Green Daily

A BioBag found in the wild

Marisa McClellan — 2008-05-09T16:57:00 00:00

Last Sunday was the opening day of my favorite Farmers' Market in Philadelphia, the Headhouse Farmers' Market. Operated by the Food Trust, which works ensure that all people have access to fresh, healthy and affordable food, this market is largest one that Philly has. It started last summer and quickly became a fixture in my weekly food shopping. It closed down in December and ever since, I've been counting down the weeks until it reopened.

One of the reasons I like shopping at Farmers' Markets (in addition to the fact the food is always fresher, lasts longer and just tastes amazing) is that by shopping directly from the growers, I avoid consuming much in the way of packaging. The man who sells the eggs is always delighted when I bring back my carton from the previous week, and the folks who sell apricots, peaches, nectarines and apples are happy to reuse their green fruit boxes. I bring a couple of reusable bags and so when I get home with all my food, I hardly have a thing to throw away.

Last week, I bought a pound of locally produced turkey sausage that was frozen. I was about to refuse the plastic bag that the woman was offering, when I realized that it was going to defrost a bit while I walked around that a bag to insulate the condensation would be a good idea. However, when I got home and was unpacked, I realized that she hadn't given me just any bag. It was a BioBag! Made from corn, it is biodegradable and compostable. It was the first time I had run across one of these bags and I was thrilled to discover how sturdy it seemed. Here's hoping that we all see more of these going forward.

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GreenTech: Who needs solar power when you've got pedal power?

Brad Linder — 2008-05-07T18:31:00 00:00

Filed under: Gadgets and Tech, GreenTech, Alternative Energy

Solar powered gadget chargers may be all the rage these days, but what do you do if your iPod runs out of juice while you're spelunking? Well, I certainly hope your solution isn't to pull a pedal powered generator out of your pocket, because that just seems kind of dangerous if you're in a cave. But if you're sitting at home and trying to think of ways to get a bit of exercise while keeping your phone or MP3 player charged, this Chinese pedal powered doohickey could be just what you're looking for.

This little charger packs what looks like a pretty hefty battery, and it even has an LED flashlight on the front in case the power goes out. I wouldn't normally bother to point that out, but there's a big shiny picture on the product homepage showing off the flashlight, so I guess it must be important.

If you get tired of pedaling with your feet, you can also place the charger on a table or desk and use it as a hand crank. This ¥14,800 ($141 US) generator isn't the only pedal powered gadget charger we've seen. But it's certainly the blue-est. That's got to count for something, right?

[via EcoFriend and TFTS]

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GreenTech: Wind-powered watch winds without waste

Patrick Metzger — 2008-05-07T08:30:00 00:00

Filed under: Fashion, Gadgets and Tech, GreenTech

Looking for a practical fashion statement that'll give you cred whether you're in the boardroom or at the latest Al Gore award gala? The UR 202 watch from Urwerk is not only one cool-looking gadget, but it uses compressed air from wind turbines to help keep itself wound. It's as if James Bond and David Suzuki got together and had a child, only for some reason it was a watch.

The mechanism by which the watch works is described in incomprehensible detail on the Urwerk site, but as far as I can tell the it uses a relatively standard self-winding system, with the mini wind turbines serving to keep the watch from overwinding. While that's not going save the world a whack of kilowatts, it's nice to see this kind of technology being incorporated on such a small scale in consumer items.

No indication of price, but it's made in Switzerland by two guys in black turtlenecks so be prepared to cash in the kids' college funds. That said, if the UR202 is something you can't live without, there's a list of retailers on the site.

via [engadget]

The environment vs. the economy: Yale website lets you 'see for yourself'

Josh Loposer — 2008-05-06T14:30:00 00:00

Filed under: GreenTech, Green by the Numbers, Climate Change

Yale economist, Richard Repetto wants everyone to know the score when it comes to the effect carbon-reducing legislation would have on the US economy. That's why he and his staff have developed a very user-friendly website that allows you to see the long term growth of the US economy with CO2 reductions in place. The See For Yourself website allows users to input their opinions regarding the economy and climate change, allowing them to compare their predictions with the Yale's.

Facts and figures are nice, but I think tools like this one are long overdue for people who want to get a little more hands-on with their understanding of climate change. The good news is that the Yale team predicts robust economic growth even in the face of substantial carbon emissions legislation. So, it seems that we don't have to sacrifice the economy for the environment. Yesss.

[via Treehugger]

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Robo-squirrel takes to the trees

Josh Loposer — 2008-05-06T09:10:00 00:00

Filed under: News, GreenTech

Will animatronic wildlife replicas populate our nature areas after this era of mass extinction? I hope not. Anyway, that's not exactly the point of the convincingly realistic-looking robotic squirrel that scientists have developed at Hampshire College. Instead, they plan to use "Rocky" the robo-squirrel to study the behaviors and communications of the squirrels that inhabit the nut-bearing trees around the campus.

It may seem like science fiction, but researchers around the world are developing robotic versions of their animal subjects in order to interact with them in their natural habitat. Right now, fake lizards and cockroaches equipped with tiny cameras are helping scientists understand the survival instincts of various species and how they are being interrupted. At a university in Brussels, for example, researchers found that by dipping their robo-roach in a sex hormone, they could lure real roaches out of the shadows and into the light. Of course, who wants cockroaches to come out into the light?

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Tesla opens up a store, with no inventory

Josh Loposer — 2008-05-05T17:00:00 00:00

Filed under: Cars and Transportation, News, GreenTech

Tesla Motors celebrated the opening of its first retail outlet last week in Santa Monica. The high-profile happening -- attended by stars like Jenny McCarthy, Quincy Jones, and the director of Who Killed the Electric Car, Chris Paine -- marked a new milestone for the electric car startup, but it begs one serious question: where are the cars? It's hard to have a dealership without them.

As always, I'm excited to hear that Tesla is making headway in its quest to start selling its all-electric Roadster. Still, opening a store doesn't seem very necessary when the company is only just rolling its 4th production car off the line. Maybe I'm being impatient, but doesn't it seem like Tesla has the cart before the horse a little here? Based on their own projections, it's going to take them almost a year of production just to catch up with the 1,000 pre-orders they have on the books. Yet, they plan to open up 5 stores across the US over the next year. Seems pretty aggressive.

[via AutoBlogGreen]

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Is e-mailing bad for the environment?

Ellen Slattery — 2008-05-02T17:35:00 00:00

Filed under: News, GreenTech, Green by the Numbers

You already know that you're emitting carbon each time you use your 'puter. But how much carbon, exactly?

Sun Microsystems is hoping to figure that out. They just started an initiative that tracks e-mail for companies in hopes of compiling the official carbon footprint, and to prove that e-mail has a significant environmental advantage over other methods of communication.

Specifically, the IT company is tracking mail servers, software applications, and network devices to try to extrapolate the energy used for e-mailing.

If Sun Microsystems can make it possible for companies to compile an exact figure, orgs can then compare their carbon footprint to industry standards, and be able to more efficiently green their offices and encourage eco-friendly habits. At least, that's what they're hoping.

via [sustainablog]

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GM talks smack about electric car startups

Josh Loposer — 2008-05-02T13:00:00 00:00

Filed under: Cars and Transportation, News, GreenTech

Although we've been hearing electric car news from GM for over a decade now, they've already missed the opportunity to get out in front of the pack. A rash of electric car startups are bringing their eco-friendly vehicles to the market these days. Myers Motors and Aptera are already selling roadworthy electric 3-wheelers, while Tesla's already staked out the all-electric performance car market.

You'd think with all the competition, GM might be concerned about finding their place in the alternative vehicles market. If they are concerned, they're not showing it. General Motors' CEO Rick Wagoner insists that today's startups are just blips on the larger electric car time line -- a time line that GM will dominate. Is he talking smack, or is he just telling it like it is?

According to Wagoner, none of these manufacturers have the ability "depth of technology," or the manufacturing capacity to compete with what GM is doing. Considering that they actually release the Volt in 2010 as planned, I kinda have to agree. Tesla for example is probably the most high profile startup, and it's working overtime to turn out 100 cars a month. Compared to what we will see from a company like GM -- that is a mere drop in the bucket. In Wagoner's own words:

"We plan to win. We welcome the competition, but I expect in ten years were going to be leading the parade."

Wagoneer did hint at GM's willingness to partner up with some of these startups in the future -- anything to try to take market share away from Toyota. While the smaller manufacturers may have impressive designs, they don't have the capacity to deal with regulations and consumer demands.

[via Earth2Tech]

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Buying green IT gets a bit easier

Eugene Sandhu — 2008-04-30T11:49:00 00:00

Filed under: GreenTech

Softchoice, a Toronto based IT reseller, is making it easier for business to shop green for computer stuff.

How do they do it? Softchoice offers a database of green computer products, in a bunch of different IT categories, by drawing on environmental information from the Green Electronics Council, a group that lists EPEAT standard products.

EPEAT uses a bunch of criteria to determine what products get certain certificates of eco-friendliness - gold, silver and bronze depending on the criteria met. Everything from packaging to product longevity is considered before a product gets on the EPEAT list.

Not a stranger to being progressive, Softchoice already has a computer recycling program, uses natural light in their Toronto head office and allows employees to bring their dogs to work (okay, the dog thing isn't specifically green, but it's really cool).
By combing the green ratings from the EPEAT database along with product information from CNET, Softchoice can offer a constantly updated inventory of green-flagged products on their web site.

It seems like getting green at home is improving, but getting green at the office is still struggling (think about how rarely you print stuff at home compared to your printing habits at work). Getting your IT greener could be a useful place to start and more services like this could make it easier.

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Foam cups turned into construction material

Eugene Sandhu — 2008-04-30T11:03:00 00:00

Filed under: GreenTech

I didn't think anyone used foam cups for coffee anymore (aside from cops on police dramas) but turns out a lot of us are still throwing away piles of polystyrene. If only some machine could take all this throw-away foam and make something useful with it.

Fortunately, the machine already exists. A $750 000 Italian made contraption, called an ECO mold, will be part of a project to turn mountains of foam cups to blocks of insulating material for building.

This is how it works - the machine gets shredded polystyrene products into a mold and forms them into building-friendly shapes using steam and compression.
Turns out this recycled foam is a light-weight construction material that can be used as filler when pouring concrete walls along with other constructive uses. While this machine is the first of its kind in the United States, the idea of using recycled polystyrene for building has been used in highway and bridge construction before.

TEAM Industries Inc. will sell the completed foam billets to Fabcon and then they'll be sent to big retailers like Lowe's, Home Depot and Wal-Mart where they will be sold for commercial applications.

Each block is made up of totally recycled material and each machine will be able to do this magic with three million pounds of foam product a year, diverting a lot of foam from landfills. Without machines like this, a lot of polystyrene can't be recycled because of the very specific tools and facilities that are required for turning a used take-out tray into something more than just garbage.

Good news for TV cops - if all goes well, more of these machines could be purchased to help out with the 'recycle' part of the three R's. Of course, "reuse" comes before "recycle" so it might also be nice to see Detective Stabler sipping from a reusable mug in the interrogation room sometime soon.

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Electric plane ready for take-off

Patrick Metzger — 2008-04-29T18:28:00 00:00

Filed under: Cars and Transportation, Gadgets and Tech, GreenTech

Some day soon, we could all be traveling around the world in whisper-quiet electric jetliners.

Just kidding. You can't keep a passenger jet in the air with a ceiling fan. That said, Slovenian aviation firm Pipistrel is now officially taking orders for the Taurus Electro, said to be the first commercially available aircraft which uses electrical power to aid in flight.

Actually it's not technically a plane, but rather a "microlight motorglider",and while I wouldn't want to fly the family to Europe in it, it's a big step forward in practical greener flying. The Electro uses its motor only for take-off, however, operating as a glider while aloft.

While that may not sound revolutionary, battery-powered flight has been difficult to achieve, principally because in the past there haven't been batteries light enough to fit in a plane and still powerful enough to keep the thing flying. However, in recent years innovative technologies have created new opportunities for the prospective carbon-neutral pilot.

The Electro will currently run you about $167,000 and doesn't really have much practical use, but you're almost sure to be the first person on your block to own one.

via [Greentech Media]

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Norway moves toward giant floating turbines

Josh Loposer — 2008-04-29T13:00:00 00:00

Filed under: GreenTech, Alternative Energy, Climate Change

When you're setting up a wind turbine, it's crucial that you go where the wind blows -- otherwise it will be a sad waste of time and money. It's a principle that hasn't been lost on Norwegian wind developers, and they think they've found the mother lode.

They say there's no place for wind like the surface of the North Sea, where sustained high winds blow nearly 365 days a year. That's why a Norwegian oil company called StatoilHydro is gearing up to build an experimental floating wind farm off the coast of Norway's island of Utsira.

These enormous floating turbines are the size of jumbo jets, and they can be anchored to the sea floor in places that are too soft to build a stationary platform. This technology could open the door to an offshore wind bonanza. One advantage to offshore turbines is that power companies can use a more efficient turbine, since they're not worried about noise pollution. Offshore turbines can be twice as effective as their landlocked counterparts.

Still, as effective as they may be, the energy they produce won't be as cheap as petroleum energy -- at least not for a few years -- and they will have to be heavily subsidized. The other big downside is the unknown expense of repairing a damaged floating turbine. Can you imagine the difficulty of working on a turbine that size as it bobs up and down? One or two repairs could throw off the cost/benefits equation for years.

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GreenTech: Nokia Remade concept remade

Patrick Metzger — 2008-04-29T11:31:00 00:00

Filed under: Gadgets and Tech, GreenTech

Back in February, Nokia introduced a concept handset called the Remade. The particular green spin on this phone was that it would be made entirely of recycled materials, with the shell manufactured from old cans and bottles, the screen from recyled glass, and the rubber hinge made out of old tires. At the time, the Remade looked pretty much like any other phone on the market, sleek and stylish.

Now, earlier this month at the wireless trade show CTIA, Nokia introduced an updated version of the Remade which is a little rougher around the edges, presumably to reflect its hardscrabble junkyard origins. Its revamped look offers a nod to the materials used in its manufacture, giving it kind of a homebuilt feel.

Either way, a good idea, but enough with the concepts already. Time to start selling the phone.

via [mobiletor]

Can baking soda deodorize the atmosphere?

Josh Loposer — 2008-04-27T14:00:00 00:00

Filed under: Home, GreenTech, Climate Change

Pretty much everyone agrees that we've got too much CO2 in the atmosphere, but what do we do with all of it?

Entrepreneurs all over the world are in a race to develop a profitable way to store all the extra heat-trapping gas floating around the atmosphere. Some are trying to bury it in a well, others are sucking through a giant air filter, and yet another group is hoping to grab the free floating gas and sell it to Arm & Hammer, or Arm & Hatchet as the case may be. Right now, a company called Skyonic is testing a way to turn our CO2 emissions into baking soda.

Using a process called Skymine, innovators are hoping to be able to trap the unwanted CO2 pouring out of the world's smokestacks and process it into something that will deodorize you fridge. By placing a Skymine system on the smokestack of a power plant or factory, Skyonic can remove 90% of the CO2 from the emissions. Using the waste heat from the smokestack, Skyonic's process mixes CO2 with sodium hydroxide to make sodium bicarbonate(baking soda) that's reportedly "cleaner than food grade."

A pilot version of this system has already been in place at an electric plant in Fairfield, TX and Skyonic hopes to install another larger scale model on a high-output power plant in 2009. If the system is a success, it could both neutralize emissions and eliminate the need to mine for baking soda -- another carbon reducing benefit.

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Aerospace engineers build a better semi-trailer

Josh Loposer — 2008-04-26T11:04:00 00:00

Filed under: Cars and Transportation, GreenTech

In addition to the growing trend of hybrid-diesel fleets, the trucking industry is about to see another major mileage improvement -- but this time it's the trailers that will be helping pull the load for the environment. Researchers at Delft University in Holland say that they've found a way to reduce fuel consumptions and emissions by 15% with a tractor trailer redesign.

The difference is all in the side-skirts, which cut wind resistance by up to 30% by shielding the trailer's wheel wells and creating a more aerodynamic generation of trailer. After road testing the new trailers, university faculty is confident that the side-skirts would pay for themselves in 2 years and save logistics companies truckloads of money in the long term.

In the Netherlands alone, Professor Michel van Tooren expects that about half of all trailers could be retrofitted with the skirts, resulting in lower emissions and fuel consumption almost immediately. From the article:

"In 2005, 10,000 new trailers were taken into use in the Netherlands. With an average fuel consumption of 30 litres per 100 kilometres, that translates into 750 million litres of diesel consumption in the Netherlands each year. We can cut fuel consumption by 5% or more for 50% of those trailers. That means a reduction of 50 million tons of CO2 emissions a year. This research can therefore result in a substantial, structural contribution to cutting fuel consumption and an annual saving of tens of millions of Euros, next to that cut in CO2 emissions by the road transport sector."

[via ENN}

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Green Your Workout: Get free videos online

Ellen Slattery — 2008-04-21T09:00:00 00:00

Filed under: Tips, GreenTech, Fitness

Let's face it: gyms aren't the greenest workout options. They require huge amounts of energy to run the lights, heat/AC, and machines, and most leave the machines plugged in all night, wasting even more precious energy.

So if you can't bring yourself to go completely green (running or cycling outside), check out some of the resources available to you online - absolutely free.

That's right: without driving to the store or getting any DVDs delivered, you can get great video workout suggestions and tips for free, any time of day. We've complied some of the best ones for you here, so the only energy you will need is your own, and a little from your computer. From slimming your hips to buffing your biceps to trimming your torso, these vids will put you in the proper form - and the healthiest mindset - to achieve your goals.

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A competition to build green

Sea Stachura — 2008-04-18T11:30:00 00:00

Filed under: Home, GreenTech, Alternative Energy

Right about now, y'all might be thinking about how to keep your mortgage paid or your rent from increasing. So I understand that today may not echo for you the golden days of the dot com boom. Nonetheless, I suggest you build something, build it green and submit it to the American Institute of Architects and Dwell competition on green building.

Dwell is a design and architecture magazine with an eye for sustainability. I bet you can figure out who AIA is.

If truly no one is building right now, you could win handily. All you need to do is take a few photos of your green/sustainable project, then write a short essay about the most important green features. Submit it all by mid-June.

Three winners will get their entries posted on Dwell's Web site and receive gift certificates from AIA for future green building projects.

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No money down solar for San Jose

Josh Loposer — 2008-04-17T09:00:00 00:00

Filed under: Local, News, GreenTech, Alternative Energy

Just in time for Earth Day, Solar City is offering San Jose residents the opportunity to plaster their roofs with photovoltaic panels for less than the usual $30,000 -- way less. The promotional program, which runs until July 31st, allows customers to lease solar panels for $80 per month with no money down -- but only in San Jose. It's just like 'Truck Month,' but for solar panels.

According to Solar City's CEO, Lyndon Rive, the company hopes the Solar Lease program will draw 100-200 new customers into the world of DIY electricity. Just like with normal solar panel installation, it's not much of a profit seeking enterprise, so it's mostly attractive on a green level. On a $150 electric bill, for instance, customers would end up paying $60 to the electric company, and $80 to Solar City for their rental. Still, it opens the door to a lower-income group of eco-activists.
Other benefits of the program include free monitoring and maintenance for the lifetime of the system and, of course, a money-back performance guarantee. The website has a graph that shows how you'll save tons of cash in the long run with their solar panels, but I'm a little doubtful -- that's not really why anyone would want to opt into this program. Hopefully, solar panels will be profitable someday, but right now they're more about taking stress off the grid and promoting clean energy.

We talked some yesterday about the interconnected world of Silicon Valley. Well, it turns out that one of Tesla Motors' chairmen, Elon Musk, also sits on the board of Solar City. That's probably how the company was able to raise enough funds to offer a service like this one -- because someone's got to pay for the initial investment on that pricey solar gear.

[via Treehugger]

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Ohm hybrid: the lazyman's bike

Josh Loposer — 2008-04-16T13:00:00 00:00

Filed under: Cars and Transportation, Gadgets and Tech, Health, GreenTech, Fitness

Does the idea of a power-assisted bike do anything for you? It's a great day for the moderately-athletic biker, because a Canadian company called Ohm is marketing a new tricked-out hybrid bike.

The human-electric hybrid is great idea for the commuting biker who doesn't like the idea of rolling up to work tired and drenched in sweat. Ohm's bikes are equipped with a microprocessor that calculates your pedal thrust and an electric motor that adds power to make you look like you have legs of steel.

The two models currently available are the Sport and the Urban, both operate on the same quick charging Li-ion battery, fully rechargeable in 4hrs. Both models also receive the benefits of a completely sealed magnetic motor that can toggle between 4 power-assist modes 25%, 50%, 100%, and 200%. The Sport -- as you would imagine -- is lighter, stronger and more expensive, but it's also designed to go off-road. Imagine attacking a mountain bike trail on a hybrid bike, you could really fly up those punishing climbs.

Ohm's hybrid design is completed by two other Canadian startups: Bionx specializes provides the maintenance-free electric motors, and E-One Moli Energy is responsible for the powerful Lithium battery cells. The technology in these bikes are awesome, and I do think this kind of an idea can encourage a different kind of rider to take to the streets, but, as with most startups, you've got to pay a premium for the development. To get into a base model Urban, you're looking at about $2,750.

[via Earth2Tech]

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Could the Oceania be the greenest fridge ever?

Patrick Metzger — 2008-04-15T13:26:00 00:00

Filed under: Food, Gadgets and Tech, Home, GreenTech

A new concept from designer Tez Patel brings together a variety of eco-friendly ideas in what may be the greenest refrigerator ever.

The Oceania would feature magnetic refrigeration for the top three drawers, meaning greater energy efficiency than standard fridges, and no environmentally hazardous hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) (Note: magnetic refrigeration is an idea that is working in labs, but isn't quite ready for consumer primetime yet).

The bottom section would use passive cooling from ceramics and water, and would stay cold enough for non-perishables like fruits and vegetables.

Other eco-design features include separate drawers so that the entire fridge doesn't have to be opened every time you want a probiotic yogurt, and clear front panels so you can scan your beer collection without having to lose all that cold air. And naturally, all the parts of this Jetson-age kitchen gadget would be either biodegradable.

via [Yanko]

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