Archive for August, 2009
Wednesday, August 19th, 2009
One gorgeous Saturday last month, I kayaked across the Hudson River's wide Newburgh Bay, as a volunteer escorting 200 swimmers taking part in a fund raiser for the River Pool at Beacon. (The brainchild of folksinger and environmental icon Pete Seeger, the pool encircles a shallow portion of the Hudson along the city's shoreline, allowing people to take a refreshing dip without worrying about dangerous currents.) As the swimmers exerted themselves to complete the mile-long crossing, I soaked up the breathtaking scenery of the Hudson Highlands, which have been dubbed "America's Rhine."
The most exciting way to experience the Hudson or any body of water is to get out on them. The "greenest" and healthiest way of doing this is in a kayak. Statistics bear out that I'm not alone in believing this. Over the last 15 years, the number of U.S. kayakers has swelled from 400,000 to well over two million. Like me, no doubt they're enchanted by how different the world looks from the middle of a river or lake, not to mention the access kayaks provide to secluded spots -- such as wetlands and islands -- impossible for landlubbers to reach. The feeling of escape and discovery when exploring unspoiled places like these is almost palpable.
Posted in Home and Garden | No Comments »
Wednesday, August 12th, 2009
The hot hand-held gadget of choice may not be the iPhone for much longer – if this wearable and solar powered wrist phone comes to market, everyone on the streets may soon be sporting it. Inspired by photosynthesis, the Leaf is a wearable phone concept created by Seungkyn Woo and Junyi Heo. The flexible device incorporates solar cells into the front and is capable of rolling up into the form of a wristwatch so that users can wear it and keep it charged while they’re on the move.
Read the rest of Wearable Solar-Powered Leaf Phone Charges on the Go
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Post tags: bracelet, bracelet phone, cell phone, flexible cell phone, Solar Power, solar powered cell phone, solar-powered
Posted in Accessories and Fashion, Art and Design, bracelet, bracelet phone, cell phone, flexible cell phone, green gadgets, green products, solar power, solar powered cell phone, solar-powered, sustainable style sundays | No Comments »
Friday, August 7th, 2009
Although its name implies tongue twisters or dancing dwarfs, Prix Pictet is a distinguished international photography award for artists focused on environmental sustainability and has just announced their shortlist. Last year’s winner, Benoit Aquin, documented the effects and creation of deserts in China. This year’s 12 nominees depict the destruction of the environment through the exploitation of the world’s resources. Click through the gallery to see images from all the nominees!
Read the rest of 2009 Prix Pictet Environmental Photography Shortlist Announced
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Posted in Art and Design, art, eco-art, enivornmental photography, prix pictet photography prize, waste reduction | No Comments »
Thursday, August 6th, 2009
The concept sounds like spinning fabric out of thin air, but the science is rock solid. Catalyx Nanotech, Inc., a relatively new player in the nanomaterials market, has completed its pilot project to manufacture nanofibers from landfill gas, using a patented cracking process to break down methane into soot free elemental carbon and hydrogen. Based on Catalyx’s success with a similar production facility in Canada, it appears that yet another way to recycle old landfills is right around the corner.
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Tags: Canada, Elemental Carbon, Fabric, Hydrogen, Landfill Gas, Landfills, manufacturing, Methane, Pilot Project, science, Sounds, Success, technology, Thin Air
Posted in Resources - Energy - Environment | No Comments »
Thursday, August 6th, 2009
Blacklight Power has signed a contract with Akridge in Maryland, marking the sixth utility to sign up for a mysterious form of energy that defies quantum physics. The company claims that it can create energy by lowering the energy level of hydrogen atoms to below their “ground” state. Most scientists agree that this is impossible.
But that hasn’t stopped “six utilities” from signing on for the theoretical power, (though one of the utilities; Akridge Energy LLC is apparently owned by a property company.)
In an increasingly anti-science culture, scientific consensus doesn’t count for much, but the consensus is that you can’t lower hydrogen atoms below their ground state.
Most scientists agree that this violates the laws of quantum physics.
The six utilities are going out on a limb. Or perhaps they know something we don’t:
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Tags: Akridge, alternative energy, Business, Consensus, Energy Level, Energy Llc, Hydrogen Atoms, Media, Quantum Physics, Science Culture, Scientists, Theoretical Power
Posted in Resources - Energy - Environment | No Comments »
Thursday, August 6th, 2009
As it stands, most vehicles in the world right now run on one of two fuels: gasoline, or diesel. While they perform the same function, and on the outside the engines look the same, they work in very different ways. While diesels have made progress in becoming cleaner burning, gasoline cars still dominate America’s highways.
But what might happen if someone mixed these two fuels up in the same engine? According to a research group from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, the engine not only becomes more thermally efficient but cleaner burning, too.
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Tags: Cocktail, Diesel Engines, Diesels, Different Ways, Gasoline Cars, Gasoline Diesel, Gasoline Engines, Highways, Research Group, University Of Wisconsin, University Of Wisconsin Madison
Posted in Resources - Energy - Environment | No Comments »
Thursday, August 6th, 2009
The Electric Transportation Engineering Corporation (eTec), a subsidiary of ECOtality, Inc. and Nissan North America win a $99.8M grant from the Department of Energy to support the largest deployment of electrical vehicles (EVs) and charging infrastructure in U.S. history.
The project will use Nissan’s LEAF, an early stage zero-emission EV to study and develop the logistics and necessary scale behind the implementation of a national charging infrastructure, that will in turn, support large-scale EV deployment. Initial stages of the project include the deployment of 5,000 EVs and EV charging stations in Arizona, California, Oregon, Tennessee, and Washington. Don Karner, President of eTec, sums up the industry e-coup:
By studying lessons learned from electric vehicle operations and the infrastructure supporting these first 5,000 vehicles, the Project enables the streamlined deployment of the next 5,000,000 electric vehicles…Nissan and over 40 government and industry partners, will enable this Project to successfully pave the way for electric transportation nationwide.
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Tags: 100m, 8m, Arizona California, California Oregon, Department Of Energy, Deployment, Eco-entrepreneurs, Ecotality Inc, Electric Transportation, electric vehicle, electric vehicles, Electrical Vehicles, Engineering Corporation, Ev, Industry Partners, Initial Stages, Karner, Large Scale, Nissan North America, Transportation Engineering, Vehicle Operations
Posted in Resources - Energy - Environment | No Comments »
Thursday, August 6th, 2009
Algae, algae, algae. The research that is occurring on this second generation fuel has overfloweth the petri dish as just this week there have been five major algae announcements.
- W2 Energy, based in Canada, announced that it has completed its Sunfilter commercial scale algae bioreactor.
- Algaeventure Systems said that it has begun receiving orders for its algae harvesting, dewatering, and drying technology. The company that has placed the order is General Atomics.
- Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) at University of North Dakota was awarded a subcontract by SAIC to use its proprietary technology to produce jet fuel from algal oils.
- Kent BioEnergy, based on California, announced that it is going to establish a division of the company in Charleston South Carolina, partnering with a Grant Know, a local entrepreneur.
- Algenol Biofuels, a Florida based company, has threatened to leave the state and now they are working with CEO Paul Woods to entice his company to stay.
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Tags: Algae, Algenol Biofuels, Biodiesel, Biofuels, Canada, Ceo, Charleston South Carolina, Drying Technology, Eerc, Entrepreneur, Ethanol, General Atomics, Jet Fuel, Petri Dish, Proprietary Technology, Saic, Second Generation, University Of North Dakota, W2
Posted in Resources - Energy - Environment | No Comments »
Thursday, August 6th, 2009
It’s a good day for Kleenex. After almost five years of hard campaigning, Greenpeace promised to end its Kleercut campaign against Kimberly-Clark, the world’s largest tissue-product manufacturer of Kleenex, Scott and Cottonelle products. During a joint news conference in Washington D.C., the large corporation and the controversial non-governmental organization (NGO) announced an historic agreement that will ensure greater protection and sustainable management of Canada’s Boreal Forest.
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Tags: Boreal Forest, Business, Campaigning, Canada, greenpeace, Kimberly Clark, Kleenex, News Conference, Ngo, Non Governmental Organization, Product Manufacturer, Sustainable Management, Washington D C
Posted in Resources - Energy - Environment | No Comments »
Last week we reported on a series of 
