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environment
New inexpensive method to clean oil from water
By Darren Quick
19:46 November 17, 2009 PST
The rainbow effect caused by varying thicknesses of oil film on water’s surface might be pretty to look at but is indicative of polluted water. This “oil sheen” proves especially difficult to remove, even when the water is aerated with ozone or filtered through sand. But now a University of Utah engineer has developed an inexpensive new method to remove oil sheen by repeatedly pressurizing and depressurizing ozone gas, creating microscopic bubbles that attack the oil so it can be removed by sand filters. Read More
Long awaited satellite to monitor water cycle reaches orbit
By Darren Quick
22:43 November 5, 2009 PST
The 658kg (1,450 lb) Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) satellite launched by the European Space Agency (ESA) this week is the first ever satellite designed both to map sea surface salinity and to monitor soil moisture on a global scale. The unique radiometer it carries will enable passive surveying of the water cycle between oceans, the atmosphere and land thereby playing a key role in the monitoring of global climate change. Read More
‘Smart Trash’ cash for recycling concept
By Darren Quick
21:52 November 2, 2009 PST
If the benefit to our environment isn’t enough to get some people to recycle, Georgia Tech’s Valerie Thomas has come up with the concept of offering a cash incentive enabled by “Smart Trash”. The concept involves a scanner integrated into a trash receptacle that automatically records what is being disposed of using Universal Product Codes (UPC) or radio frequency identification (RFID) tags attached to the trash. This would not only allow recyclers to better sort the waste but could also provide a cash back channel to consumers recycling goods of value. Read More
Venom introduces world's first carbon neutral alkaline battery
By Jude Garvey
04:07 October 22, 2009 PDT
A new range of batteries from Venom is free of mercury, cadmium and lead, and has been certified carbon neutral by Carbonfund.org. The Eco Alkaline batteries were certified carbon neutral after a detailed product life-cycle assessment of carbon emissions. As part of a carbon neutral project, Venom is supporting the Return to Forest Project which is helping to reforest Nicaragua's Pacific coast. Read More
Research highlights environmentally friendly nature of digital music distribution
By Paul Lester
15:25 October 12, 2009 PDT
Despite the music industry being relatively slow to catch on to the fact that accessing music online is clearly the way forwards, the phasing out of DRM and appearance of innovative new services that offer consumers more choice, convenience and easy access to tunes, suggests that things are finally falling into place. One area that is often omitted when discussing the pros and cons of online is the environment, and it stands to reason that there would be a noticeable impact when you remove the cost of both printing CDs and delivering them to the consumer. Read More
Trashing existing fuel sources could cut global emissions by 80%
By Darren Quick
01:03 September 30, 2009 PDT
If there’s one thing there seems to be an endless supply of, it's garbage. The idea of turning the trash that currently ends up in landfill into a fuel to combat the growing energy crisis and tackle carbon emissions isn’t new. Companies like Waste2tricity in the UK are already looking to convert waste from business and industry into clean electricity. Now scientists in Singapore and Switzerland have added credence to the idea, saying that replacing gasoline with biofuel derived from processed waste biomass could cut global emissions by 80%. Read More
TomTom simplifies user interface with the new GO 950 LIVE
16:12 September 8, 2009 PDT
TomTom recently unveiled its latest GO 950 LIVE navigation device as part of the new GO x50 LIVE series, which offers a highly improved user interface and an expanded services offering, along with detailed and constantly updated data feeds. Read More
Roll-out vegie patch for the time-poor (and non-gardeners)
By Karen Sprey
06:13 August 10, 2009 PDT
From the ‘it’s so simple, why didn’t I think of that?’ file comes the… Roll-out Veg Mat. Lack of time or a green thumb is no longer an issue (or an excuse). Just roll out the pre-sown-and-fertilized corrugated cardboard seed mat, add soil and water, then sit back and enjoy the fruits – or rather, veg – of your very limited labor. Read More
Keeping supersonic transport quiet
By Paul Lester
20:54 August 4, 2009 PDT
Supersonic business jets have traditionally got a bad rap when it comes to practicality and the environment, with high costs, loud noises and short range far outweighing the benefits of speed. The future of air travel will therefore be subject to stringent criteria to ensure that economy and eco-credentials, particularly noise pollution, don’t take a back seat to comfort and performance, and with this in mind Supersonic Aerospace International seem to have hit a luxury-class balance between the two. Read More
Help design a car for the future
By Paul Ridden
23:22 July 27, 2009 PDT
C,mm,n (pronounced common) is an open community design project that is not only counting on its members to help design a car but is also tasking them with producing a whole new mobility solution to cope with the challenging demands of the future. The blueprints for the proposed electric car concept and the mobility concepts are freely available under an open source licence and contributions are welcome from anyone and everyone. Read More
Circulus concept car - the driveable Dyson Ball vacuum cleaner
By Paul Ridden
20:48 July 26, 2009 PDT
Did you marvel at the impressive cornering and maneuverability of the Dyson Ball when it first raced around the floor in TV ads? If such a ball design can take a vacuum cleaner to places no others would dare to go, what could such a thing could do for a car? Graphic designer Santosh Chawla has incorporated a similar principle into his hydrogen powered Circulus concept car design. Read More
Phoenix: Concept vehicle for a brave new world
By Jeff Salton
19:33 July 22, 2009 PDT
First appearing in the Michelin Challenge Design earlier this year, the Phoenix concept features an orbital omni-directional four-wheel-drive system which allows for several types of motion - apart from moving forwards and backwards, it can rotate around its own axis and move sideways. Read More
The Bedol Eco-Friendly Clock - just add water
By Mick Webb
21:07 July 20, 2009 PDT
Anything that flies the green flag is a welcome addition to the array of resource depleting devices in our homes. The Bedol Eco – Friendly Water Powered Clock is as environmentally sound as they come – literally just add water. Read More
Capturing more heat from low-temp resources to aid geothermal power
By Darren Quick
01:29 July 20, 2009 PDT
Geothermal power is cost effective, reliable, and environmentally friendly, but it has previously been limited to geographic areas near tectonic plate boundaries. New technologies, such as that employed in the Raser low-temperature binary geothermal plant, promise to expand the opportunities for geothermal plants. Now scientists at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) have devised a method for capturing significantly more heat from low-temperature geothermal resources to further boost the possibility of virtually pollution-free electricity. Read More
The Dragonfly: vertical farming vision for New York's skyline
By Paul Lester
04:17 July 16, 2009 PDT
Building another skyscraper in the middle of New York may not seem like an environmentally-sound project. That is of course, unless said skyscraper is capable of providing a sprawling urban populous with self-sustaining production of food, reuse of natural resources and biodegradeable waste. Enter The Dragonfly, a dazzling, ethereal design from Vincent Callebaut Architectures which underlines the future potential of vertical farming. Read More
TrickleStar aims to stop the standby power drain
By Mick Webb
19:09 July 9, 2009 PDT
One of the greatest wastes of energy in the household is standby power and here to combat this, is the TrickleSaver. With the ability to sense when a TV or PC is off and shut down any connected peripherals like games consoles or printers, TrickleSaver is looking to make “vampire power” a thing of the past. Read More
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
Mazda now painting cars greener
17:57 June 17, 2009 PDT
The Mazda Motor Corporation continues to find ways to be a better global citizen with a car painting system that it says has the lowest environmental impact in the world. The new “Aqua-Tech Paint System” reduces the emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC) by 57% and, happily, improves the paint job. 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
GE and NASA to give open-rotor jet engine systems a spin
By Jude Garvey
06:31 June 15, 2009 PDT
GE Aviation and NASA will run a wind tunnel test program over the northern summer to evaluate and test counter-rotating fan-blade systems for open-rotor jet engine designs. The newly improved rig for testing was originally used by GE and NASA in the 1980s on scale models of counter-rotating fan systems, which led to the development of the GE36 engine. The test program also demonstrated that an open-rotor jet engine consumed 30 percent less fuel compared to similar-sized conventional jet engines. Just think what a 30 percent drop in fuel consumption would deliver today, not only to an airline industry struggling to keep ticket prices down, but also the positive benefits to the environment. Read More
Study exposes transport's hidden impact on the environment
By Darren Quick
02:29 June 15, 2009 PDT
By looking at the environmental impact of passenger transport – whether it be trains, planes or automobiles – beyond the exhaust fumes spewing from its collective tail pipe, researchers in the United States have discovered a significant spike in energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. By taking into account transport support systems – which includes sourcing raw materials, manufacturing, as well as the construction and maintenance of infrastructure – researchers at the University of California hope to provide a more detailed view for transport planners and policy makers. And produce a better outcome for the environment. 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
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
Formula 3 racing car powered by chocolate and steered by carrots - seriously
By Darren Quick
22:41 May 6, 2009 PDT
Environmentally friendly vehicles conjure up thoughts of a Toyota Prius hybrid or maybe a vehicle powered by hydrogen fuel cells, but a Formula 3 racing car generally wouldn’t be the first thing to come to mind. This "WorldFirst Formula 3 car" unveiled by researchers at the University of Warwick might just change that impression - and it's eco-friendliness goes way beyond the bio diesel engine that drives it. The racer is powered by chocolate, steered by carrots, has bodywork made from potatoes and can still do 125mph around corners. Read More
Terotech
- November 21, 2009 @ 19:38 UTC
