| and more and more... |
[Jul. 30th, 2006|04:01 pm] |
| [ | Tags | | | climate adaptation, climatemodification, dinosaur fuels, evolution, extreme weather, food, greenfuture, i want one!!!, living machines, my happy place, prts | ] |
global warming is an existential threat that should affect our approach to just about every issue. To take it seriously, we would have to change the way we think about transportation, agriculture, development, water resources, natural disasters, foreign relations and more.
-in today's San Jose Mercury News "High energy prices compelling Americans to care about climate" |
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| the 200 MPG Carburetor rises again!! |
[May. 5th, 2006|05:57 am] |
documents lost for over 50 years resurface!
This is Charles Nelson Pogue. In 1930's he announced the success of his patented carburetor in Winnipeg Manitoba. This invention shook the world back then because it made it easy for any car to get 200 Miles Per Gallon! They never did get manufactured though. In fact Pogue went overnight from impoverished inventor to the manager of a successful factory making oil filters for the motor industry. Ever since, suspicion has lingered that oil companies and car manufacturers colluded to bury Pogue’s invention. But that was decades ago, and now may be about to change...
Patrick Davies, 72, a retired mechanic from St Austell, Cornwall, had owned a dusty tool box for 40 years (someone who had been in Canada gave it to him for painting a house). But only recently, he decided to clean it out. And Inside it, he found the original Pogue work! As well as drawings of the carburettor, the envelope contained two pages of plans, three test reports and six pages of notes written by Pogue. They included a report of a test that Pogue had done on his lawnmower, which showed that he had managed to make the engine run for seven days on a quart (just under a litre) of petrol. The documents also described how the machine worked by turning petrol into a vapour before it entered the cylinder chamber, reducing the amount of fuel needed for combustion. Davies is now working with UK universities to start back up where Pogue left of.... c'mon we could use a little device like this!
[incidentally if you are looking for people who have been bearing the torch for these types of innovations-- vapor in particular-- check out Vapor Systems Technology: the mother of all fuel-vapor sites] |
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| more movies!! |
[Jan. 26th, 2006|08:57 am] |
The materials can conduct an electrical current without any losses and expel an external magnetic field, making a permanent magnet levitating in free space above the surface of a superconductor.
From MRIs to MAGLEV 500 kmH trains to High Energy Particle physics.. super-
conductivity, magnets and wild magnetic fields are very important. If you want to brush up on your superconductivity, or have some questions, check out the bar ilan institute of superconductivity or the good folks at Penn State. But if you really just want to see something wiked kewl and stare in awe at some of our future technologies, then click on this here link and watch a 2 minute movie where you can see the magic behind the 500KmH trains.. |
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| EcoKids.... a nice new read! |
[Jan. 24th, 2006|06:51 am] |
 >
"In Eco-Kids: Raising Children Who Care for the Earth," author Dan Chiras focuses on touching the hearts and minds of our youth, for the future of the world depends on what they feel, think, and believe. Most importantly he has given parents the tools by which they can raise children who truly care for the Earth. It's a must read---long overdue."
-- Dennis Weaver, actor, founder of Institute of Ecolonomics
EcoKids, Written by Sustainable Design Consultant Chiras, addresses this gap by presenting a coherent plan that will help parents foster love for nature, teach children the importance of environmental protection, and promote environmental values and inspire action - actions that will last a lifetime. A hopeful and inspiring guide for parents, topics covered include ways to:
* avoid gloom and doom in favor of positive solutions
* foster love and empathy for nature
* develop environmental values
* put values into action
* help children discover the roots of problems and be part of lasting solutions
* walk the talk
* counter the consumer culture, starting in your own home and community
* generate hope and combat apathy.
Each chapter includes an inspiring case study of a child who's making a difference, short pieces that highlight serious problems such as global warming, along with positive solutions that can be read aloud to children, and activities for children. A resource guide lists helpful books, articles, videos, and organizations.....
[buy one or order a bunch for all the kids] |
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| hot tip for me to follow... |
[Jan. 11th, 2006|09:31 am] |
...speaking of that beer waste technology
...going to have to do a lot more research on this one.... but i can smell it a mile away... Dr. Ozeki's Beer waste plastic is now being used for DoCoMo phones (seriously if you never been to asia DoCoMo phones make a Razor look like boring crap!) Here's the quote: "NTT DoCoMo and NEC developed a mobile phone using an environmentally friendly bioplastic material (called polylactide) for 75% of the surface of the 3G phone (announced December 13, 2005)." It's from Pamela Gordon, at EMSnow. I know Shuimadzu, they kick butt (especially when it comes to the beer-waste plastic)! How much you wanna bet that these DoCoMo's ain't Cargil NatureworksPLZZzzz? |
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| Silicon Batteries, anyone? |
[Jan. 4th, 2006|10:41 am] |
Move over Lead Acid Battery, here's a new and powerful performer from China!
The Chinese company Guineng, has developed a very interesting non-polluting battery based on an electrolyte of liquid low sodium silicate compound. Not only can the electrolites be used, they say, as fertilizer after being replaced, but the batteries pack a punch! Obviously superior to Lead Acid Batteries, they compare pretty much to NiCads as far as energy density (52Wh/Kg), but unlike NiCads, they can be recharged in 2-3 hours (witout fancy-pants pulse charging) as opposed to NiCad's 16 hours. According to Guineng, this brand new neutral electrolyte does not corrode the electrodes, which makes it possible to recycle the electrodes after the battery is properly disposed of. The disposed electrolyte, in the state of semi-solid grains, is a high quality fertilizer rather than soil pollutant. The factory is rated as Factory of Environment Friendliness by the relevant environment protection authority for its contribution to the commitment of green environment protection. And even cooler than that, you can already get one! See, that scooter up there, the e-max classic, is available NOW with these new silicon batteries! E-Max is pretty stoked about this! On their website, they have a great table that shows just how much better these batteries can be. Price, power, recyclability and less toxic materials makes em want an EMax more than ever before.... |
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| next week @ the C.E.S. (part 3) |
[Jan. 4th, 2006|08:46 am] |
I saved the best for last!! FreePlay's brand new toy
Freeplay will be introducing their new gizmo, the foot-powered FreeCharge Weza at CES. And this one is a winner fo' sho.... You can use it as a traditional battery pack (plug solar or wind into this baby and keep for a rainy day....). But using FreePlay's patented dynamo system, they have taken it a step further.. say for example you have a band practise in the woods, and there you are with a 40 Watt amp and a guitar, but no where to plug in. Well, fret no more, just use the foot pedal,pump away and voila! 40W at your command! This is a very versatile contraption, you can put AC or DC into it (DC from soalr, wind.. nd/or AC from a 120 or 240 wall outlet... you can even plug it into your car lighter for 'in' or 'out' power (so if you need some juice for the woods, or say your car battery is dead), it goes either way. I like!! |
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| OLED OLED OLED |
[Dec. 21st, 2005|08:56 am] |
Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation (MCC) announced yesterday that it has developed an Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) device with the highest efficiency in the world in its new blue phosphorescence OLED material.
The Organic LED Phosphorescent material has four times greater luminous efficiency in principle than that of fluorescent material, which is widely employed now. This higher efficiency of phosphorescence leads to low power consumption, which is critical for applications using larger screens such as flat-panel television screens. So cheaper to make, lowest imaginable energy consumption, wide viewing angle and flat screen. What more culd you want? I know I want one! |
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| the only gift I am going to promote this year |
[Dec. 13th, 2005|06:35 pm] |
Buy A Rainforest Tree For Someone (or Some Planet) You Love
Last year, around this time (actually, 362 days ago, hint hint..) I was an excited newbie. And of course one of the first pieces I write is a green holiday shopping guide. And while I may sit on the fence from time to time about things one can buy. The whole consumaholism issue- while still gushing on about the latest tech or green gizmo, I decided that this year I would refrain from any buying guide. Besides, there are only like at least 20 good ones now online in the amateur and pro green blog world. Did you really need one from me? no.
But here's one of those gifts-that-keep-on-giving. And I can't resist. If you must shower those around you with gifts, how about patronizing the good efforts of RainforestForever? They just started a new program, gift packages where you actually buy a Brazilian rainforest tree. Each rainforest gift package includes ownership of a living Amazon rainforest tree, a framed certificate of ownership, a high-resolution GPS tree locator map, and a personalized congratulatory letter to the gift recipient.
"Tree owners receive the actual timber-cutting rights to the trees," says RainforestForever founder, Justin Lubin. "Each tree area is GPS located. Owners can type their tree coordinates into GoogleMaps and zoom right into their tree. Of course, all tree owners agree not to exercise their rights and
cut down the trees."
Over 5.1 million hectares of Amazonian rainforests are being destroyed each year (more than a football field every second of the day). These rainforests are usually burned to make way for agriculture. The result is that billions of tons of harmful greenhouse gasses are released into the air, increasing the global warming problem. The motive for rainforest destruction is simple-- money. RainforestForever's program gives rainforest landowners a real alternative to destroying their trees. Justin Lubin explains, "Landowners receive the strongest incentive of all, money, for not cutting down their trees. And people who buy the trees get to help save the planet in a novel, direct, and personal way." (ok I am still WAY more in favor of Analog Forestry, which helps the forest gardeners as well as the land-owners, but that usually happens on ex-rainforests, so this is helping on the other end, before destruction. Both good. OK, for fear that this turn into a holiday shopping post, i will still add that if you want to support the Forest Gardeners replanting rainforests, then all you have to do is patronize from these fine merchants, Guayapi) |
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| we got SOUL |
[Dec. 13th, 2005|07:30 am] |
Triple Five Soul announcs new line of hemp & soy clothing
The news rolling off today's PR Newswire is that Brooklyn's Triple Five Soul and L.A.'s Syrum Versus Venom have signed supply deals with Candian Hemptown to make future T5Soul and SVV clothing form hemp, soy, bamboo and a new enxymaticly processed hemp silky tissue. Way to go guys!! Proud Hemptown cheif, Jason Finnis beams: "Our partnership with SVSV will promote alternative organic fabrics to a mainstream fashion customer. David Gensler and his team have created amazing brands and this alternative fabric line will go a long way to promote organic textiles as a fashion item."
Now the mainstream can get behind these truley innovative fabrics! the PRN wire goes further describing the new technologies: "In addition to the company's expertise in Bamboo and Soy, Hemptown and the Canadian federal science organization NRC have jointly developed a patentable enzyme process to transform industrial hemp into a soft, white fibre. The process and the end product, called CRAILAR(TM) is highly environmentally sensitive, grown organically without the use of pesticides, toxic fertilizers or the enormous fresh water irrigation required by cotton"
...just remember, you can't smoke it, don't even think about it. |
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| the first family of fuel cells takes the baby for a ride...... |
[Dec. 5th, 2005|09:22 am] |
| [ | Tags | | | ***, 15, 16, 17, 18, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, evs, fuel cells, i want one!!! | ] |
sometimes it pays to be polite to those pesky telemarketers
The big news out of LA's Daily Breeze is about Jon Spallino and his family's new car. Mr. Spallino, from Redondo Beach, is the first non-industry related person in the world to lease a fuel cell car (pictured above). He's the proud driver of a Honda FCX. Lucky guy! "We wanted a regular guy with a family," said Stephen Ellis, Honda manager for fuel cell marketing. And they found that in Spallino. Well he isn't exactly a "regular family guy" Jon's been driving a Honda CX (runs on natural gas) and that made the HOnda team feel he was ready to deal with some added issues (like, where would you fill up a fuel cell car if i dropped it into your driveway this afternoon? where huh?). Also, from the following quote we can see that Mr. Spallino is pretty calm and well tempered:
A few months before leasing the FCX, Ellis called Spallino to ask him about his impressions of the GX. The survey lasted about half an hour. A few weeks later, Ellis called again and asked Spallino more questions about the GX. Ellis called one more time. Ellis asked to meet Spallino for lunch. At that point, Spallino had had enough. "I thought it was some sort of survey-extreme and I was ready to put an end to it," Spallino recalled. But Spallino agreed to meet at a restaurant, where Ellis and another Honda official offered to lease the FCX to him for $500 a month.
Wow. pays to be nice to the telemarketers! (well maybe sometimes) |
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| SpaceTech: rays of light cracking through the sogsi-muck!! |
[Nov. 12th, 2005|08:48 am] |
Hey, You Wanna Be 500X More Efficient? Try the space solar cells...
What's the news in the Photovoltaic world? Well, the old news (already) is that there is not enough Solar Grade Silicon (SoG-Si) around. Anywhere.... So what's new then? Well, it seems that some people have been doing what plants in the rainforest know best; find a niche and then maximize what you can get from the minimal resources available. Two companies in particular, Australia's Green & Gold Energy, and Spain's Sol3G. These two camps have created novel solar PV systems, that I think you will find quite exciting!!
And it's funny that these two techs are coming out at the same time-- developed on different sides of the planet (as if there's some kind of intelligent or cognitive field that they are both tuned into), there's an eerie similarity in the way they work. So let's get to it: This is the spanish GiraSol
 ,
and while we're at it, take a gander at the Australian SunBall.
While they look different, both the GiraSol and the SunBall have pretty much the same things happening inside: They use space-module style solar panels instead of the traditional, you know, BSPolar kind. They are radically more efficient than regular PV panels. So much more efficient, that instead of blanketing the roof with the panels, they only need to use very small pieces. ( Read more... ) |
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| awesome home the kids have made! |
[Oct. 13th, 2005|08:53 am] |
...the Who? No. But i couldn't resit the gag, as the kids really are alright! Especially the kids at New York Institute of Technology. They have made a green-home, small (800sqft) but totally the future! its got solar panels, hydrogen fuel cell (to take up the excess energy, yes! solar powered electorlized water. killer!)...a couch who's materials cool and heat the sitter, and a host of other amazing gadgets. It's part of the Solar Decathelon in Washington DC, and i would be surprised if it doesn't come out the winner!
so hats off to David Schieren (energy team leader), Heather Castelli, Jason Dames, Hetaher Korn (architect team leader)and Mary Merges (interior designer). I can't wait till y'all have graduated and are out in the field doing this for us! |
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