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Posts Tagged “
Environmental
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diy
wind energy
In an effort to figure out the best areas to harvest wind energy, scientists from NASA's Earth Science Division have used several years of QuikSCAT satellite data to produce some pretty awesome looking wind power density maps. According to them, if the areas with high wind power—an average wind of greater than 30 knots (45 miles an hour)—were tapped, they could potentially supply 10 to 15 percent of the world's energy needs.
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NASA Wind Map Shows You Where The Greatest Gusts Blow
In an effort to figure out the best areas to harvest wind energy, scientists from NASA's Earth Science Division have used several years of QuikSCAT satellite data to produce some pretty awesome looking wind power density maps. According to them, if the areas with high wind power—an average wind of greater than 30 knots (45 miles an hour)—were tapped, they could potentially supply 10 to 15 percent of the world's energy needs.
More »
6:00 PM on Sat Jul 12 2008
By Elaine Chow
8,444 views,
34 comments
Latest by n/a: Just beware - QuikSCAT is less accurate near coasts than it is over the open sea. more »
solar
Solar-Powered LCD Brings TV to Anywhere the Sun Shines
As part of Sharp's recent efforts to shove itself to the forefront of solar innovation, the company is showcasing a prototype of a 26-inch LCD Aquos TV that can be powered entirely by the sun. Now even the 1.6 billion people on earth without electricity won't have an excuse to miss the next season of Lost. More »
12:00 PM on Sat Jul 5 2008
By Elaine Chow
2,963 views,
8 comments
environmental
Sony Ericsson Wins Greenest Electronics Company Award
Congratulations, Sony Ericsson, for winning what was ultimately a barely challenging competition to become the greenest electronics company around. Our favorite Swedish-Japanese conglomerate rose to the top of Greenpeace's Greener Electronics Guide by exceeding Energy Star requirements, making all its models PVC-free and banning the most harmful chemicals from phones launched since January 2008. Unfortunately, it was valedictorian in a class whose scores have plummeted all around. More »
10:00 PM on Sun Jun 29 2008
By Elaine Chow
7,938 views,
33 comments
cellphones
Wind, Solar Recharge Tent Keeps Phones Juiced at Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury festivalgoers won't have to worry about not having enough juice in their cellphones, thanks to U.K. mobile company Orange's green cellphone charging stations. The freestanding tentpods draw their electricity from a wind generator and solar panels. With a peak power of 1Kw, the pod can charge up to 100 mobile phones per hour and stores unused energy in a battery bank. The tent also contains a fully functional weather station and a nifty panel that keeps track of power generated and consumed throughout the festival. More »
4:00 PM on Sun Jun 22 2008
By Elaine Chow
5,339 views,
14 comments
Latest by n/a: Hm, I would need something like this. A big ass party tent that is both good-looking, and power-accessible. but, I would like that one with sleeping quarters, and not that big cylinder that works as a fly attractor at night... and not more »
universal adapter
Westinghouse Throws Its Support Behind Universal Adapter Concept
Even if it's not keeping up with other types of LCD technology, Westinghouse is at least throwing its support behind a solution for an age old problem. The budget electronics maker said that it had committed to using a "universal adapter" made by start-up Green Plug that will power everything from cell phones to television sets. More »
4:00 PM on Sat Jun 14 2008
By Elaine Chow
9,662 views,
27 comments
electricity
Electricity Generator Gets Its Power From Waste Heat
Dallas' Southern Methodist University is now recycling energy with one of the first commercial electricity generators that use thermoelectricity—the act of drawing power from waste heat. The machine operates by using heat given off by other processes (such as manufacturing) to boil liquids, which then turn into steam, which then turns an electricity-generating turbine. More »
7:00 PM on Sat May 31 2008
By Elaine Chow
5,522 views,
33 comments
robots
Modded Kids Snowmobiles to be Used to Aid Climate Research
Instead of trekking across ice sheets and into dangerous areas to gather data on climate change, scientists from the Georgia Institute of Technology are going to send robots in instead. Dubbed SnoMotes, the in-development robots are modified kids snowmobiles—chosen for their cheapness and resilience—packed with navigation gear and sensors, and able to work as a team without the need for remote control. More »
water sports
Looking to zoom through the oceans in a stylish, but also somewhat environmentally friendly, manner? Check out the Czeers MK1 prototype solar speedboat, a 10-meter long rig that manages to pack in 14 square meters of solar panels to power an 80kw electric motor. The MK1 plows through the water at a breakneck 30 knots, using no oil and producing no fumes or engine noise. Hit the jump for a video of the boat in action.
More »
World's First Solar Speedboat Does 30 Knots Gas-Free
Looking to zoom through the oceans in a stylish, but also somewhat environmentally friendly, manner? Check out the Czeers MK1 prototype solar speedboat, a 10-meter long rig that manages to pack in 14 square meters of solar panels to power an 80kw electric motor. The MK1 plows through the water at a breakneck 30 knots, using no oil and producing no fumes or engine noise. Hit the jump for a video of the boat in action.
More »
7:30 PM on Sat May 24 2008
By Elaine Chow
19,523 views,
48 comments
Latest by n/a: worlds first, hardly. also 100% carbon fiber with LCD touchscreen and does 30knots... and many years ahead of this one. [www.eng.mu.edu] more »
bioplastics
Bioplastics: Environmentally Unfriendly, Contributing To The Food Crisis
About those bioplastic bags - you know, the ones you've been using to assuage your eco-conscious guilt - turns out not only are they not as green as you think, they could also be partially responsible for the global food crisis. A worldwide effort by bag-heavy industries to replace petroleum-based plastics with plant-based plastics could actually lead to more environmental problems, according to a study by the Guardian UK. More »
8:00 PM on Sat Apr 26 2008
By Elaine Chow
6,177 views,
67 comments
solar
Sungevity Web App Makes Installing Solar Panels a Piece of Cake
Eco start-up company Sungevity is launching a new web application on Earth Day (three days away, people!) that will take the guess work out of solar panel installations. Enter your address on Sungevity's website and satellite-imaging software will zoom in on your home, calculate your roof's dimensions, select the right sized solar arrays and calculate how much money you'll save on energy costs. More »
4:30 PM on Sat Apr 19 2008
By Elaine Chow
15,762 views,
28 comments
light bulbs
Viatek CFL Makes Your Rooms Brighter, Less Smelly
If you've ever thought of your light bulb as a serious underachiever without enough features, maybe it's time to spring for Viatek's new Ionic 15 watt compact fluorescent. This bulb pulls double duty, both brightening up your life and cleansing the air, all the while saving you money on your electric bill. The CFL uses 15 watts to produce the same amount of light as a 60 watt incandescent, lasts for 10,000 hours, and cleans a 100 square foot area with its built in ionic purifier. All for just $14.99 on Amazon. Now repeat after me - lazy light bulbs are for losers! [Amazon via Popgadget]
7:30 PM on Sat Apr 12 2008
By Elaine Chow
4,134 views,
35 comments
Latest by trendspotter: Ionic air 'purifiers' are really bad for asthmatics, fyi... www.allergizer.com/5 more »
cellphones
$20 Disposable Cell Phones Coming to Europe
Phone maker Hop-on Inc. apparently found success at CTIA in Las Vegas with its disposable cell-phone concept, a $20 (13 euros) phone with no LCD screen that can be thrown away or recycled after use. The company said on Thursday that a European distributor has purchased 10,000 of the phones for an initial test run. The phone uses a Texas Instruments chip set and works on the 900/1800 MHz frequency. More »
3:00 PM on Sat Apr 12 2008
By Elaine Chow
15,970 views,
35 comments
green
Smart Green Cell Station Makes Africa a Cleaner Place To Ask "Can You Hear Me Now?"
In an effort to clean up Africa's dirty and diesel-reliant mobile network, Swedish start up Flexenclosure has designed a green version of a cellular base station. Called the E-site, it runs primarily on wind and solar power and utilizes an intelligent operating system that adapts to local conditions. More »
3:00 PM on Sat Apr 5 2008
By Elaine Chow
2,742 views,
13 comments
gadgets
China's E-Waste Problem Poisons Children, Destroys Cities
Since the 1980s, cities like Guiyu, China, have been taking in electronic waste from other countries for dismantlement and processing. It's great for other countries, but takes a huge toll on the people managing the effort because of the "metal extraction of circuit boards" and "open dumping of waste and ash residue into open water". It's made the well water and ground water of Guiyu undrinkable, and has to be trucked in from other villages. The lead poisoning level in children is 69%. [China-Pix via Crunchgear]
germ-free
IOGEAR Fined $208,000 By EPA For Germ-Free Mice Claims
IOGEAR's Germless Portable Laser Mouse isn't quite so germless after all, which is why the Environmental Protection Agency levied a fine of $208,000 on the company for "unsubstantiated public health claims regarding unregistered products, and their ability to control germs and pathogens." In other words, these things aren't killing any germs, and you probably shouldn't be buying them in hopes that they will. And as a result of the fines, IOGEAR's also stopped claiming that their germ-killing mice (now just "mice") kill germs. [IOGEAR via Crave via Gadgetell]
concepts
Nokia GPS Phones to Fight the Traffic Plague
Nokia has developed software that allows data to be received from GPS enabled phones, which is then compiled and interpreted into traffic flow patterns, which is kinda similar to what Dash GPS units offer. However, these plans are currently at concept stage, with a demonstration recently taking place as a joint venture between Nokia, California Center for Innovative Transportation (CCIT), CalTrans, and Berkeley's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. More »
3:25 PM on Sat Feb 9 2008
By Haroon Malik
3,140 views,
10 comments
energy saver
