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ecoGizmo
Further doubts atmospheric umbrella will save marine environments
By Darren Quick
15:55 June 18, 2009 PDT
We recently looked at problems with a last resort solution to counteract global warming by artificially shading the Earth from sunlight by injecting sulphur or small, reflective particles into the upper atmosphere. Now a new study from the Carnegie Institution has thrown further doubt on the effectiveness of such a proposal. Although it may lower the planet’s temperature by a couple of degrees, it would do little to stop the acidification of the world’s oceans that threatens coral reefs and other marine life. Read More
Honeywell wind turbine is a breeze to run – and a light one at that
By Alan Brandon
15:11 June 17, 2009 PDT
Has affordable, practical home wind power generation become a reality? The Honeywell Windgate wind turbine from EarthTronics looks like it could be a contender. Developers EarthTronics and Honeywell Corp hope the Windgate wind turbine will help meet the energy needs of homeowners and businesses, even if they are not located in prime “windy” areas. EarthTronics says the 6-foot wide, 95-pound Windgate can start to spin in breezes as low as 2mph and can create more power with less wind than other types of wind turbines. Read More
Rural Space designed to give eco-tourism a temporary lift
By Karen Sprey
17:08 June 16, 2009 PDT
With so many heritage-listed sites and national parks in Britain, there are tight restrictions on what can be permanently built and where. Designer Philip Crewe, however, has come up with the idea of Rural Space, a temporary living space powered by wind and solar energy, which helps people get closer to nature, in considerably more comfort than the standard tent or hostel. Read More
Tamago play furniture: 100% recyclable for 100% fun
By Jude Garvey
17:06 June 16, 2009 PDT
Merci Design has developed a line of children’s play furniture made from 100% recycled paper pulp, the same material used to produce egg cartons. Tamago, meaning ‘egg’ in Japanese, consists of seven different pieces, designed to be utilized by the child in whatever way they choose. Read More
Sony announces eco-friendly mercury-free batteries
By Mick Webb
05:49 June 16, 2009 PDT
It’s no secret that mercury is a dirty word in environmental circles, and more of the big guns of electronics are starting to take note. Apple's MacBook Pro now features a mercury-free backlight display, and Fuji has released its eco-friendly EnviroMax batteries. This week Sony has strengthened its enviro-credibility by announcing a line of mercury-free alkaline button batteries. Read More
HyWind - world's first floating wind turbine reaches its final destination
By Karen Sprey
18:20 June 15, 2009 PDT
Hywind, the 2.3MW floating offshore wind turbine being developed by Norwegian oil and gas company StatoilHydro, Siemens and Technip has now been installed and moored to the seabed off the coast of Norway. Once cables to the mainland grid have been laid, the wind turbine prototype will undergo a two year pilot which will provide valuable knowledge on how to perfect the technology and hopefully one day enable floating wind turbines to become a financially viable alternative to other energy sources. Read More
Water Building resort is far more than a drop in the ocean
By Jude Garvey
01:47 June 11, 2009 PDT
Given some of the intriguing and unusual eco-friendly resort concepts we've seen of late, a luxury hotel in the shape of an enormous drop of water that's designed to convert air into drinking water with the assistance of solar power should come as no surprise. Read More
Dubai's striking O-14 development has solid solar credentials
By Karen Sprey
06:37 June 9, 2009 PDT
Dubai can lay claim to some of the world’s most outlandish buildings and many are also at the forefront of innovation in eco- and- environmentally friendly design. Joining their ranks is the 0-14 (‘oh-14’), a 22 storey, 300,000 square-foot commercial building perched on a two-storey podium in Dubai’s Business Bay. It's defining feature - a lace-like concrete exoskeleton peppered with more than 1,000 holes - provides both the building’s structure and its facade, delivering shade, light and air, plus stunning views of the Bay and skyline. Read More
The eco-switch saves energy – including your own
By Karen Sprey
01:10 June 8, 2009 PDT
We all know we should turn off appliances at the wall to reduce fire risk as well as our carbon emissions, but the truth is most of us can't be bothered or think to flick the switch. The eco-switch could be the answer: it’s a simple and inexpensive energy-saving device that lets you relocate the power point switch to a more convenient spot where you can turn multiple appliances on and off – with the flick of a single switch. Read More
Ancient building technique may help future designs to be more eco-friendly
By Darren Quick
23:24 June 4, 2009 PDT
Every child learns early on that moist sand is the key to building a sturdy sandcastle. Now researchers at Durham University have studied this principle so it can be better applied to an ancient eco-friendly building technique of using rammed earth. Read More
New DuPont technology reduces solar costs, increases performance
By Karen Sprey
19:06 June 1, 2009 PDT
New encapsulant technology from DuPont promises long-term protection for solar cells, the most sensitive part of photovoltaic modules. The DuPont PV5200 Series and DuPont PV5300 Series encapsulant sheets will also reduce the cost per watt and increase reliability and durability of the modules, allowing manufacturers to deliver better performing, cost-effective solar power. Read More
Glowmark puts the green in glow-in-the-dark safety lighting
By Karen Sprey
15:56 June 1, 2009 PDT
It is a challenge to provide affordable safety lighting in dark and low-light areas. Glowmark is a new product that uses long-lasting, photo-luminescent crystal technology as an alternative to electric lighting. Not only does it not need electricity, it costs nothing to run, is environmentally safe, biodegradable and easy to install. Read More
The race to build the world's biggest solar power plant heats up
By David Greig
17:42 May 25, 2009 PDT
The race to build the world’s largest solar power plant continues with Arizona Public Service and Starwood Energy Group Global LLC unveiling plans for a 290-megawatt concentrating solar plant in the Harquahala Valley, 75 miles west of Phoenix. As one of the largest solar plants in the world Starwood Solar I will produce enough electricity to power more than 73,000 homes and is scheduled for completion by 2013. Read More
Plans to build Arizona bullet train fired by the sun
By Karen Sprey
16:54 May 25, 2009 PDT
Bullet trains are considered by many to be one of the greener forms of transport, so imagine how environmentally friendly they might be if the sun’s power was harnessed to power them. That’s precisely what Solar Bullet LLC hopes to do with its 220mph solar bullet train, which the company claims can travel from Tucson to Phoenix in just 30 minutes. Read More
Powerbrella: the solar-powered umbrella that recharges the batteries
By Darren Quick
00:46 May 25, 2009 PDT
A retractable alfresco umbrella that converts sunlight into electricity to charge laptops, mobile phones, iPods or any other portable device that might be used relaxing or working outdoors is in development following a partnership between Skyshades, a supplier of shade structures, and Konarka Technologies, the developer of Power Plastic. Read More
Playing roulette with the climate – everybody loses
By Darren Quick
07:55 May 22, 2009 PDT
Research carried out by the MIT's Center for Global Change Science has predicted that global warming will be roughly double previous estimates – and could be even worse than that. While a major 2003 study indicated a median projected increase in earth surface warming of 2.4 degrees Celsius, the new study, which takes into account possible changes in human activities, points to a median probability of surface warming of 5.2 degrees Celsius by 2100 unless drastic action is taken. Read More
Plastic and fuel that grows on trees
By Darren Quick
18:19 May 20, 2009 PDT
Biofuels continue to steal the spotlight when it comes to the search for a renewable, environmentally friendly replacement for crude oil. While that’s understandable when considering the transport industry, but crude oil is also used in the production of conventional plastics and chemical products such as fertilizers and solvents. Now chemists have learned how to convert plant biomass directly into a chemical building block that can not only be used to produce fuel, but also plastics, polyester and industrial chemicals cheaply and efficiently. Read More
Biofuel versus bioelectricity, and the winner is…
By Darren Quick
06:35 May 20, 2009 PDT
Running vehicles on biofuels such as ethanol reduces CO2 emissions and offers a way to lessen the world's reliance on oil. While this sounds great from an environmental perspective, the energy required to produce the biofuel and the land clearing for crops that can result means biofuels aren’t necessarily the environmentally friendly solution they initially appear to be. Recognizing this, researchers have analyzed the best way to maximize the “miles per acre” from biomass and discovered that the far more efficient option is to convert the biomass to electricity, rather than ethanol. Another tick for the electric car. Read More
The Etive kinetic energy charger gives power walking a whole new meaning
By Jude Garvey
00:06 May 20, 2009 PDT
Hiking has its share of highs and lows. One of the less pleasing aspects is ensuring you have an adequate source of energy to power your personal electronic equipment. There are a number of renewable energy options available that you may consider when planning your next hiking trip. You could harness the sun’s energy and use a solar-powered charger or solar-wrapped batteries. Perhaps you might choose to use wind power to keep you in touch with the world? But wouldn’t it be great if you could harness power using your own kinetic energy? It makes sense. You’re using your legs all day, surely all that sweat, pain and muscle fatigue is good for something? Enter the Etive – a concept device that uses kinetic energy as a power source for recharging all the electronic gadgets you bring to the great outdoors. Read More
Prayer wheel generates more than karmic energy
By Karen Sprey
22:20 May 17, 2009 PDT
Tibetan prayer wheels have been used for centuries to create harmony, enhance compassion and generate positive karmic energy. Now the kinetic energy created by the millions of tourists and Tibetans who spin the wheels each year could be harnessed to provide additional electricity for street lighting and homes. Read More
Green projects take off at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport
By David Greig
19:37 May 13, 2009 PDT
Airports are windy places and it seems logical to harness this power to reduce operating costs and boost green credentials. In line with this, the environmentally minded Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) has recently installed 10 wind-powered electricity generators and purchased an electric-powered utility vehicle for use at the airport. Read More
Smarter wind technology looks to improve turbine workrate
By Karen Sprey
18:20 May 10, 2009 PDT
Clean, renewable energy is freely available – in the form of wind, sun and water. However, harnessing it reliably and cost-effectively remains a barrier. Wind power is one of the fastest growing alternative energy markets and researchers at Purdue University and Sandia National Laboratories in West Lafayette, Indiana, are working to make wind turbines more efficient, reliable and resilient. Read More
New technology could lead to 50% increase in tire recycling
By Karen Sprey
17:15 May 10, 2009 PDT
A new method of recycling old tires to produce high-quality rubber powders for making new rubber products is being developed in Australia. Its developers say it is energy-efficient, economically viable and environmentally responsible, and they hope it will result in 50 per cent more tires being recycled. Read More
Raser low-temperature binary geothermal plant goes online
By Paul Evans
21:19 May 5, 2009 PDT
Raser Technologies has begun delivering 10 megawatts (MW) of clean, renewable electricity to Anaheim, California, from its first low-temperature, binary geothermal plant, the Hatch Geothermal Power Plant in Beaver County, Utah. Traditionally, the lead time on a geothermal plant is three to five years, but the USD$33-million Raser plant has been powered up just five months after ground-breaking. To help meet such rapid construction schedules, the plant uses off-the-shelf modular components, taken from the air conditioning industry, which are essentially running in reverse. Read More
Pixel building aims to be world's first carbon neutral office development
By Paul Best
23:57 May 3, 2009 PDT
Australian developer Grocon plans to build the country’s first carbon neutral office building on a former brewery site in the city of Melbourne – and possibly the first of its kind in the world. According to the developer, the $6 million, four-storey building has been designed to generate more energy on the site than it uses, offsetting the carbon emissions produced to operate it – and, in time, the greenhouse gases generated in making and installing the construction materials. Read More
Jonathan Cole
- November 6, 2009 @ 16:15 UTC
