Yup, I've been anxiously awaiting the OLED TV over here.
Someone did point out my eco-hypocrisy: an OLED may be greener than usual TVs (check out this post for details--in short, it's much more energy efficient), but, after all, power-usage-wise, reading a book is arguably a much greener activity.
My response: I do live in the real world, and need my weekly fix of House. So, while it's not like I can afford Sony's new $1,700, released-only-in-Japan new TV, I can still dream of the day when everyone has replaced their huge old energy-guzzling TVs with slick, efficient ones, so we can all enjoy M*A*S*H reruns in all their glory.
And, Sony has released lovely new promo shots, to accompany their December 1 Japan release. What better excuse than to contemplate this vision of the future...?
As you may have heard, the Vatican plans to become the world's first carbon-neutral state. Not by hugely reducing its own carbon-producing activities (although they are planning on installing solar panels), but through a brand-new, 37-acre "Vatican Climate Forest," a donation (and great P.R. stunt) from a Hungarian company called Klimafa.
Carbon offsets. They're one of those things that tend to divide people fairly strongly--you like 'em, or you don't. And while they sound good--an easy bandwagon to jump on (like ethanol, ahem)--they do create a "wait a sec..." upon further consideration.
Before there was any serious talk of Ethanol or Biodiesel, there was Dennis Williams - a local farmer in Cullman County, Oklahoma. According to Cushman Daily Citizen, in 1980 Mr. Williams modified the engine of his Ford Pinto "to run on alcohol he made in a 30-gallon still at his home in Bremen".
The blend he used was dubbed "mash". It consisted of readily available plants like corn, potatoes, sugar cane, molasses, sugar beets, pumpkins, watermelons and fruits. Once mixed, mash would be left to ferment for up to 48 hours, producing an alcohol-based fuel as potent "as anything from Exxon."
The article reverts to the old Birmingham News reports about the local farmer, stating that "the resulting 140- to 190-proof alcohol would be used to run his converted tractor, pickup truck and other equipment and to heat his barns and his home. After the alcohol is taken off, the remaining mash -- now twice as rich in protein -- would be piped into troughs to feed his cattle. The cattle would lose no food value in the process."
For all the panting, never-ending talk of biofuel's availability, accessibility and financial feasibility, Dennis Williams - a farmer from Oklahoma - seamed to have figured it out.
There is very little disagreement among us car guys (and gals), that BMW is, as the advertising slogan suggests, the 'ultimate driving machine'. With its popular, fuel-sipping Mini and the recently introduced Efficient Dynamics program, BMW is now also on its way to becoming the ultimate green machine. The new 1-series coupe and convertible set out to diminish CO2, increase mileage and preserve that, which strikes a cord, raises pulse and leaves breathless - the BMW driving experience.
Positioned between BMW's Mini Cooper and 3-series, both coupe and convertible will be offered with a choice of numerous diesel and petrol drivetrains. All are very efficient, even the 'sixes'. However, the greenest performers will be those of 118i and 120i. According to Channel4.com, the 4-cylinder 120i "returns 42.8mpg and emits 158g/km of CO2".
As a concerned environmentalist, you will surely appreciate this 120i's green stats. But as a driving enthusiast, you will more than likely fancy taking this Beemer's 168 horses to 60 mph in eight seconds flat with a top down.
By any objective measure, this electric bike is a fusion of design, sustainability and performance. Made by Matra, A French automotive design firm, the highly versatile, zero emissions MS-1 is the ultimate urban commuter.
I am often critical of underpowered and outrageously expensive electric two-wheelers, of which there are now too many. All claim to be perfect for growing urban centers, yet few truly deliver. Leaving competition in the dust, MS-1 is capable of reaching speeds of just under 30 mph and has an unheard-of range of 60 miles! According to Autoblog, "the bike also supports regenerative braking", allowing the on-board batteries to retain the electrical charge. The two-wheeler can also operate as a normal bicycle. Unlike other electro-bikes or scooters, MS-1 will get you home even if the batteries are dead.
Showcased at the Paris Auto Show, Matra MS-1 is just a concept. But as far as I am concerned, this electric bike has a very bright future.
While Dell is out earning its eco-kudos by taking back old PCs for recycling, others are questioning the very effectiveness of this well-intentioned practice. In a recent Vnunet report, some even suggest that computer recycling might do more harm than good.
For most of us the word 'recycling' has become immediately synonymous with positive environmental change. Few of us, however, are familiar with carbon-intensive manufacturing associated with reprocessing your old gear.
Want to get active in your community? Here's an idea: campaign for wind-powered government buildings.
Even better, you now have a precedent to point to: Montgomery County in Pennsylvania, where, starting last week, a 29 million kilowatt hour wind energy purchase will power all county facilities. Talk about setting an example for its citizens!
29 million kilowatts is about equal to 2,700 homes. Montgomery County, in southeast PA, has about 800,000 people. And if they can cooperate enough to get this done, then so can the rest of us.
The last Solio Charger won points for a futuristic, cool design, portability, and eco-friendliness. The latest design--the Hybrid1000--has a rugged, outdoorsy look (inspired by a carabiner?) and a pedigree to match: it comes in a weatherproof case that looks pretty hardy, although whether you want to try a drop test with a $80 gadget is debatable.
Better Energy Systems' Hybrid 1000 contains a Lithium-Ion battery, and, when charged, can give you a few hours of power for your cellphone, PDA, music player, digital camera, GRP units--and, for that bastion of outdoor activity--your game console.
You can also power it up via your USB port and use it as a 1.1-pound portable battery.
And what I like? The Hybrid1000 is 100% carbon neutral, start to end, manufactured to be as clean as possible.
Green hardware comes up relatively frequently around here--energy efficient servers, laptops, etc. But this new concept (to me, anyway) makes a lot of sense: managing the data, not just the hardware, to be energy efficient.
Hence, the Green Data Project. Tagline? "Green IT begins with Green Data." Well, that may be taking it a bit far, but it makes a kind of sense. When you think about it, after all, what is on your computer? Mostly stuff you don't need and never look at, because--who knows?--maybe someday, someday you'll need that random document for legal reasons, or whatever.
You think your computer is bad? Think about the computers--or rather, servers--of entire companies. They must be (and, in fact, are--about 40%) full of stuff no one ever looks at. And running those servers uses energy.
According to the press release, it's all free. The site looks pretty cool--just launched and a little bare of content, but we have our fingers crossed.
Further proving what a range of interests solar power can be applied to (see post below), it looks like the Australian army has been looking to supply their soldiers with solar power-producing packs, which will be able to power night-vision goggles, sensors, GPS, and radio units.
The Ministry of Defence worked with Sustainable Technologies International to develop the 14-oz panels, which would be molded right into the backpacks, and cheaper, lighter, more reliable, safer (they don't explode in tough conditions), and, needless to say, greener than batteries. Soldiers will also be, I imagine, more self-sufficient, and hence, more mobile.
Who will be carrying them first? The Australians. And, while Australia may have a sunny reputation, these panels will be able to work even on cloudy days, as they absorb the sun's radiation, not just light.
(And, if you want your own solar pack, you can check them out here.)
Some time ago, we mentioned stained glass solar panels--and their clear (ha!) potential for creating beautiful works of eco-friendly, aesthetic art.
Well, Groovygreen reports that the first one is up and running! (And it's beautiful, don't you think?)
You can check it out at (or make a pilgrimage to) the brand-new, $10 million theology library at the University of British Columbia's Regent College, in Vancouver. They're installed in a 40-foot wind tower that is both the visual centerpiece of and a way to bring air to the primarily-underground building. The art is called "Lux Nova," created by architectural glass artist Sarah Hall.
Also involved in the creation of the art was Glasmalerei Peters of Paderborn, Germany. In this article, she says that "Stained glass has a thousand-year history. Using solar energy is one way of bringing new technology to an art form that most people consider traditional and unchanging. However, tradition is not for keeping the ashes -- but the fire alive. By forging art with a source of energy we create a powerful image of how we can live in this world." Beautiful!
(One stained glass artwork that I'd like to see installed?)
For an 'old-school' car guy like me three-wheelers take a bit of a learning curve. They are often green, sometimes cute, but rarely inspiring. Thus, as much I try, I can hardly picture myself driving one. That is until I saw the new Aptera.
This I file under "now we are talking" category. Its striking, jet-like design is a far cry from the very eco-friendly, but awkward looking NmG. According to Autoblog, diesel hybrid "Aptera is looking at around 300 miles per gallon along with acceptable performance numbers of about 11 seconds to sixty with a 95 mile per hour top-speed." Throw in its likely low-drag coefficient, a rear-view camera and a solar-powered A/C and you've got yourself a truly green dream machine.
Yet, this three-wheeler's most impressive parameter is its price. Aptera is now available for less than $30,000!
The year of 2007 will be quite a historic one here in the Big Apple. It will mark the addition of another super-skyscraper to the soaring landscape of Manhattan Island. At 1,200 feet, The Bank of America tower will be the one of the tallest structures in New York, second only to the Empire State building.
Occupying 2 acres of Sixth Avenue, between 42nd and 43rd Street, this glass, steel and aluminum giant also promises to be the greenest edifice building in the United States. As such, it is likely to earn U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) rank of Premium.
This 2.1 million square-foot green tower will utilize its large translucent windows to cut energy costs by lighting the building naturally. The savings will help sustain the long-term operation of its 9 major global trading floors, ranging in size from 43,000 to 99,000 square feet.
Bank of America along with Cook+Fox Architects, LLP offer a brief outline of the various methods used to make The Bank of America tower a leader in environmentally conscious architechture.
While writing about eco-tech every day tends to be quite interesting, it also leads to something of a bubble effect: I lose my perspective on actual public awareness of the green-tech revolution.
Occasionally I am given something of a jolt, as at DigitalLife yesterday: a man asked me why I was there, and I said that I wrote about green technology. His response. "Oh." (Long pause). Then, as if imparting a valuable tip: "You know who's really into that, like green cars? Al Gore. Him and global warming and stuff."
In retrospect, this is actually not a low level of awareness: the guy knew about Al Gore, his promotion of hybrids, and had probably heard about An Inconvenient Truth. But is this guy actually going to buy CFLs?
As the signs around it read: "Designed by Dell. Powered by Intel." Or powered by Lord-knows-how-much gas. From what I can research, 18-wheelers average about 5-6 mpg--and let's not even talk about emissions.
(On the other hand, the EPA notes that if you "snuggle up" in the slipstream behind an 18-wheeler, you'll improve your own mileage. But as any driver knows, that's a situation you almost certainly want to avoid, unless you want a dinged windshield.)
I'm not saying the games weren't cool, of course... and, considering the size of the corporation, one 18-wheeler isn't, by the numbers, that big a deal. On the other hand, if they're really looking to go carbon-neutral (and increase public awareness), I have a pretty good idea of where they could start. It's an opportunity to both educate and show a little consistency.
(Even America's Next Top Model ditched the limo for a biofuel bus--and if models can deal with the smell of French fries, I'm sure that gamers could).
GoodCleanTech aims to provide you with news, tips, advice, and ideas about how to do more with less. With the help of the editors and analysts at PC Magazine, we’ll praise those companies that have committed to better ecotechnologies and hold to the fire the polluters and resource hogs. And we’ll keep you informed about the latest environmentally friendly developments in the worlds of computers, automobiles, fuel, power, and more.