Green Daily

Are you craving a Vegan alternative to McDonald's? Do Lay's potato chips fit your definition of buying local, even if the chip factory is just down the street? Are you part of the 24 percent of Americans who understand cap and trade? Today's Eco-Beat has the scoop on all of the latest green news and tips.

Heather Mills' Cafe Gets a Name Considering the possibility for worldwide expansion, Mills has settled on the name "V-Bites" for her seaside cafe. The 100% vegan cafe in southern England is only the beginning. Mills envisions a V-Bites franchise across the street from McDonald's. Really.

Locavores Eating Lay's? Everybody's trying to be more conscious of where their food comes from these days. Seizing on that, Lay's is highlighting the fact that it's addictive potato chips are grow and produced in the gool ol' US of A. Does a bag of Lay's really qualify as local produce?

Farmers Get Paid to Go Organic The Obama administration and USDA have set aside $50 million for farmers who want to make the switch to growing organic crops. For farmers: This money won't last long, and the deadline to apply is May 29th. $50M just isn't what it used to be.

We're Over Gadgeting the Energy Supply Gadgets are the bomb dot com, we all know this ... but watchdogs are worried about what happens in 2030, when everyone on the planet has a iPod and a Blackberry. Apparently, we're going to need about 200 new nuclear plants to power it all. Gulp.

Cap and Trade: A Four Minute Lesson This week, we heard that 76% of American's don't know what in the heck this 'cap and trade' thingy is all about. Well, if you want a refresher, this geeky but helpful video can help you understand all the basics in only a few hand gesture-filled minutes.

Green in a Flash:

• Finally, a zero-emissions riding lawnmower!
• World's largest thermal solar plant planned for Arizona desert.
• Looks like the Obama administration is getting ready to pull the plug on hydrogen cars.

Here at Green Daily, we've run across quite a few inventions recently designed to two-wheeling power to the next level, the bike generator, the Green Wheel, etc. -- but the Wind Helmet may just take the prize for originality. This sleek concept, conceived by Malaysian designer Wai Hoong Leng, helps turn your passive safety gear into a renewable energy generator.

By channeling the wind current through the top of the helmet and across a small turbine, the Wind Helmet can generate enough power to recharge you mobile devices as you cruise. While the design may be best suited for those on a scooter -- since it looks a little on the bulky side -- it's definitely stylish enough to have cross over appeal for cyclists; especially if they're cruising on a power-assisted ebike. I'm hoping that Leng has done the safety research necessary to determine whether this hefty helmet won't break our necks at high speeds. That would be thoughtful.

[via AutoblogGreen]

Last year's CES saw the introduction of a new "green" awareness for the consumer electronics convention, showcasing more energy-efficient and off-grid gadgets for the environmentally aware. This year, they're taking it a few steps further.

The newly-dubbed Greener Gadgets Tech Zone area of the Las Vegas convention has grown from a 520 square feet section to more than 3,000 square feet this year. This is in addition to a new program where they aim to reduce the creation of carbon emissions, rather than simply purchase carbon offset points as they did last year. Big-name consumer electronics manufacturers like Toshiba, Sony, Samsung, Panasonic and HP are all expected to announce exciting environmental news this year, from now through Sunday. Check out the CES main website for more details.

Need portable solar power that fits seamlessly into your wardrobe? Well first there was a tie for the guys and now there's a handbag for the ladies: the Solarjo Solar Power purse. Not only can it charge a cell phone in just two hours, but I think it looks surprisingly stylish and fashionable in the process. It works via a battery hidden inside the lining, which get charged by the solar panel exterior. Then you just plug your phone or mp3 player (or whatever) into the attached USB cord.

The only problem? Much like the solar necktie, hopefully you spend a lot of time carrying your purse around in sunny places. (If this sort of thing is the new rage I'll be looking to buy stock in sunblock!).

If your house is anything like mine you have a lot of electronics plugged in to the wall. I'm sure by now you've heard about phantom power loads and how your TV could be sucking up electricity even when it is turned off. If that's the case, what can you do to stop that energy consumption?

Kelli B. Grant gives readers four ways to reduce the power consumption of your gadgets. Wouldn't you rather give up that big electric bill than all your cool gadgets? I thought so.

• Use power strips. Plug all the office or entertainment center stuff into one strip and turn the strip off when you are away from home or going to bed.
  
• Upgrade to a smart-home system. Installing smart sensors and outlets along with home management software can allow you to put items on a power schedule and even turn items off when you aren't home.
  
• Change your settings. Make sure you are using the energy saving settings on things like computers instead of having them on at full power all the time.
  
• Buy the most energy efficient models of new items. Look for Energy Star ratings on everything from a freezer to phone and MP3 player chargers.

Personally, when I get the opportunity to sprawl out on a poolside lounger, I like to be gadget-free so I can enjoy the peacefulness of getting a sunburn. Other people lay out so often that they prefer to do a little multitasking as they catch some rays. Those are the type of people who might enjoy the "Tech Chair." This solar-powered work/lounge station may be a glimpse into the future of outdoor furniture.

Like other solar docking stations we've seen, the Tech Chair will allow you to take your gadgets off the grid -- but, as far as I know, this one is the only one that allows you to use them while you're horizontal. Apparently, the minds at PC World are responsible for this awesome/ridiculous design, still in the concept stages. If and when the chair goes public, uses will be able to connect firewire, USB, and audio cables to your laptop which sits on a sliding table. Users will also be able to locate and reserve chairs online using built-in GPS.

Note: Has anyone tried to use their computer in a sunny outdoor area recently? It's nearly impossible to see the screen. Hopefully, that LCD screen is super bright.

[via Treehugger]

Today Ecofriend tells us of a solar device allows you to recharge your laptop computer wherever you are (as long as there's sunlight). The device generates up to 12 volts of power and plugs into your laptop via USB cord.

The providers of this nifty gadget, Merry, Kawamura, Ganjavian, also offer a USB-powered water boiler, a purse that glows on the inside, and a set of eating utensils that fit on your fingertips. Also advertised is a trash bin divider--handy for keeping your recyclables sorted, but I wonder how long it will take folks to figure out that a sheet of cardboard would work just as well?

Has anyone tried any of these solar power options for laptops? What do you think?

While Apple's image has taken some hits for not leading the way when it comes to green tech, that doesn't mean they're not concocting a plan to leapfrog the competition. We've seen plenty of accessories that use renewable energy to charge your gadgets, but rumor has it that the next generation of iPhones, iPods, and MacBooks could be equipped with their own built-in renewable energy chargers. A recent patent published by the super-savvy tech company reveals plans for a behind-the-screens solar panel.
In the future, your Mac could be quietly charging by way of a solar panel behind it's LCD screen -- extending your battery's life and reducing you computer's eco-footprint. By harnessing the ambient light that passes through the device's LCD screen, Apple is hoping to be able to go green without having to sacrifice their trademark designs. It seems like they might really be onto something here. If you think about it, LCD screens might be the best location on most devices to collect solar power -- they're just not the most obvious choice.

[via Engadget]

Bottling water from some distant mountain stream (or just filtering tap water and re-selling to unsuspecting customers) sure seems like a lot of work for nothing -- particularly as drinkable water routinely falls from the sky. However, while standing in the rain with your mouth open hoping to catch a drink is impractical, inefficient, embarrassing and cold, capturing that H2O is much simpler than it might at first appear.

Enter the Filterbrella. As the name suggests, this clever variation on the standard umbrella captures and filters rainwater for you to drink.

Timbuk2's new Steve Sleeve begs to differ. It combines the look of the infamous envelope with the protection of a normal sleeve - plus, it's green! Where a regular paper envelope would fall apart and need to be replaced, the Steve Sleeve is made of durable fabric. The seams are held together by non-toxic glue, and the inner lining is made of PET from recycled plastic bottles.

The Steve Sleeve was scheduled to launch in March, so it should be available in stores soon. In the meantime, you might want to avoid using paper envelopes to store your MacBook. Some conscientious person might mistake them for actual interoffice mail, and drop your sexy new laptop in the recycling.

Next in a long line of cool ways to charge up your cell phone is the Strapya Mini Solar Cell Phone Charger. It's so tiny (smaller than an iPod Shuffle?) it can practically double as a cell phone charm while it soaks up the sun and keeps you chatting with your friends. 6-10 hours of sunlight (just remember to leave it on a sunny windowsill when you're not using it) will give you up to 3 hours of talk time -- sounds like a much better deal than those travel chargers that give about the same results but use up disposable AA batteries, plus it's only about $17.

Not the first place I would put a washing machine but the impetus behind Sevin Coskun's design is fantastic. Looking for a way to reuse the water from doing laundry and not wasting water from daily flushes, he created washUP. It sits above the toilet and the leftover water from washing is kept in a convenient tank ready to provide ample supply for flushing. Although the location is a bit odd, it does fit well in tight spaces and creates interest in a usually dull spot. Green gadgets get cooler everyday.

Gavin Starks is the founder of AMEE, the World's Energy Meter, used by UK Government, Google and over 100 other organizations.

Gavin Starks' goal is to record the carbon footprint of every single person in the world. It's a tall order. To do that he's created a carbon footprint calculator called AMEE, and is working with different organizations to collect, combine, and manipulate data on how our actions affect the planet. In the end, Gavin's calculator can help you to understand -- to a seemingly infinite degree to detail -- how you're hurting the environment, and, therefore, exactly what you can do to stop it.

We caught up with Gavin at the SXSW Interactive festival, as he prepared to present the panel "Green Software. Really?"

The best Christmas present I got this year was from an in-law, who handed me a wind-up flashlight and proudly declared in her high, nasal voice: "It's GREEEEEEEEEN!"

And that's true. It is green, as it's powered purely by the energy I generate by winding it up. But more importantly, it's useful. Used to be that every time the power went out at our house, we'd inevitably stashed the flashlights in some corner of the closet that's impossible to navigate in the dark, or, more likely, simply forgotten to insert new batteries -- which are also incredibly difficult to discover without any light to guide you.

So I love my little wind-up flashlight. It makes a cool whizzing sound while I give it some juice, and provides bright, soft, soothing light every time I click it on. The only thing that could possible make my GREEEEEEEEN gadget any cooler, would be if it was shaped and decorated like a penguin -- like this Bright Guy LED Penguin Flashlight from the Penguin Gift Shop.

For only $12.95, this delightful little gadget can brighten up your life.

[via Shiny Shiny]

So you finally caved and dropped $3,000 on your fancy-shmancy new MacBook Air. Your geeky friends are really impressed, your treehugging friends are sort of impressed, and everyone else is mildly amused that your new laptop fits in an envelope. Life is good.

Or, at least it was, until you accidentally left your shockingly expensive new computer out with the recycling. Ouch.

This, unfortunately, is the fate of Stephen Levy. Or, at least it appears to be. His wife isn't convinced, but the gadget-freak-in-mourning is pretty sure that the last place he saw his beloved laptop was on the kitchen table -- a workspace that, like many kitchen tables, is usually covered with newspapers. Until his wife puts them in the recycling.