implemented Green Alley Program. This city-wide renovation initiative will offer some surprising environmental benefits and improve quality of life for residents.

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Is This The World’s Most Efficient Windmill?

May 11, 2009

Sometimes the epitome of efficiency is using whatever tools are available to accomplish the job at hand. No one understands this better than William Kamkwamba, a teenager from rural Malawi whose ingenuity provided his family and neighbors with electricity from a most unlikely source.

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The World’s Smallest Lightbulb

May 11, 2009

As LED lights and fluorescent bulbs become increasingly mainstream, scientists at UCLA’s Department of Physics and Astronomy have developed a groundbreaking new variation of Thomas Edison’s incandescent light bulb. But don’t expect to find this bulb in your local hardware store anytime soon – unless you normally bring an electron microscope along to do your [...]

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Falcon Wind Turbine: Versatile & Efficient Power Generation

May 8, 2009

Innovative Windpower AG, a German manufacturer of wind turbines, has developed the Falcon 1.25 MW model to be the most efficient and versatile wind turbine ever created.  It is designed for use in challenging new locations as well as existing wind farms, with substantial advantages over competitors in both its construction process and operation.

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Ultra-Efficient Design Meets Low-Impact Manufacturing: Patagonia Wetsuits

May 7, 2009

If you’re not a surfer or a diver, a wetsuit may seem like a fairly specialized or even obscure piece of equipment. But once in a while, a product arrives on the market that’s noteworthy not only for how well it performs its job, but also for how it’s designed and produced. Such is the [...]

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Delta Airliners Integrating Wheeltug Hybrid Motor Technology

May 6, 2009

Hybrid vehicles keep getting bigger: first there were tiny experimental cars, then hybrid SUVs began to appear on the road. And now some of Delta’s next-generation Boeing 737 aircraft (like the one pictured above) will be equipped with Wheeltug hybrid motors for taxiing on the ground. These motors will improve efficiency and safety while planes [...]

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“Low-E” Windows Maximize Buildings’ Energy Efficiency

April 20, 2009

Low-E stands for low emissivity, and these windows are constructed to minimize heat transfer through the glass. Since windows are essentially huge holes in the walls of a building, choosing a low-E window design that’s appropriate for local climate and architecture can greatly increase a structure’s thermal efficiency, while reducing energy use and utility costs.

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Boeing 787: The World’s Most Efficient Airliner

April 17, 2009

Air travel can present an efficiency dilemma. Trips that wouldn’t be possible by any other means because of time or distance are suddenly viable – though when it comes to manufacturing and fuel resources, airplanes admittedly aren’t the most efficient mode of transportation. But Boeing’s newest passenger jet, the 787 Dreamliner, aims to take a [...]

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Review: The Best LED Reading Lamps

April 14, 2009

Nighttime can be prime reading time, and a small reading light is invaluable in a darkened room, or to avoid disturbing a roommate or spouse. The small size and directional light output of LEDs make them ideal for personal reading lights. Here are four of the best LED reading lamps, perfect for the [...]

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GreenFiber Cocoon Insulation: Energy Efficiency From Recycled Material

April 9, 2009

One of the simplest ways to improve a home’s energy efficiency and comfort is to make sure that it is properly insulated. Cocoon Insulation from North Carolina-based GreenFiber is a highly efficient insulator, offering more convenient installation and higher R-values than common alternatives, as well as utilizing recycled source material.

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