Author: gavril

Cleaning up water has never looked easier before the development of the newest technological breakthrough, the glass sponge. Glass as we know it is not spongy, but this new material developed by the College Of Wooster is a type of glass that swells and can soak up liquids. This spongy innovation binds with pollutants and gasoline. However, it does not bind with water. This enables it to be used to clean up water and make it pollution free. The glass material is being tested currently in the United States. The brainchild of Dr. Paul Edmiston of the College Of Wooster, and also the founder of Absorbent Materials, the company that will market this product, the spongy glass can be used efficiently to pick out pollutants from underground water and aid low budget clean ups. An awesome substitute to current water recycling systems that in some way burn energy, this absorbent glass is sure to find its uses and applications everywhere, when available in the market.

[CleanTechnica]

Audi unveiled the newest color and a tweak in the designing of its E-Tron electric concept supercar at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show. This car kisses the environment and has a wheelbase of 95.67 inches. This car also uses just two motors unlike the previous E-Tron vehicles that powers up its rear wheels. This helps maintain Audi’s 40:60 weight distribution. Weighing 879 pounds, the battery pack is nestled in front of the rear wheels. The supercar also boasts LED headlamps and taillights, a trapezoidal grille and a curvy body. The car has body made of reinforced composites with aluminum and carbon fiber. This helps the new E-Tron shed weight. The car can shoot up to 62 mph in a mere 5.9 seconds which is a bit lesser then the concept vehicle displayed at Frankfurt. This simply means that Audi is now stressing more on range than speed performance. This car can cover up to 155 miles and has a top speed of 124 mph. as you watch this car zip by, make sure you spot its awesome 19 inch spoke wheels! The E-Tron supercar, packed with these features crosses the checkered flag in style.

[Motorauthority]

Toyota has just given birth to the little Prius, smaller and cheaper than the currently available one. This vehicle known as the FT – CH (Compact Hybrid) looks cool and is equally energy efficient. Though just a concept vehicle, Toyota hints that a version of this car will hit showrooms soon. Besides this, Toyota has also planned to launch a whole family of Prius’. These will include minivans, crossovers, hatchbacks and a few more designs. The president of Toyota Motor Sales USA, Jim Lentz states that in order to qualify as a family, more models of electric cars based on the globally acclaimed Prius will need to be chiseled. This car is everything from cute to environment friendly. Plus, it doesn’t burn a huge hole in your pocket and can be yours for a much smaller amount then the current Prius when released. So will Toyota win the hearts of millions of car buyers around the world with its new line up of hybrids? Only time will tell!

[Gas2]

Printing out lithium polymer batteries may seem out of the box and weird, but that’s exactly what a bunch of Japanese researches are working on. Trust the Japanese to come up with some real innovative ideas. Led by Advanced Materials Innovation Center (AMIC) of Mie Industry and Enterprise Support Center (MIESC), these researchers are currently designing and chiseling out a sheet shaped battery. This can be used as a flexible solar battery. Due to the fact that it is printed, the battery can save out on thickness, enlarged and laminated. Two types of batteries have been prototyped with output voltages of 4V and 2V with a thickness of 500μm and an undisclosed battery capacity. Using the roll-to-roll method, thin batteries can be manufactured by reducing the thickness of flexible substrate. The group plans to get these batteries produced commercially with specific applications by 2011.

[Techon]

The Hymini Biscuit uses wind energy and solar energy to charge batteries. Alright, we aren’t talking about energy capturing snacks here. The Biscuit is a device that uses alternative sources of energy to juice two AA batteries. The solar panel on this device captures the solar energy, while a little fan uses wind energy to charge up the batteries. That’s not all; these AA batteries are connected to a USB port at the side that can be used to power up your USB devices, including phones. A brainchild of a Taipei based company know as Miniwiz, the Hymini Biscuit can also be used as a normal charger when out of the sun by simply connecting it to a wall socket using an AC adapter.

This handy device is great for outdoor use when the sun shines generously enough. Costing just $50, the Biscuit can be purchased online.

[Cnet]

We all love those bulbous juicy grapes and the sparkling wine they are used to make. With John Conover’s efforts in making the Cade winery as green as possible, drinking wine and eating grapes has never felt better! The winery uses energy from the sun in the process of making wine and growing grapes. This is one of the few wineries who will soon receive a Gold LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification in the Napa Valley. Some wineries also plan to recycle water and use it more efficiently. The water used to rinse barrels and tanks will be recycled. Roger Boulton, is currently helping in the creation of a winery at the University of California that will be certified with the Platinum LEED, the highest level of certification of this type. This winery will use solar power on a large scale, especially during harvest season and will use rain water collected for cleaning processes. With wineries turning green, we can sip on our glasses of wine without causing an adverse effect to our environment.

[AbcNews]

Making cleaner forms of energy, like solar energy, easily accessible to us is what Sungen International Limited does best. There aren’t a whole load of companies out there that dedicate all its efforts to making energy efficient and environment friendly devices; Sungen International is one of the few who do. They have a whole bag of products that can be used to capture solar energy for our use anywhere. With products like these, we don’t need a solar panel above our roofs all the time, to power our gadgets. One of these amazing mobile solar energy collecting devices is a foldable gadget charger. This device charges to its brim in just about 18 – 25 hours of sunlight. Besides this, the company also has charging kits for RV refrigerators, solar lighting devices and also a DC solar power system capable of capturing up to 70 Watts of energy for use. Thanks to Sungen, the world is turning greener every time their products are used.

[Treehugger]

The captain of the 2010 Canadian Olympic hockey team, Scott Niedermayer is all smiles. And this time, its’ not the goals and victories making him smile. It’s the delivery of his new Honda FCX Clarity Fuel Cell electric vehicle. Using Honda’s V Flow fuel cell stack, the car produces electrical energy from hydrogen. Scott seems eager to go green with his new car and states that growing up in Canada has deepened his love for nature, making him realize the need to save it. This car sure does its part with a zero carbon footprint and absolutely no emissions. Fuel cell vehicles can be easily fueled up now in Canada with the growing number of hydrogen fuel stations.

So all Scott needs to do is, drive his Honda a few kilometers, have it filled up in just five minutes and enjoy long and eco friendly drives with his wife and their four sons who love the outdoors and nature, as much he does. The Captain of the Canadian Olympic hockey team has gone green, what about the rest of his team?

[Honda]

A mobile phone fueled with Coca Cola sounds incredible and sort of weird, doesn’t it? Well, that’s exactly what the mobile phone designed by Daizi Zheng does. According to her, the disposal of mobile phone batteries is a huge environmental problem we face today. So instead of using those, she has designed a phone juiced by her favorite cola!
Fuel cells that run on sugar aren’t unfamiliar, which run on any sugary substance. Using a bio battery, electricity is obtained from the carbohydrates using enzymes as a catalyst. The only byproduct of this operation is water and oxygen. These batteries are capable of running three times more than normal batteries on a single charge and are also biodegradable.

This causes them to be easily disposable without creating a huge environmental issue, since they have no harmful emissions and contain no dangerous substances unlike lithium batteries. So the next time you sip on your coke, remember that the can in your hand can also power your mobile phone!

[Treehugger]

Google has played its part in saving the environment and has showed interest in using cleaner technology before. And now, the company has decided on launching its own energy subsidiary called Google Energy. This is an effort by Google in its aim to achieve carbon neutrality. Formed on December 16, 2009, the Delaware based company publicized its intentions earlier this week to join the power game by buying and selling electricity in the market. This will help Google sell excess power to the grid and lower its energy consumption. Currently, the search engine biggie has a 1.6Mw solar arrangement at the Mountain View headquarters. Though there aren’t any fixed plans yet, Google has also planned to make renewable sources of energy cheaper than the useof coal. If all goes well, Google will help change the way the lights turn on.

[Fastcompany]

Eco friendly LED TV’s by Philips are bound to change the way we watch our favorite television program. These Philips/Funai combo P&F televisions bring in the green element to the world of TV. The Philips Eco TV 7000 was unveiled today by P&F. Ultra slim in design; these TV’s use an advanced LED technology for maximum energy efficiency. The ambient light sensor is responsible for the reduced energy consumption levels without a performance compromise. Fewer materials were used to manufacture them hence reducing Philip’s carbon footprint. This series of TV’s are certified Energy Star 4.0 and contain lead and mercury free components.

The 4000, 5000 and 7000 series of TV’s will be available in the market mid year. This hot and sleek TV’s by Philips
boasts superior image quality and great sound output. They also have four HDMI 1.4a inputs and are enabled with DivX HD with an onboard USB 2.0. Buy yourself one of these clean eco friendly TV’s and show them off in your home!

[Engadget]

The combination of solar energy and wind energy will be like an ice cream with sprinkles with the project by the company Bluenergy that is currently working on the fusion of these two renewable energies. The SolarWind turbine by Bluenergy is basically a helical wind generator. The surface of this is covered with photovoltaic cells. Winds at up to 90 mph and the sun shining brightly is what these generators need to collect energy and generate electricity. Even at low wind conditions and with the sun refusing to shine enough, these turbines turn because of Bluenergy’s awesome designing. Also, the helical design of the turbines enables the photovoltaic cells to receive maximum energy from the sun.

The use of solar and wind energy is finding its way in the market and with inventions and innovations like these, are sure to help increase the use of renewable sources of energy, making our planet a greener and cleaner place to live in.

[Solarfeeds]

Crossing a bridge and getting to the other side sure is difficult during snow and rain. Keeping this in mind, a new heating system powered by solar energy will be used by the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) and will be installed by Pave Guard Technologies, a Kansas City firm. Scheduled to be first installed on two bridges along the Missouri Highway 10 at a cost of $183,000, the system uses the concept of a radiant floor heating with the use of solar energy to save costs. This system will also help generate energy during dry seasons that will be used to power up streetlights.

The system eliminates the use of corrosive clearing materials to clean the pavements, hence increasing the bridges life span. The system is activated automatically at 38 degrees Fahrenheit and a warm mixture is circulated in the tubing. The rehabilitation work will be carried out on these bridges this spring to keep these bridges free of ice this following winter season.

[Sun Trib]

Sailing is now fast turning into an eco-friendly recreation with the availability of energy efficient yachts using alternative energy resources. The newest addition to these green sailors is the fuel cell powered super yacht built by SVDesign. Named as the OrganiK, this yacht has a high and economic cruising speed due to its narrow and long hull. Two pods with electric engines propel the vessel and are powered by fuel cells. Cruising on this yacht is a silent affair due to this
technology. The wheel house also has wide windows eliminating the need for extra lighting.

Luxury defines itself with the yachts salons, balconies and bedrooms, dining areas and even a library. The yacht uses eco-friendly systems to heat water and for air conditioning. The OrganiK has a minimum carbon footprint and lets you sail without the guilt of polluting the air and water. This super yacht is a pal to our environment in its production and use.

[SuperYachtTimes]

The 2010 International CES witnessed the unveiling of iGo’s environmentally friendly universal charger power saving product. These chargers can be used to power up laptops and mobile phones and use 85% less standby power than its peers. These products from iGo’s proprietary technology, “iGo Green” are smart enough to detect when a device is not being used and can shut off the power to the device directly from the wall. This helps prevent a useless waste of energy supplies sucked up by these unused devices.

Turning devices off isn’t the only capability of the iGo Green technology. When the iGo Green power managing systems detects that the attached devices need to be powered up again, they automatically turn the power on. Devices that need to continuous power supply, like electric clocks, can be connected to the ‘always on’ power outlet. This bunch of products from iGo is sure to help save a whole load of energy wasted on idle devices.

[Aving]

Sony has taken a step towards environment friendly products by the showcasing of its new Sony Vaio W Series Eco-Edition laptops. The company has made a stand and has saved about a thousand trees by not printing a user manual for this Vaio. The Vaio W Series Eco-Edition laptop has its body made out of 80% recycled materials, 20% of which is obtained from recycled CD’s and DVD’s. The 10.1 inch display with an LED backlight is free from harmful mercury and is more efficient than the usual lamp technology used.

All this and the energy saving Intel Atom processor has helped certify this Vaio with an Energy Star 5.0. The laptop’s bag outer fabric is made out of 100% recycled PET bottles and is used instead of the traditional cardboard box.

The Eco –Edition Sony Vaio W Series may be a let down due to its lack of video acceleration. Also, it will burn a $530 hole in your pocket and is available only in Sony Style stores. These shortcomings aside, this Vaio makes a difference in the computing world with its efforts to go green.

[Sony]

The concept of utilizing renewable sources of energy especially solar energy is being put to use in every nook and corner of the world today. So much that even radios have come to use solar energy to power themselves up now. Portable radios may have become outdated due to the use of mp3 players that have inbuilt radio capabilities nowadays; however the Eton Scorpion is here to make the difference. Most Eton radios can be powered up using batteries or cranks. This recent launch though is juiced up using solar power. The crank saves it from embarrassing moments like bad weather when the radio is needed the most and the sun doesn’t show up.

The only shortcoming of this radio is the lack of an external charging capability. The Scorpion has a digital radio tuner, NOAA weather stations and also packs a flashlight and bottle opener incase you decide to take it outdoors. For the price of just $50, you can buy this solar powered gadget that does its bit to save the environment.

[Gizmodo]

Dubai is currently basking in the glory of the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa. Standing a hundred and sixty stories above ground, and probably more, this huge mammoth structure looks over the United Arab Emirates with pride. All said and done, Dubai has forgotten the fight for the environment. This building has helped increase Dubai’s honor along with its carbon footprint. The building plays host to a thousand condos, an Armani hotel, around 57 elevators and a whole load of other luxurious services. No doubt Dubai should have taken the environment in consideration while designing the tallest tower. However we cannot miss out the two green features of this building.

An eleven hectare oasis is situated at the foot of the building and it boasts of a system that helps collect water from condensation that will provide 15 million gallons of water a year. This building is a matter of pride for the Arab world; however a few snips of a scissor would help make the building a cleaner and greener one.

[Inhabitat]

Disposing weapons may be a tedious and a serious problem. However, the famed Scotland Yard has found a novel way of disposing of their unwanted weaponry; by recycling the guns and knives. 52 tonnes of scrap metal was obtained from keys, guns, knives and other objects. These metals were melted and used in the building of bridges, buildings, and also cars and trains.

Besides this, the staff has also collected 3.3 million used bullets weighing 28 around tones. According to the Metropolitan Police, this scrap metal will also find its place in the 2012 Olympic site in Stratford, east London and the force has recycled 3182 tons of waste in the last year. Bullet casings made up of lead, brass and aluminum were used to make jewelry and photo frames.

Body armor, clothing, cooking oil and horse manure are some of the other things recycled. The force also includes 5500 vehicles which on use cause a substantial harm to the environment. Using hybrid vehicles
for the Police may be an expensive option but will help reduce costs in the future. This move by London’s law keepers will help make the city a cleaner and greener place to live in.

[Google]