Eco Factor: Aerosol-enriched clouds could fight global warming.
Researchers from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) have detected that rising steam from passing ships in shipping lanes has caused brightening in the clouds, which according to the research team can prevent the sun’s energy from reaching the Earth effectively, which could be used as a defense against global warming.
Eco Factor: Cellphone made from recycled plastic bottles.
The Mobile World Congress 2010 has seen the launch of a few environmentally friendly products, including the much anticipated Puma Phone that adorns solar panels for a renewable recharge. Motorola wasn’t empty-handed at the show as well, as the company has unveiled their new eco-friendly mobile phone dubbed the A45Eco.
Eco Factor: Sustainable building proposal with green roof and photovoltaic cells.
Antoine Predock Architect in collaboration with Perdock_Frane and Moody-Nolan have designed the Center for Civil and Human Rights (CCHR) for Atlanta, Georgia that expresses the universal and timeless struggles for human and civil rights. The architecture has been designed to have a quieter exterior articulation, which then eventually emerges as a unified force of nature.
Eco Factor: Urban Wind Power system to generate renewable energy.
The rise in demand of clean energy has made energy companies think of possible locations where wind farms or solar plants can be constructed. Student designer Christian Grossi from the Swinburne University has come up with a different proposal. Grossi believes that instead of generating renewable energy in rural areas and then transporting it to the urban world, it would be a cost-effective approach to generate renewable energy using existing city infrastructure such as telephone poles and electricity towers.
Eco Factor: Zero-emission modular car concept powered by electricity.
The “Mo-Du-Lo” concept car by designer Thierry Dumaine is a modular car that can be operated in three different versions to suit individual requirements. The vehicle is designed to be powered by electrical energy and can also be manually powered when there isn’t much juice left in its onboard batteries.
Eco Factor: Science laboratory powered by biofuels, solar and wind energy.
After receiving his Ph.D. in biology from Columbia University in 2007, Ben Dubin-Thaler continued his research in building a vehicle that could bring science education to communities devoid of such facilities. Dubin-Thaler wanted his work to be green, and he achieved his target in a carbon-neutral science class onboard a bus, which he calls the BioBus.
Eco Factor: City Hall for Herstal to provide a naturally illuminated work area.
Belgian architect Frédéric Haesevoets has won a competition to design a new city hall for Herstal. The architecture will accommodate office spaces, archives and mixed use areas. The sustainable architecture will maximize energy conservation by reducing the need for artificial lighting.
Eco Factor: Concept car to be powered by a low-emission hybrid engine.
Mercedes-Benz has announced a range of fuel-efficient vehicles recently and the company will be coming to the Geneva Motor Show with a hybrid as well. Mercedes-Benz has announced that their new F800 style concept sedan will be unveiled at Geneva with a flexible powertrain that can be customized either as a plug-in hybrid or as a fuel cell-powered electric drive system.
Eco Factor: Concept vehicle designed to run clean on electricity.
TRIGON is the brainchild of industrial designers Alexandros TH Katinis and Kim Katinis, who believe that the best possible way to reduce city traffic and pollution is to commute by vehicles that are small, agile and are powered by clean sources of fuel. These designers have come up with a concept vehicle, dubbed the TRIGON, which offers minimum volume, minimum weight and minimum load to better its efficiency.
Eco Factor: Super-absorbent polymers to help plants grow in 80 percent less water.
Israel’s Exotech Bio Solutions have developed naturally-derived super-absorbent polymers (SAPs) that can treat obesity without surgery and can help plants grow in less water. While most super-absorbent materials developed till date are acrylic byproducts of oil, Exotech’s SAPs are derived from natural materials and chemicals, using a technology based on water.
Eco Factor: Sustainable building designed to maximize energy conservation.
Perkins Eastman have designed a sustainable building to serve as the headquarters of the Guangzhou Metro Authority, which will be developed in partnership with The Metro Design Institute of China. The 50,000 square-meter building will enable the company to house all the planning and construction group activities under one roof.
Eco Factor: Zero-emission vehicle powered by electricity.
US researchers have unveiled a new electric car that instead of guzzling up the owner’s money in gasoline and maintenance generates money by serving the electric grid. The converted Toyota Scion xB was showcased at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in San Diego, California.
Eco Factor: Wind farm in Suez to generate 200MW of renewable electric power.
Egypt’s New and Renewable Energy Authority (NREA) has signed an agreement with Abu Dhabi’s green energy company, Masdar, to develop a 200MW wind power plant for Egypt’s eastern coast near Suez. The project will increase Egypt’s total wind energy installed capacity to 630MW.
Eco Factor: Portable water sterilization unit conserves energy.
The United Nations estimates that by the year 2025 more than two-thirds of the world population will be striving to get access to pure drinking water. These grim figures have forced industrial designers to think of concepts that are energy-efficient and can purify water in a simple way. Industrial designer Olivia Blechschmidt is up to the task with a concept water sterilization unit called the STER UV.
Eco Factor: Aeroponic planted controlled via computer.
Click & Grow has unveiled a range of high-tech planters that make growing houseplants a set and forget exercise. The planter has been designed for those who love houseplants but mostly don’t have much time to take care of their little green friends. The manufacturers of this unique system claim that once connected to the computer, the onboard sensors monitor the progress, via a processor and special software contained in the pot.
Eco Factor: Paintings created from recycled floppy disks and VHS tapes.
The latest advances in storage technology allowed us to store more data in a better fashion. However, this advancement meant that earlier storage systems such as floppy disks and VHS tapes were left to catch dust and later discarded inappropriately. Nick Gentry is salvaging obsolete tech and converting them into modern pieces of art to prevent them from reaching the landfills.
Eco Factor: Car replica created from recycled materials.
UK-based Ben Wilson Design has designed a Formula 1 race car replica using nothing more than recycled Puma shoe boxes. The design was a part of an installation at Puma’s new store at North State Street, Chicago and portrays the company’s ongoing relationship with motor sports. The replica was put together by creating a 3D scanned replica car and then hand fixing the different shapes from cut out shoe boxes to finally create something unique.
Eco Factor: Fuel cell to extend the range of EVs to more than 400 miles.
California-based fuel cell developers Oorja Protonics have unveiled new technology that according to the company can better the range of electric vehicles to up to 400 miles. The newly developed liquid methanol fuel cell, dubbed OorjaPac Model 1, will also be useful for long-haul trucks.
Eco Factor: Concept boat powered by a diesel/electric hybrid engine.
Mercury Marine showcased its latest concept boat at the Miami International Boat Show. Dressed in striking graphics, the concept vessel promises a low-emission cruise with its diesel/electric propulsion system. The vessel is equipped with both Cummins QSC 550 550hp diesel engines and Zeus pod drives and high-efficiency electric engines.
Eco Factor: Portable fuel cell to recharge mobile devices.
Mobile base stations are working hard to set up their towers in the remote places of the planet to connect them with the rest of the world. However, in most of these places power is a major issue and keeping cellphones charged isn’t that easy. Swedish company myFC AB is trying to help people in the developing and under-developed countries to keep their phones charged in a sustainable way.