Eco Factor: Concept bus handles designed to generate renewable electricity.
More+ Bus Handle is the brainchild of industrial designer Junjie Zhang, who believes that while swinging from the bus poles on those hangers, you can do much more than simply pushing the person in front of you for more space. The concept relies on the use of piezoelectric ceramics that generate renewable electricity.
Eco Factor: Zero-emission vehicle powered by electricity.
The Pandur by industrial designer Popescu Lucian is a zero-emission concept electric vehicle that is equipped with electric motors on its rear set of wheels and a battery pack mounted near the front wheels. The vehicle features a metallic frame that is strengthened by a band of durable plastic that acts as a chair too and sustains the three wheels.
Researchers estimate that a typical gas-powered lawnmower running for half an hour produces the same emissions as a car driving 200km. In addition to emissions, the noise produced by conventional lawnmowers has made eco-conscious manufacturers figure out ways to make these machines clean. Just like electric cars are made to lower emissions on the road, designers are envisioning electric engines for lawnmowers as well that can reduce both noise and emissions. Here is a list of 12 such lawnmowers that are designed to clean the greens in a green way:
Eco Factor: Sustainable cellphone for developing and underdeveloped nations.
Mobile network providers are trying their level best to connect even the most remote locations on the planet with the rest of the world. However, in places like rural Africa nine out of ten people don’t have access to electricity, which means that they’ve to get their cellphones charged in villages that either have access to the grid or have to use diesel generators for the same.
Eco Factor: Concept vehicle powered by a low-emission hybrid engine.
After revealing a few details in the design patent, GM will finally reveal the extended range electric crossover Chevrolet Volt MPV5 concept at the Beijing Motor Show. The five-passenger crossover concept rides on the same Voltec architecture as the Chevy Volt.
Eco Factor: Zero-emission vehicle to be propelled by electricity.
After completely a year’s worth of electric vehicle testing with Mini E, the BMW group is planning to start rolling out its first production EV dubbed the “Megacity” in 2013. The Megacity is expected to be a 5-seater vehicle in the size class of the VW Golf.
Eco Factor: Low-cost highly efficient solar cells to be developed using better technology.
Researchers at the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) Chemistry Department have developed two novel technologies that can not only make solar cells inexpensive but can also make them highly efficient. The Earth receives more solar energy in one hour than the entire planet currently consumes in a year. However, due to the lack inexpensive means to transform that energy into usable form, we depend more on fossil fuels rather than clean energy from the sun.
Eco Factor: Compact bike powered by electric motors.
The Monobike by industrial designer Ilia Vostrov is a sustainable solution to the problem of traffic jams in urban cities. The zero-emission bike runs on electric motors and its space-efficient design provides advantages over other vehicles in condition where traffic jams are unavoidable.
There isn’t anything new in recycling discarded shipping containers to create homes. However, some architects believe that shipping containers have a much larger recycling potential that simply being used as a single-room house. These architects are envisioning sustainable developments like cities and residential complexes that have a steel skeleton. Here is a list of 11 such structures that make use of recycled shipping containers on a much larger scale:
Eco Factor: Zero-emission public transport concept based on magnetic levitation.
Chaotic traffic jams, pollution and clogged parking spaces are the problems that an average urban commuter has to deal with everyday. Public transportation is definitely a better alternative, but for those who try to better the environment, a zero-emission system is needed desperately. Industrial designer Chris Hanley has come up with a concept public transportation system that offers a zero-emission ride with a roller coaster-like experience.
Eco Factor: Temporary structure made from reclaimed materials.
Ann Ha and Behrang Behin’s “Living Pavilion” has been selected as the winner of the first-ever annual pavilion competition organized by several architects. The winning project will be assembled on Governors Island in New York City this spring, where it will provide refuge from the heat.
Eco Factor: Zero-emission vehicle gets an operating range of 345 miles on a single charge.
One of the biggest hurdles in the global adoption of electric vehicles is their slow speed and less operating range, which makes EVs impractical for a long drive. With frequent updates in battery technology, Sanyo has powered a Daihatsu Mira EV for 345 miles on a single charge, making a new Guinness World Record.
Eco Factor: Zero-emission vehicle powered by electric engine.
Electric Cars of Springfield, Ecos Motors, has unveiled its second electric vehicle after the Lamborghini-styled Harbinger. The newly launched vehicle, dubbed Fun seems to be inspired by the Jeep and has been designed to offer a cost-effective EV to those who’re eagerly waiting for a zero-emission transport alternative.
Eco Factor: Sustainable floating homes powered by solar energy.
RAFAA Architecture & Design have recently won a competition organized by Internationale Bauausstellung in Germany with a futuristic floating home dubbed “The Last Resort”. The win and adequate funding will make sure that the team beings fabrication on these sleek floating homes by the end of this year.
Cigarettes aren’t only bad for your health but statistics point out that they’re even worse for the environment. According to recent statistics, about 1.1 billion people in the world are smokers and about 10 million cigarettes are purchased every minute around the world. Apart from creating a plume of toxic gases, cigarettes leave a much longer effect on the environment in the form of cigarette butts. Cigarette butts can take up to 12 years to degrade. Moreover, a new study has rated cigarette butts as one of the most ubiquitous forms of garbage in the world that have been found to be toxic to saltwater and freshwater fish. Cigarette butts are what many eco-minded artists collect and transform into artwork or bring to other unconventional uses, which in most cases, encourages individuals to give up smoking and protect not only their own self but the environment as well. Check out 10 such pieces of art that have been created entirely from cigarette butts:
Eco Factor: Wrist watches powered by exposed photovoltaic cells.
Seiko Watch Corp has announced the developed of a new “Hybrid” series of environmentally friendly wrist watches that are powered by onboard solar panels. The watches will be unveiled May 14, 2010 in Japan. In the past, the company has concealed the solar cells by colored resin plates, but this time they’ve come up with a design that shouts its eco-friendly credentials.
Eco Factor: Sex toy powered by renewable solar energy.
Should I, shouldn’t I? I think, I should! This is what was going through my mind when I first saw the Micro-Kitty. However, owing to its green credentials it becomes my duty to bring to all eco-conscious readers, who’re trying to green their lifestyle by using green gadgets, the Micro-Kitty, which is being touted to be the world’s first solar-powered sex toy which is also phthalate-free.
Eco Factor: Eco-friendly cellphone made from 84 percent recyclable materials.
Samsung and Sprint have unveiled their second eco-friendly handset together, the Samsung Restore. The Samsung Restore features award-winning Sprint One Click customizable user interface and offers environmentally conscious customers the perfect blend of technology with an environmentally friendly design.
Eco Factor: Anaerobic digester produces renewable energy from organic materials.
SEaB Energy has announced a new anaerobic digested that is built inside a repurposed shipping container and can produce renewable energy from any organic material. Dubbed the MuckBuster, the device is a self-contained digested that uses animal waste, grass clippings or stuff bound for the septic tank to generate renewable energy.
Eco Factor: Sustainable development to minimize energy consumption.
BIG Architects have proposed a sustainable design for Quebec’s Beaux-Arts Expansion that including a sloping green roof that people can actually walk on. Though the entry didn’t win the competition, their proposal definitely is sustainable and can reduce energy consumption.